What happens to button bucks nobs every year while all the older bucks are losing their antlers. Do button bucks lose their nobs

[rattail]

What happens to button bucks nobs every year while all the older bucks are losing their antlers. Do button bucks lose their nobs or do those start turning into antlers?

[pineywoods]

If you are talking about yearlings with the little, hairy knobs on their heads, they stay there until they start growing into antlers. I call these little bucks "knotheads" to distinguish them from the little bucks that actually have a tiny bit of antler showing, about the size of a button, in which case they lose these "buttons" before starting to grow antlers for next year. This condition may be confined to the Deep South where the doe/buck ratio is out of balance and the mama may have been bred as late as March causing what may have been a spike or forkie to only have a button of antler---in other words, a very young 1.5 year old deer. Good question

[charlie elk]

Good question -
Good answer pineywoods.
later,
charlie