Is it unusual for a Whitetail buck to have an odd number of points on his antlers?

Question

I bagged a 9 point buck on 11/10/07 in Missouri. It had 5 points on the right side and 4 points on the left side of his rack. He weighed about 200 pounds and I assume he was several years old. I always thought that the antlers would have the same number of points on each side.

Answer 1

The Non Typical Rack you are describing is more common than not. It is not the least bit unusual for there to be a different number of points on each side of a mature Whitetail Bucks rack. Less then 20% of the Buck Deer racks are "matching" or "symetrical" and balanced. There are many factors involved including genetic's, diet,mineral deficency, loss of points due to sparring and fighting with other Bucks, etc. As you were already advised you cannot determine a Bucks age accurately by the rack size, Game Biologists can determine age from teeth and lower jaw bones

Answer 2

It isn't the ordinary but it isn't all that unusual either. A few grow that way and some are the result of becoming broken in combat with other deer. Those that grow that way can be the result of a genetic aberration or can result from injury to the developing antler. In my years of hunting, I have shot several deer with an odd number of points and I believe I have, at one time or another, gotten odd numbered racks as a result of each of the reasons listed above.

Answer 3

Not unusual at all. Antlers come in all configurations. Deer are like people, each one is unique. I have taken alot of even racks, 6-8-10 pts. and also 3-5 7-9-11 pts.

Answer 4

Perfectly usual. Since you're new to deer hunting, here's a project for you: as you gain experience, you should be able to guage the age of the deer by the teeth, and after a few years' experience you should be able to make a pretty good estimate of age while they're still upright and walking. You can't tell "several years old" by it being a nine-point rack, as a well-fed two year old will often produce one of those.

Answer 5

hi there, we just finished up our week of hunting white tail here in ontario canada, we bagged a button buck , 1- 5 point 1- 6 point 1- 7 point and 1- 9 point ,looks like here the odd numbers are more prevelent, safe hunting

Answer 6

particular they are going to enhance antlers however the upward thrust on the 365 days they are castrated will no longer be the ideal enhance continuously endure in innovations that if the deer is injured or injury in any way the antler enhance will no longer be how that's assume to be it is going to nevertheless improve yet I fairly have seen some stable trophy dollars one 365 days and an identical greenback with an injury right here 365 days no longer be a trophy

Answer 7

not true there are hundreds of bucks every year with odd number of points. Its not verry rare but its not common either.

Answer 8

No, this is normal.

Answer 9

No not really.*