Rare 16-Point Deer – Missouri

A Missouri hunter scored a surprise 16-pointer. Pleased with his kill, he came out of cover to study, tag and field dress his prize. “Samuel Perotti had seen this well-antlered deer in photos captured by his game camera,” the state Department of Conservation said, “and recognized it even as he lined up his shot and pulled the trigger.” And behold, another surprise! Though boasting a remarkable crown of bone protruding and branching out at 16 points from the deer’s skull, Perotti was stunned to discover what he had taken down was not a buck, but a rare doe.

According to the conservation department, a conservation agent was summoned to the scene to serve as a second pair of eyes and confirm Perotti hadn’t gone mad. The agent determined the doe was indeed a “unique harvest.” An anomaly that in 2019 the Clarion Ledger reported arose at a ratio of nearly 1 out of every 5,000 female deer, according to estimates from National Deer Association.

A number of things can cause female deer to grow antlers, according to the National Deer Association; most often, the result of elevated testosterone and in such cases the deer can typically still reproduce. However, other anatomical abnormalities can be found in antlered females, or antlered males that otherwise appear female. In some cases, the animal is not a true female, but instead lacks male external genitalia, according to conservation officials.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says genetic, hormone and physiological anomalies are unusual, but do occur in nature.