Editor’s note: This D&DH exclusive was one of the first articles published on antler asymmetry in whitetails. The research was conducted by Stephen Ditchkoff and his colleagues at Oklahoma State University. Ditchkoff would later go on to achieve his doctorate at OSU and become a distinguished professor at Auburn University.
Although no two antlers are ever exactly alike, even on the same animal, their similarities from side to side are often striking. When a buck’s antlers are well balanced, we refer to them as having “bilateral symmetry,” or of “typical” form when measured for trophy status.
When a buck has one antler that does not closely mirror the other, we say the antlers exhibit “asymmetry.” In such cases, one antler might possess more tines than the other, its branches might be of different lengths, or they might sometimes grow out at variable angles. When measured for trophy status, they more likely fall into the “nontypical” category.
Given what’s known about antler evolution and morphology, well-balanced antlers — those having bilateral symmetry — are considered normal.
According to the late Richard Goss, one of the world’s antler experts, “… minor
