Mule Deer Buck With Bizarre, Rare Antler Break Turns Heads In Sheridan

A mishap that must have involved incredible force has left a young mule deer buck in Sheridan with his right antler dangling down toward his face, to the point where he can lick it.

It’s not unusual for parts of deer’s antlers to break off. But a catastrophic break at the base that leaves an antler dangling and flopping around is seldom seen, biologist Kevin Monteith told Cowboy State Daily.

“What must have happened is some level of force caused the pedicle to break, which is why the skin is still attached,” he said.

The pedicle is the raised front portion of an animal’s skull, from which antlers grow.

“That’s pretty rare. More likely what happens is the antler itself snaps,” added Monteith, a biologist with the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyom