An article in the latest Hunting Report suggests that some European hunting operators MAY be artificially (physically and/or chemically) creating atypical or over-size racks on deer; the same has been suggested in NZ, where red deer allegedly have been tranquilized and had their in-velvet horns "cut" to produce massive pointers & stickers. I've had 2 PH's tell me that many of their European clients enjoy shooting animals w/atypical/funky horns (nothing against Euro hunters here! I love nontypicals too)...Anyone ever hear of this being done on African game? Can SCI detect physical manipulation when scoring? I doubt that chemicals (meds/hormones/etc) can be detected...I hunt hogs on a huge Fla. ranch where shoats are live-trapped , castrated, & released...they grow big cutters & their meat isn't musty/stinky, its pretty tasty. I'm a hardcore hunter & not here to judge, just wondering?


PS I had NOT seen that fringe eared oryx post as I wrote this!

That has been going on here in America for a couple of decades now.

I do not know about African game, but from what I know about horned/anmtlered hoof stock in general, antlered stock can be manipulated, because of the process of annual growth and shedding of the antlers.

With the exception of the pronghorn, the only one I know of there may be something else, but horned hoof stock do not go thru the annual shedding and their horns grow all thru the life of the individual animal.

Antler growth, can and is affected by genetics and feed intake, especially protien levels. Also injuries to the growing antlers, whether natural or artficial has effects.

One of the more readily identifiable is opposite rear leag/antler abnormalities in whitetail. In simpler terms, if a male/buck deer receives a severe injury to one of their hind legs, the antler on the opposite side of the body from the injury will become malformed.

Just for matter of interest: a Horn is not a Antler, they are two fundamentally different biological entities.

Within the lifespan of a single animal specimen in africa, they do not live long enough to manipulate growth to the extent where it would positively benefit and "score"

Over a lifetime of a population, yes environmental impact and genetic manipulation would impact specimen quality though in their natural state environmental conditions are hard to manipulate...... as an example.

The taking of mineral licks, in some areas in South Africa animals will readliy go to and eat mineral licks as well as salt whilst in others the same species do not at all.

Not altered but the final size can be influnced. On game farms where the population can be highly managed. The animals are provided with all the water, minerals and high quality feed the want. This will reduce stress during the dry sesaon which in turn results in a larger healthier animal over its life time. Not 100% but will work to some extent.

In addition castration of bovine males produces different horn growth than an intact male--generally longer and thinner.

SSR

I think south african lions are an example of planned breeding in captive programs. The specimens taken there are so tremendous it can only be from controlled breeding of superior genetics to provide for so-called canned hunts. Just like deer breeding ranches in the USA.

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:
In addition castration of bovine males produces different horn growth than an intact male--generally longer and thinner.

SSR

Correct - this is the most likely manipulation of horned animals aside from selective breeding and nutritional supplement. In some species the main aspect of this method is that the animal no longer feels the need to rub their horns back so much, as a regular male would. Hence they keep growing similar to a male but without the 'brooming'.

Gentlemen:

My family has been in the game ranching business for about 40 years now and no matter how you might want to, other than cutting the nuts off a male of a species, try and "enhance" horn or animal body size in a population of free ranging animals !

It does not happen. These are not domestic cattle where you have the ability to force a stud bull to breed with a stud cow......

We have big Wildebeest and Big Waterbuck much bigger than in other places in Southern africa but then no matter what we do our Impala do not attain the size they do in other places, our Impala in terms of trophy size suck. As to other species, our Sable and Eland barely hang in there, go 60km north and to the east of us and you have arguably the best Sable country in the whole of South Africa!