Do deer damage their antlers from sparring while the antlers are still growing?

No it's typically caused by hitting over things like trees, cars etc. Sometimes insects can cause a good bit of damage to velvet as well-

Or flash from a game camera, spooking them into the feeder

Yes they can if they head butt another buck at a feeder or if they stand up to box each other they can get a front hoof damaging an antler.

vvvvvvvvvv This happens way more than many realize.

Just to clear up what I meant, Deer are not going to be sparring while they are in velvet. But as stxranchman has said they will box and nudge each other to establish a pecking order. The sparring doesn't began until they get hard horned and break up from their bachelor groups, in late summer early fall.

I was wondering because I watched 3 sets forehead to forehead pushing each other for about 45 minutes this morning. They were pushing pretty hard it looked like. They weren't getting running starts at each other, just nose to ground, forehead to forehead and pushing each other around.

I have seen bucks turn on each other at a feeder and lockup their antlers in velvet a couple of times. Lot of head shaking followed.

I would imagine so, those antlers are pretty sensitive and tender when they're growing.

Thumped mulie bucks velvet antlets one time cause he was bumming snacks off me...turned insid out and stayed clear of me after that!

we have one at the ranch now.. with just one side velvet.... he's already lost the other side......which makes him fare game in my county...

I have seen a few with mesquite thorns in them and they ended up be non-typical and having some funky horns due to it.

this guy aint doing to well

Had one do that last year^

Well y'all, I feel a little bit foolish. I got a chance to get a better look at the bucks I saw sparring and it turned out to be this guy. They are free ranging and at one point I counted 22 in the field.

And the answers are no the property owners do not allow hunting and yes I asked, more than once. You may have to click on the photo and zoom to see.

I know little about these animals, is this a good one?

I've killed 2 bucks with holes in there antlers big enough to put a pencil inside. What caused that?

The either got a thorn stuck in it or had a small piece of a dead limb stuck in it. I have seen a buck with a broken off piece of dead mesquite wood stuck in his antler. The antler had hardened around it.