LAST EDITED ON Aug-04-08 AT 07:29PM (MST)[p]Basically, during the velvet period, the deer broke his antlers.
The velvet is very strong at that time and acts like skin or hide on any animal. Same as a non compound fracture of any bone.
With the velvet not damaged, blood continues to flow and the injury heals itself very quickly.
Nothing in the animal kingdom grows faster than antler, so the healing process is very rapid.
Once the velvet "dies" and is scraped off, the rack is left with exposed scaring of the injury.
The Tule Elk population in our area suffer from a mineral deficiency that produces very weak antlers and this injury is very common.
These elk are not indigeneous to this valley and they cannot produce a durable antler on the available natural minerals.
We get some really unusual deformities every year.
Not to sure I would want to see the bug that could bite deep enough into a growing antler to cause that kind of damage. Doubt the animal would tolerate it either.