Feature Article November 20, 2003
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Deer Antlers
One late spring several years ago as I was taking a walk through the woods, I found a pair of deer antlers.Surprisingly, they were quite close together, as often antlers are shed one at a time.Also, they had not been chewed by mice, squirrels or porcupines, and were in very good shape.Each one had four prongs on it. Does that mean the deer was four years old? Perhaps; though while the tines or prongs may be an indication of age, genetics and nutrition are also factors.While a large set may have a spread of close to three feet, inadequate diet would result in stunted antlers.
The White-tailed Deer that shed these antlers, probably in mid to late winter, must have been a healthy, good-sized individual, who could have used these antlers the previous autumn to fight other bucks for the right to mate.We do not know whether or not he met up with another buck with a larger, more intimidating set, whom he probably avoided; or if he had head-on clashes with a buck of similar size to determine mating privileges.
The young fawn which developed into this deer would have weighed about five to eight pounds at birth, and would have been cared for and nursed by his mother.As a male, he would probably have left his mother within the year.The following year he would have developed his first set of short, straight 'spikehorn' antlers, and, with the urge to mate, would have used his antlers as a sign of health and strength to impress does he met, or challenged or been challenged by other bucks.
The antlers are outgrowths of the frontal bone, and begin growing in early summer, at which time they are soft and tender, and covered with a 'velvet' skin with fine short hairs.The 'velvet' contains a network of blood vessels which nourishes the growing bone beneath. As the antlers reach full size in late summer, the blood supply diminishes, and the 'velvet' will dry up, loosen, and start to fall off.
Itchy at this stage, the deer will rub the antlers against small trees and shrubs.My small Black Walnut tree lost an oblong section of its bark to this process, probably to a young buck.A very large buck will rub his antlers against a larger tree, perhaps four to five inches in diameter. Antlers are bone, and as such are a welcome addition to the diet of porcupines, mice and squirrels who chance upon them after they are shed. Usually shed within two or three days of each other, in a very few months antlers begin to grow again, and the yearly process is repeated. Like the White-tailed Deer, Elk, Mule Deer and Moose also grow and shed antlers yearly. Observations: Just prior to hunting season, a buck with about five or six tines near my house. What have you seen? Contact Jean at 268-2518; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
