Doe’s antlers didn’t impart survival value

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, December 17, 2005

DES MOINES, Iowa – A hunter thought he might have bagged a trophy buck when he shot a 14-point deer in northeast Iowa earlier this month.

Eric Weymiller, 25, of rural Harpers Ferry started to field dress the animal when to his surprise he noticed it wasn’t a buck at all.

“I noticed right away it was missing some plumbing,” said Weymiller, who shot the animal Dec. 7 in Allamakee County.

He discovered he was dressing a doe sporting antlers with 14 tines – a big rack even for a buck.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources biologist Terry Hainfield confirmed that the animal was female.

“It is unusual to find a doe with antlers, but what makes this particularly unusual is that the antlers had hardened and grown so big,” Hainfield said.