[Captain Woody Woods]

Although the subject heading sounds like an awesome fantasy for some men, let's keep our minds out of the gutter for a real quick sec. Have any of yall seen/shot many whitetails with dark colored racks? I finally saw one this past weekend and he was beautiful. Show some pics if yall have any...

 

[amberj]

i saw one on a hunting show ontime and they said the reason that this specific deers horns were dark is that when he was rubbing his velvet off, he was rubbing up against trees that had been burned from them doing controlled burns to burn out underbrush and what not. It was really cool looking though.

 

[Captain Woody Woods]

that's an interesting theory, but certainly cant be the reason why all chocolate colored racks are dark?

 

[Capt. Mickey Locke]

Most of the time the deer with the more darker horns is the ones that get the least amount of sun. I ve killed alot of deer on leases and good bit in the river swamp on the Choctoawhatchee water management area and everyone of them has had really dark colored horns. Kinda makes since.

 

[chasin-tail]

Try this link?? Sounds like the guy knows what he is talking about???

http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/DeerTaxiArticles/03/k/03CBAA906.html

 

[ironman172]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=smalltxt vAlign=top><SPAN id=_ctl1_ctlTopic_ctlPanelBar_ctlTopicsRepeater__ctl11_lblFullMessage>How chocolate do you want? this is mine ......I would think it comes from there diet...meaning dark rack.....this came from the big woods (no farms close)or corn and sow beans....the taxidermist said it was the darkest rackhe had ever seen, he had alot of racks hanging that he was working on....and they were all light in color, but that was in the corn belt of the state.

Good luck to you on your quest to take that deer!!!!! Woody....

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[whipper snapper]

i have seen many dark racks hunting escambia river swamp. but, i have seen some almost white racks come out of there too. i believe it could be a genetic trait. i have two big racks from deer my great grandfather killed down on the choctahatchee river about 60 years ago, that are almost a redish dark dark brown. never have i seen such myself in the wild.

 

[mpmorr]

Not sure but the really dark racks I have seen are on Mature Deer, I have never seen one a young deer. At least that has been my experience so far. Most 2-3 year olds I have seen have a more reddish rack. Just my observations.

 

[ilander]

I think the dark color is caused by the type of tree they rub thier horns on. Pine tree with lots of sap= dark horns due to stain, cedar tree without much sap= white unstained horns. Just My opinion.

 

[Garbo]

I have heard it is called by Tannin(sp) in the diet. Which would be the same as Bill's (Ironman) Theory, and the swamp theory.I think Tannin is whatcomes fromthe decay of organic matter such as pine straw, leaves and such. It is also what makes water appear to be black, such as the Blackwater river, swampsand many beaver ponds in our area.

Dark antlers are very pretty though.

 

[ScullsMcNasty]

thats the darkest one i have but his horns were not as dark on the tips of the tines. i shot him on the edge of a swamp

 

[RiverGulfFshr]

I will agree with a few post on the TANINS...The deer you see with dark racks are usually found in a swamp or river environment where there rubbing cedar, cypress and pine.

 

[Jason]

Woody this un is the darkest I've seen.... It was killed on private propery in Munson.

 

[SPECKDECK]

The first deer that I mounted has some nice chocolate horns. Don' know why. I love those colored horns though. I guess because it's something different.