Mike: My buddies and I were talking about how bucks’ necks swell up, and none of us can find any definitive information on what causes it. We know it’s based on the mating cycle. Is it muscle mass increase, blood flow, etc.? Thanks, Jason T.
Jason: In the latest research from Delaware, biologists found that the circumference of a buck’s neck can increase 50% in the rut. I asked Sarge Vasquez, a wildlife biologist and member of the Big Deer Hunt Team, for more. Sarge says:
One of my old college professors, Dr. David Hewitt, wrote and edited a great book entitled, Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer. We talked about why bucks’ necks swell, and while Dr. Hewitt said he wasn’t aware of any true scientific data on the subject, it is likely caused by “a huge surge in steroids (testosterone hormones) to the deer during rut.” That shot of steroids makes the neck muscles get big. It would also cause the aggressive behavior bucks often exhibit.
BTW, check out that buck’s neck in the cam picture. That Canadian bruiser was rutting big time, and I shot him two days later, scored 176 gross. I wish I had taped the circumference of his fat neck.
Mike,
If you recall, you put a tape measure to my buck’s neck at Green Lake back in ’08 on your previous stint with Versus and it measured 39″. It was ridiculous how swollen he was. That was a 250lb buck dressed on the scale.
Imagine that on your own body…neck going from 18″ to 27″ in a matter of days/weeks! Crazy.
Another random buck biology question: I shot a buck in KY earlier this month with very chocolatey antlers. I know a lot of bucks in Canada also have this trait. Searching online I couldn’t really find the true reason for vanilla vs. chocolate antlers. Any clue?
Hanback, please refrain from talking about fat necks…. :(
Oh wait…now I know why my neck and belly have “swelled’…it’s the testosterone……yeah, the testosterone!!!
No. Dang it, I can’t use that as the reasoning. The male pattern baldness nullifies any talk of swelling necks and other body parts due to the “Rut”, or surges in testosterone.
All kidding aside. Last year I had a buck whose neck even blew up from early Oct. to Early November.
Also, Hanback, could you ask Sarge if high amounts of protein in their diets (esp. in the days leading unto the hard pre-rut) can enhance said swelling?