No brow tines -- why?

[Jason Antrim]

I harvested a dandy of an 8 point last year, fairly old deer, but he didn't have any brow tines.  Plenty of sticklers around the BT area, but they were absent.

Why is it that a buck wouldn't develop BT's?  It's been on my mind since I've shot em.   

[mooser]

My guess would be gentetics or something.  Why do some deer palmate and others don't.  Why do some deer grow 10 pts. on one side and others grow four.  From what I would know there would reaaly not be a good explanation, but that's not saying much since I'm not a biologist.

[Shannon]

I would say genetics.  In the county I'm from, a certain area of the county contains genetics that some deer,when mature, grow no brow tines, like the buck you described.  I've seen 6-7 mature bucks from this area that did not grow brows.  Another area of my county produces deer with palmated beam tips.  I've personally have two 150+ bucks with the beams bladed, and have mounted several others that have come from the same area, with the same traits.  In another small area of the county, drop tines are present.  In this area I know of 3 bucks that were harvested within a 12 year span, that had sizeable 6"+ droptines.  In fact, the deer I'm after with my bow this year has a nice drop on his left side.  He is in the portion of my county where the three previous droptines have been harvested. Without knowing the whole situation of your deer herd, population, available food/cover, etc.  It's really just a guess on why your buck had no brows.  In my case I've seen enough common antler charactoristics in deer harvested in specific areas, to believe the similarities are more than just pure coincidence.

[Becky P]

Yep, I'd agree it's probably genetics. I have a group of people that hunt the same area and every deer that they've brought me, was browtine-less.

[Jims Wildlife Studio]

I agree with Mooser, It has to be genetics.

[jkidd]

I also agree with genetics. Some deer that I have gotten in from close to the same area either has no brow tines or very short brow tines.

[StevenOK]

I'm may be wrong here and we're all just guessing but I know that some deer lose their brow tines with age. Just a thought.

[Ben]

It must be genetics. Why is it that mule deer normally have no brow tines?

[Ben]

It was a whitetail, correct?

[Jason Antrim]

Yep, a mature whitetail.

[Ben]

That's pretty rare for a whitetail to not have brow tines unless they were broken off. It should just add to the trophy.

[Emile P LeBlanc]

 I am a deer Biologist and it is either genetic or nutrition. We are in the process of doing research to determine why we have some Bucks in a certain area of Louisiana have NO antlers. Yes, we have a small area that produce Bucks in the 200# range without even a pedicel. We will be working with LSU to artifiaially insenonate (AI) a doe in their captive herd to see if we come up with an antlerless buck under ideal nutritional conditions. If that happens, then it's genetics. But to answer the original, it's very likely to be genetics.

[Jason Antrim]

Thanks for the great responses, guys and gals.  Just what I was lookin' for    Have a great week!!!