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Premature antler rubbing

Joined Apr 2009
283 Posts | 0+
Between shipshy and Indy
I have a buck who has the tips on some of his tines that are blood red but not bleeding. Tonight I watched him rub on a tree and split the tip open. His antlers are still big and dark so he's not done growing yet. Does anyone know why this is happening? Could there be something lacking in the feed mix?

I will try to get some pics posted tomorrow.
 
Here are some pics, sorry that there not the clearest. It was getting dark last night when I took them so the quality isn't the best. I have another buck in the same pen that is starting to do the same thing, just not this bad yet.

Has anyone else experienced this? What can be done to prevent it?
 

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Looks dry in your pen... Have you tried misting your deer? Perhaps placing a sprinkler in their pen and allowing this to "cool" them off will help w/ the itchy antlers? just a thought. I am only hypothesizing.
 
Some bucks just do this! When mine do it, I use a squirt bottle and try to spray the tips with permectin to prevent flies from eating on the exposed tissue.
 

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