A buck grows its first antlers when it’s a year old and they usually have a small rack ... of the deer’s mother to feed. “She sets the stage for what the (bucks) antlers will look like,” Fleegle said.

Antler size is an indicator of a buck's health, nutrition, and age, not necessarily dominance. Injuries to a deer can result in abnormally shaped antlers, such as drop tines or even a third antler.