Big bucks and bare patches on there shoulders.

[overbo]

A guy that shoots videos told me that alot of those balding deer on video are from rubbing against the high fence they're raised in.Imagine if my neck was all swelled up,it may itch.I think they just scratch themselves on what ever like a bear.

[Negissimo]

I always guessed the bald patches were from fighting since I only noticed them on bigger bucks. But honestly I have no evidence for that guess.

The buck my brother shot this year had the bald patches on his shoulders.
 

[pdk25]

Dude, that's a ridiculous buck.

[Harmless]

Big bucks are old, their lossing their hair just like all of us !!  lol

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Thanks guys.

I guess we will never no but I did see alot of fur flying during the one fight.

TC, Thats a heck of a deer your brother got. I sure would like to see a frontal shot of that dude. I have a big buck with stickers at the bases just like that one.

Good luck everybody, I hope your having a great season.  

Tracy

[Wary Buck]

I believe it's often ticks.  Two of the three larger bucks I've taken in IA had lots of ticks, as did one I've taken in Nebraska.  They each had rubbed spots.  And that year I took the one in NE loaded with ticks, I saw a couple other decent sized bucks that had big rub marks too, like those often seen in videos taken in IL/IA/WI.

I think the fence theory makes sense too.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Ticks + big antlers = buck able to rub off the hair on his shoulders by scratching with his horns.  Have watched video bucks doing just that in later summer-early fall, and the hair flies!

You'll note this is not very common farther north - like in Canada....I'd wager those bucks fight as much as midwestern ones....just too cold for many ticks....also back years ago when there were fewer ticks around I don't remember ever seeing a buck, or pictures of one, with the rubbed shoulders you see on almost anything 3 1/2 yrs and older in the midwest anymore.

Ryan

[longarrow]

Never really payed much attention, until this thread came up....watched a big 8 point  take on a large spike/forkhorn the other morning, the larger buck twisted the young one head around his right shoulder and when the fight(?) was over the spike had a large patch about 3"x10" of bare skin on the right shoulder, where the larger bucks antler had rubbed!!