Thread: Age of animal query ....

Originally Posted by bigbear

@Stocky what is your knowledge like on antlers? if a head is missing a bez/bey tine on one side making it uneven will it ever grow one?
Also if a two-three year old is missing its bez i was on the understanding it will never have them and some herds its common and in there genetics.

My knowledge on antlers is only what I've been able to learn because I find it interesting but I'd only be repeating info heard from others.

I can spot the general age of an animal all right having grew up on an angus stud and there tends to be a similar way animals carry themselves etc with maturity. That's usually why Im more of a fan of leaving animals for maturity and letting them battle it out themselves rather than culling unless it's obvious like no tops as a middle aged animals, clear deformation, etc.

So based on that as far as I know that for the most part if it does not have Bezs it rarely will grow them and its rare to grow one if its missing even if it has one on the other side. I think in some rare cases guys have said a lack of feed can hide them but not typically.

I usually differ to @Moa Hunter for these queries. I usually wouldn't call a stag a cull for lacking Bezs but down here culling on Bezs wouldn't leave a lot of animals and there's plenty of stags going 12 plus without them. I'm a big believer that while trophys with lots of points etc are nice, that mass shape and frame that typically come with age are usually more appealing. There's some awesome 10s that have been taken that Id be happier with than a shorter 12 or 14. @JoshC shot a ripper 10 that I really liked the frame and clean even lines.

So to answer that more concisely very rarely do they grow a missing Bez as far as I know