When is a Monarch not a Monarch?

Here are some interesting facts about stags and their antlers. 

The normal maximum number of points on a stag’s antlers is around 12-14. Any stag with 12 is known as a ‘Royal’ and a 14 pointer is called an ‘Imperial’. Anything over 16 points is a ‘Monarch’. 

So now you know why Landseer’s Monarch of the Glen painting is so named ... although, weirdly the painting only shows 12 points.

Hunters have developed lots of terms for the various antler parts. Here they are starting from the skull and moving upwards: 

• Beam – Central stem of the antler. 
• Burr – Bony rim of the pedicle. 
• Brow Tine – The point at which the first antler branches off. 
• Bay/Bez Tine – The second branching-off point. 
• Tray/Trez Tine – The third branching-off mark. 
• Sur Royal Tine – Fourth branch on a separate tine of a deer’s antler. 
• Fork – End of the antler that forks out into two tines. 
• Palm – Usually used to discuss moose, this refers to the end of the antler that spreads out, resembling a human hand. 
• Crown – The top tine on the deer’s antlers. 

These definitions explain the layout of deer antlers. Some other terms used to describe the state of the antlers. They include: 

• Rack – This term refers to the complete set of antlers; racks are usually typical or non-typical. 
• Abnormal tine – This is a tine that grows off another tine instead of off the main beam. 
• Typical – This adjective refers to a rack that has all its tines growing upward with no abnormal tines.  
• Non-typical – Refers to a rack that has one or more abnormal tines, or tines that grow off another tine instead of the existing beam. 
• Drop tine – This phrase describes a tine that is growing at a downward angle. 
• Kicker point – An abnormal tine that grows from the burr, near the pedicle. 

So now you know.