Everything went as exacly as planned for one Kansas hunter. He was in the right place at the right time — and the deer that a neighbor had told him about showed up. After watching the buck for a short time, the deer finally worked its way through the woods and made itself availalbe for a clear shot. It was about 100 yards away and Mike Smith’s shot was true. The excited hunter thought that he had harvested the buck of a lifetime, a gnarly 27 point non-typical deer with double drops and still in velvet. But as he loaded the white-tailed deer into the truck, he realized that his “buck” was actually a 27 point antlered doe! The hunter told the press:
“When I rolled it over there was nothing male-looking on the deer. I looked at the back end and it was definitely a doe. That was a real surprise.”
Not only was the doe he shot in early December a rare antlered white-tailed doe, but it may end up being the largest antlered doe ever shot in the world. The rack was measured at about 179 inches Boone and Crockett inches as a non-typical. A retired Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks biologist, avid hunter, and official scorer stated, “Doe deer occasionally have antlers. Doe antlers are frequently covered in velvet. Does seldom shed their antlers, like bucks do annually.”
Smith knew a good “buck” was in the area, but he was wrong about the sex. The hunter said, “A guy I know drives by the place I hunt as he goes to work about every day. He told me a deer had crossed the road with ‘two of those hangy-down-thingies’ so I knew there was some kind of non-typical around.” Several little bucks entered the field that afternoon. At dusk he spotted another buck back in the timber. “I immediately saw it had double drop tines. When I looked with binocs I could see it was still in velvet. I couldn’t get a shot at it back in the woods. It sure seemed to take its time coming through a little wooded draw before I could get a shot.”
He figured the strange antler configuration and velvet was because a buck had gotten injured while the antlers were growing, which sometimes happens with whitetails. Smith plans on getting a life-sized mount of the deer with the velvet still on the antlers. He’s hoping the deer gets a lot of attention, and even said:
“I’m not trying to get rich. That’s not why I hunt. I really appreciate it as being a very rare animal and I want people to see it. I think a lot of people will really enjoy seeing it and learning about an antlered doe.”
That’s sweet!! It even looks like a doe in the face, but with “BUCK ANTLERS.” I guess things just some times turn out weird.
Why does that doe have white on its face? Are you sure it’s not a buck?
MBH-
The very first thing that makes me think it’s a buck is the fact that it has antlers. But since the deer had the anatomy of a doe, I am going to go with doe. By the way, both bucks and does have white on thier faces.
How does this happen? Is it genetics? A throwback in some corrupt DNA? Where is a good place to read up on antlered does and why this happens! She sure is gorgeous though! How many have ever been seen/shot approximately, if known? I hear caribou females have antlers too, is this true? Cudos and appreciate the posting. CR
I was at my friends house and one of his buddies was hunting there also, near St. Louis, Missouri. He ended up shooting a 12 point doe. It was published in a local deer magazine.
Awesome deer!
I took a 7 point last year opening day bow season. When I rolled my deer over, I mentioned to my brother-in-law about something missing and that the deer had female parts. I did not know it was possible for does to have antlers until I heard it on a TV show. I have a beautiful 7 point in velvet on my wall.
That is the buck/doe of a lifetime!
Great deer! I would like to know where you got the deer? I lived in Kansas for a while. Thank you-
My brother shot a nice deer like this one, it was a doe as well but it did not have velvet on the antlers. I called the game warden and was going to try to get it put in the Daily Oklahoman, but he didn’t act interested. He said that someone else in Oklahoma had shot one about 2 weeks before my brother shot his. I thought the game warden would at least like to see it and take a pic of it for the record book.
Its not every day that we get to see something rare like these deer and I would like to see more of them myself, as I’m sure some of you other avid deer hunters would too. Ill try to get a pic of his deer and post it as soon as I can. Thanks for your post.
I was hunting with a guy last year and he shot a doe with antlers. It was also in velvet.
First time I ever saw your site. I think it is awesome! So many different subjects and info, nice to find what you are looking for. Love the photo center column! So cool to see the Whitetail oddities. Thanks, Bob.
That’s cool, I’ve never seen one with horns!
It’s a Doe, it’s a bUCK it’s a DUCK!!!
Drew, horns grow on rhinos, and bulls, they are called antlers on deer. I take it your not much of a hunter. I’ve never seen or heard of a doe with antlers. I’ll have to do some research on this, but I can say for sure that deer do not have horns.