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ALTON, Kane County — Spotting a doe with antlers may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, even for the most seasoned outdoorsman. But for residents of a small town in southern Utah, that experience might not be too difficult to come by.
A doe, or female deer, located near the town of Alton in Kane County has grown and shed her antlers multiple times, according to a Facebook post from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Generally, only male deer, or bucks, can grow antlers, but biologists believe the doe has a rare condition that causes her body to produce more testosterone than a normal doe.
“It’s likely just a developmental disorder that resulted in abnormal development of the reproductive organs and subsequently abnormally high testosterone production,” DWR biologist Phill Tuttle said. “The growth and shedding of antlers each year is testosterone-dependent, so it’s very unique and definitely interesting.”
Tuttle was unsure whether this is something the doe might outgrow, but she’s already grown her antlers multiple times so she may do so for the rest of her life, he speculated.
Biologists collared the doe two years ago as part of an initiative to track wildlife migratory patterns, so they know she has female reproductive organs. Tuttle was uncertain, though, whether her developmental disorder has caused a change in her mating habits.
She has, however, followed a normal migratory pattern since she was collared as part of the Utah Migration Initiative — a program that studies how animals move across the landscape and deal with barriers like highways or fences.
“All of the animals that have been collared just help us know where to build crossing structures for animals so there’s not as many vehicle collisions, and that sort of thing,” Tuttle said. “That particular doe has been following a really typical migration corridor and pathway along with all of the other deer in that same area, so she seems to be otherwise normal in her behavior.”
The doe usually spends summer near Alton and winter east of Kanab, Tuttle said.
