Natural Notes

Making Points

by Cathy Fetter, Natural Resource Intern

Did you know that bucks shed their antlers every year beginning in late fall. This event usually coincides with the end of their mating season, also known as the rut. This leaves a relatively short period of time to regrow their impressive antlers. How can a buck grow an elaborate rack in such a short amount of time?

The buck starts growing antlers in spring when the increase in day length causes the buck’s pituitary gland to produce more testosterone. The paired antlers then begin to grow out of a short base on the bones of the skull called the pedicel. The total growth of the antlers will depend on how nourished the deer is, not on how old he is. If food and resources are plentiful, a second year buck could grow a very large rack, however, young bucks need more nourishment than older bucks, therefore impressive second year racks do not occur often.

While the antlers are growing they are easily damaged and the buck must take extra precaution to not bump or rub its growing rack. If the buck is successful in not damaging its antlers, they end up symmetrical. “Velvet” plays a crucial role in the development of the antlers. It provides the nourishment to produce the fast growing bony substance. Velvet is composed of blood vessels and acts like protective skin around the growing antlers. This is different from other animals that grow horns, where the nourishment for their horns is produced from within.

It requires a lot of energy to grow antlers and is why it is so difficult for young bucks to grow an elaborate rack. During the cold winter months, fewer resources are available to the deer and they must conserve their energy. At the end of the summer, in an attempt to conserve some energy, cells at the base of each antler cut off blood supply to the velvet. The velvet dries up and the antlers stop growing.

Bucks first use their antlers to establish their territory by creating “buck rubs” which is the process of scraping or “rubbing” bark off of trees using their antlers. During this process, the buck also scrapes off dried velvet from its antlers. With the velvet gone, the buck is ready to battle other bucks in pursuit of gaining territory and does to mate with. After the mating season the buck’s testosterone levels drop and the buck begins shedding the antlers it will no longer require, a process that takes about two to three weeks to complete. The buck drops each antler independently; this is why matching pairs of antlers are seldom found. Many rodents chew on shed antlers as a source of calcium, because of this antlers do not usually last more than one year in the wild. Lastly, the Ohio Division of Wildlife allows shed antlers to be hunted, however if a skull is found, the antlers may not be removed.