Why is this buck shaking his head?

[Corihor]

I've been monitoring a decent buck since late November/Early December and recently he's started shaking his head...but it's more like rolling his head from side to side. At first, I thought he was trying to shake his antlers off. But it's been about 2 1/2 weeks now and he's still packing them around. How long do you guys think a buck will do this before finally shedding his antlers? (I also found a fresh rubbed Cedar tree)

Or could he be shaking his head for some other reason? Any expert opinions out there would be appreciated.

 

[TOPGUN]

Probably mites or ticks, which are particularly irritating if he has them in his ears. I doubt that it has anything to do with his antlers.

 

[Cornhusker]

We have brain worm here and we're really starting to see it in mule deer doesn't effect whitetails. They pick it up from eating snails when grazing the life cycle of the larvae then turns into a worm that migrates to the brain and then kills them. If it is that in another week he'll cant his head to the side and walk in a circle until he dies.

www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/brainworm_nematode.htm

 

[tailchasers]

>We have brain worm here and
>we're really starting to see
>it in mule deer doesn't
>effect whitetails. They pick
>it up from eating snails
>when grazing the life cycle
>of the larvae then turns
>into a worm that migrates
>to the brain and then
>kills them. If it
>is that in another week
>he'll cant his head to
>the side and walk in
>a circle until he dies.
>
>
>www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/brainworm_nematode.htm

That's nuts!! Never heard of that one before. Good thing we ain't got much for snails around here.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling
up anyway."

 

[TOPGUN]

Good post Cornhusker! I know a little of what you stated, but didn't know exactly what the outward signs are as it progresses. Let's hope it's not that, but if the OP keeps watching and the buck is suddenly gone that may be what happened.

 

[Corihor]

I would be surprised if brain worm was the problem, but good information none the less.

I'll be watching this buck every few days as I have for over a month now. This buck appears healthy and I'd guess he's only 3-4 years old and not all that big-bodied, but I wouldn't rule out the tick theory. There's been a few periods where I couldn't find him for a few days and I got worried he'd been poached, or he'd shed his antlers already and someone else was going to pick them up before me. Now I'm going to be worrying about brainworm on top of it all. I don't need to lose any more sleep than I already am.

My wife tells me that if I was as concerned about my kids as I am about my deer, we'd all be better off.

 

[theox]

i would bet either a tick in the ear, or some sort of ear infection. I have seen that in dogs. so that is where my info is coming from

 

[MuskegMan]

Heck, I figure he's probably shaking his head in disgust over his state's deer management.

 

[bonepicker]

My dog is doing the same thing right now. The vet said the wet and cold is causing a fungal infection in his ears (like athlete's foot in humans) It's annoying for him but it will ease up/go away when it dries out in the later spring and summer. May be the same thing for your buck. Hopefully that's all it is.

 

[Roy]

Why are you "monitoring" him? Can't wait for those sheds to drop can you? Hoping that he will shake them off a little early?

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[Corihor]

Lets just say that if they do drop, I want to be the guy who picks them up. But I was monitoring him even before he started behaving this way. It sure made it more exciting though, once I started dreaming about those antlers falling off for me to go pick them up. I plan on mounting them on a replica skull for my office. Already got the spot picked out on my wall.