Tag: antlers

5 Reasons Why Deer Grow Velvet On Their Antlers
Have you at any point seen a deer with a fuzzy, hair-like layer of skin on antlers? Thats called Velvet!! In this quick run-down, we are going to explain Why Do Deer Grow Velvet On Their Antlers!! The velvet gives nourishment and development to deer antlers. This special tissue is a kind of skin, stacked with blood vessels and nerves. The velvet, supplies the growing antler with nutrients and oxygen. As the amount of sunlight changes, the antlers harden, transform into bone, and shed the velvet.

What are deer antlers?

Deer antlers are often called “horns” by deer hunters, yet they are most certainly not. All male members of the deer family like deer, moose and caribou have antlers. It is only the male deer that produce antlers, and couple of deer keep their antlers for significant periods. A male deer not just shows off its antlers to demonstrate its health and well being, yet in addition deer use them to fight other male deer for supremacy and choice of mates.

However there are some females that grow antlers, just like caribou females that grow racks of antlers. The shorter antlers most female deer grow are used to battle off males as they search for food for themselves and their young during winter season.

Deer antlers are growths of bone that deer and similar animals produce for mating season. Antlers are uncovered or exposed bone, which is sort of like your teeth, they are hard. And like bones they are made generally out of calcium and phosphorous. Deer grow antlers starting on their first birthday. It is triggered by hormone production that begins when day length reaches 12 hours.

Growth happens fast, the first time will grow in the first 30 days, and in the next 30 days, the G2 which is the second tine will develop, and by the end of the fourth month the antlers are fully grown. Antlers may look ragged for the day or two since it takes the velvet to be shed. They are shed every year in the winter. While the antlers are developing in the spring, they are covered in velvet, which is a hairy, waxy feeling substance that warms to the touch due to the fact that it is alive, while the bone grows. Bucks sometimes eat the velvet.

Deer antlers take a great deal of energy to develop. From year to year, antler size may increase significantly from 1½ years old, which is the first antlers, through age 3½ or 4½. Deer antlers do increase from year to year until age 7½, but the increase is less noticeable. By 8½ years of age, the antlers are on their way down. Since deer do not consume much calcium with their vegetarian diet, and the calcium in the antlers is grown just like the calcium in the bones, produced by chemical reactions in their bodies. This takes up a lot of available nutrients and energy, and only the healthiest deer can grow large antlers.

How does the velvet work?

It’s really an odd phenomena as to why deer grow velvet on their antlers…. Even the largest deer antlers develop from small nubs to full size in three to four months, making them one of the quickest developing types of tissue. They start as small hard bony growths at the top of the head, and are covered with a layer of skin and hair known as velvet. This velvet keeps the antlers protected while they are fragile. When deer antlers have reached a bigger size and stop growing the blood vessels that keep the velvet developing shut down around the base of the antlers.

This makes the velvet skin to die and in the end peel away, at times leaving trailing and hanging bits for several weeks. Male deer ordinarily rub their antlers against trees and different items or objects to remove the stripping velvet. Since deer antlers take up so much vitality, it is beneficial for most of the little deer to shed them as fast as possible after mating season ends. The deer draw calcium and comparable nutrients back into the system, so that in the end the antlers become brittle and drained.

A layer of cells grow at the base of the antlers, gradually dis-joining their connection to the body and making them fall off. In contrary to popular belief, deer do not rub their antlers on trees just to expel the velvet. In some random year, an individual buck may make hundred several rubs, 99.9% of which are made after the velvet has already been removed.

Why deer grow velvet on their antlers?

Velvet is fundamental for the deer to develop their antler. The growing of antler isn’t just simply the point of it per se. Here are several reasons that encompass why this “velvet” is so important.
- Mating
The velvet is important for the development of the bone that deer and similar kind of animals produce for mating season. Deer antlers are used primarily for mating purposes, to fight other male deer for mating rights. Male deer grow their first set of antlers when they hit puberty at roughly one year of age.
- Hierarchy
In contrast to some animals with horns, you can see the age of deer by counting the yearly growth rings on the antlers. The size of the antlers and the number of points do not indicate the age of the deer. On account to their crown-like head piece antlers, the stag is called as the king of the forest, the defender of other animal creature Antlers and velvet plays a large role to the hierarchy of the animals in the forest.

USES TO MAN
- Medicinal Purpose
Due to the extraordinarily dense nutritional benefit, such as boosting strength and endurance, improving immune system, countering the effects of stress, promoting rapid recovery from illness and warding off infections, for more than 2000 years, numerous people most particularly in Asia have utilized the discarded deer velvet and use it as dietary supplement and alternative medical substance. Nowadays, people use to take a velveteen supplement either in a pill form or as a spray.

Deer antler extract has become more popular among western and body builders because the extract, given its trace amounts of IGF-1 is believed to aid in building and repairing muscle tissue. There are actually some professional athletes who testified that it has been the velvet natural velvet supplement that has helped them recover from injuries and regain their health.

Other Benefits:
- Some people use it to for the treatment of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, muscles aches and pains, asthma, indigestion, weak bones (osteoporosis), headache, liver and kidney disorders, cold hands and feet, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, chronic skin ulcers, and overactive bladder.
- It can also be used as supplements in promoting youthfulness, sharpening thinking skills, protecting the liver from toxins, stimulating production and circulation of blood and increasing the number of red blood cells.
- Some people also use deer velvet in increasing levels of certain sex hormones (estrogenand testosterone), improving fertility, increasing interest in sexual activity (as an aphrodisiac), and treating male sexual performance problems such as erectile dysfunction.
- Some women use deer velvet to reduce the dose of estrogen which they need in hormone replacement therapy. Some also use it for menstrual and menopausal problems, vaginal discharges, and uterine bleeding.
- For children, deer velvet is used as a tonic for children with mental, retardation, learning disabilities, and bone problems such as rickets.
- Deer velvet is also used to improve eyesight and hearing, to reduce stress and to treat arthritis, osteoporosis and anemia.
- It can also be used in women’s reproductive disorders such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), ED, and skin conditions.
- Deer velvet can also be used as herbal combination to increase blood circulation to the brain and to delay or reduce signs of aging such as tissue, bone and muscle degeneration.
- Decorative and tool use
Deer antlers have been utilized through history as a material to make tools, weapons, decorations, and toys. In particular, it was an important material in the European Late Paleolithic, used by the Magdalenian culture in making carvings and engraved plans on objects such as the so called Bâton de commandements and the Bison Licking Insect Bite. During the Viking Age and medieval period, it is an essential material in the comb making craft.

In later periods, antlers were then used as a cheap alternative for ivory, which was a material particularly connected with gear and equipment for hunting, such as saddles, horse harness, guns and daggers, powder flasks and as buttons and more For the decorative or ornamental display of wall-mounted pairs of antlers on walls, it has been popular since the medieval times.
- Ceremonial costume
For more than 10,000 years, Shamans and other spiritual figures in various cultures wore antler headdresses and others wore it for ceremonial dance, such as Yaqui deer dances and carried in the Abbots Bromley Horn dance.

Antler generation and growth is an amazing process, known to be the fastest growing tissue in the animal kingdom. With all the benefits to man that it brings, an understanding of the factors that control antler growth is very important to achieve quality deer management.

Hopefully this helps understand why deer grow velvet on their antlers. Bets of luck to you and your hunting ventures!! If you liked this article, feel free to check out some of our popular posts below! Thanks for reading and See You In The Woods!
December 24, 2020
Do deer antlers get bigger each year?
For centuries, hunters have been greatly fascinated by deer antlers because of their capability to grow quickly. In fact, one common question about deer is, Do deer antlers get bigger each year?

A plain and simple answer to this question is — YES. Antlers continue to grow each year all throughout the deer’s life. In the following we will be discussing all the necessary things that you need to know about deer antler growth. But first, let’s begin with identifying an antler from a horn.

What are antlers?

If you’re not familiar with antlers, these are the horn-like features found on the male members of the deer family which includes the elk, caribou, and the moose to name a few. Most hunters’ desire to capture a deer is primarily driven by the need to get their hands on the antlers.

Though many hunters refer to antlers as horn, they are not actually horn. Antlers are bones which form from the pedicle of a male deer’s frontal skull. The pedicles become noticeable during the first four to five months of a young male fawn’s life. However, these pedicles are not considered antlers.

The male members of the deer family, commonly referred to as bucks, will begin growing true antlers on the first spring after they were born. That is around the first ten to twelve months of their lives. The antlers will start growing around March and April, eventually reaching full growth around the months of August and September.

Although antlers naturally grow on male deer members, the caribou species is widely known to have both its males and females grow antlers.

Why Do Deer Antlers Get Bigger Each Year?

Antlers can grow at a rate of ¼ to one inch a day, making them one of the fastest growing tissues in mammals. Antlers will continue to grow each year that the buck lives and will reach its full-size potential until around four years of age.

The growth of antlers is typically regulated by the buck’s testosterone level (male hormone) which, in turn, is controlled by day length called photoperiod. The photoperiod refers to the “brain clock” that measures the length of light and dark, using the information it gathers to control the production of hormones in bucks.

In essence, the longer the bucks are exposed to light, the more testosterone they produce. Tests conducted in recent years by both researchers and hunters revealed that deer kept in constant light grew their antlers faster and lost about three sets of it in just two years. On the other hand, bucks kept in the light for limited hours were unable to shed and grow new antlers.

Bucks usually sport their largest sets of antlers when they’re about five to six years of age. Beyond that, the age of the deer and their health will start affecting the growth of the antlers.

Contrary to the belief that the antlers’ purpose is to protect bucks from predators, biologists believe they are more for social ranking. This is due to the fact that antlers are typically shed during winter when predators pose the greatest threat to any deer.

Antler Shedding

Antler shedding is the process in which the bucks shed off their antlers completely to grow a new set of antlers. Shedding happens every year in between the months of January and April. At times, bucks shed their antlers earlier depending on three factors: age, health, and location of the deer.

Antlers are shed due to the decline of testosterone production following the rut. During summer when the male hormone is at its production peak, the high level of testosterone constricts the veins and arteries surrounding the deer’s velvet. The velvet is the hair-like membrane that covers the antlers and supplies them with blood and nutrients needed as they grow.

Without enough nutrients and blood to sustain it, the velvet will wither and will eventually fall off. To expedite the shedding process, bucks will be often seen rubbing their antlers against trees or other hard surfaces. This process will continue all throughout the deer’s life.

Antler shedding help bucks get rid of damaged or broken antlers since the latter are deemed extremely important in a male’s show of dominance and in acquiring the favor of females. Broken antlers decrease a buck’s breeding privileges.

Researchers also suggest that antler shedding aids in a buck’s capability to re-grow larger and stronger antlers as it lives. The process allegedly allows the antlers to keep pace with the buck’s growing body size as it matures.

Typically, healthy males that live in mild climates and get more supply of food get to keep their antlers longer than bucks in more impoverished conditions and locations. Peak condition bucks can grow stronger tissues which result in an incredible antler-to-head toughness.

Can antlers be used to determine the age of a buck?

If you believe that the size or number of antlers defines the real age of a buck, you’re dead wrong. Regardless of the many stories shared by hunters, antlers are considered unreliable when it comes to determining the age of bucks. The size and number of antlers a buck grows are purely indicative of the animal’s diet, habitat, and heredity; not its age.

Using antlers to determine the age of a deer can be misleading for a number of reasons. For instance, metabolic stress can significantly reduce an antler’s quality, shape, and size. Furthermore, tissue damage can cause abnormal patterns in the antler’s growth cycle.

If you want to make a definitive guess on the age of a deer, you might want to consider looking at these body features instead of the antlers.
- Belly – Normally, the older a deer gets, the more its belly sags. However, it’s still good to remember that belly sagging can also be an indicator of diseases like abdominal fluid build up and ruptures in the deer’s abdominal wall.
- Rump – Like with humans, a buck’s backside gets rounder and more prominent as the animal age. Deer in prime age tend to have angular rumps. However, rumps also tend to be angular when bucks suffer from diseases and old age.
- Side profile – The side profile can provide a better indication of a deer’s age. Typically, the side profile of the antlers resembles a rectangular shape. This becomes more evident as the deer matures.
Technically, there is really no precise way of identifying the age of a deer, especially if you are just looking at the animal while you are hunting. However, observing the abovementioned physical features in conjunction with each other can help you guess it better.

Where are bucks with the largest antler sizes commonly found?

Again, the size of the antlers is dependent on three significant factors: the age, location, and habitat of the deer. Generally speaking, young males that are situated in areas with good weather and have access to vast supplies of food can grow bigger antlers. Below states are home to some of United States’ deer with the most massive racks.
- Texas
- Mississippi
- Iowa
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Indiana
- Kentucky
As you noticed, these states are mostly known for good weather and vegetation that are both needed for bucks to grow their antlers to its fullest sizes. To date, Texas, Iowa, and Kansas are considered homes to the largest deer in the country when it comes to body mass and antler size.

Key Takeaways

Here are some key takeaways from this article that you should always remember about deer.
- Antlers grow bigger each year as the deer matures.
- An antler is not a horn. Antlers are honeycomb-liked bones that grow from the pedicles of a male deer’s frontal skull.
- Antlers are grown by male members of the deer family with the exception of the caribou or the reindeer. Reindeer males and females are both known to grow antlers. Females can do so because of the high production of testosterone or male hormone in their body. However, their antlers are often found to be shorter or deformed.
- Bucks shed their antlers and grow new one every year. Shedding helps bucks to get rid of broken antlers and develop bigger and stronger ones.
- Healthy male deer living in locations with good weather and habitat can keep their antlers well until spring.
- Antlers can’t be used to identify the age of a deer. The size of antlers can instead be used to determine the type of environment and diet of the animal.
- Looking at a deer’s physical features is not a precise way of identifying the animal’s age.
Reminders

While deer hunting is not banned in the United States, it is highly regulated by state governments. Make sure that you have secured all the necessary permits needed before you go hunting. Since the activity is controlled by state governments, the rules and policies per state may differ from each other.
February 25, 2019