Unlike horns on cattle which are permanent, male deer lose and re-grow their antlers every year. In the whitetail deer family only bucks over 1 year old have antlers. During winter bucks lose their antlers and then begin to re-grow new antlers. As the antlers grow they are covered in a soft hairy skin called velvet. The velvet supplies blood to the growing antlers and protects and feeds them.
Once antlers reach full size, the velvet begins to die off and the bucks rub it off on trees and brush. In addition to removing the velvet from their new antlers, buck rubs also help to strengthen the neck for the upcoming rut.
Antler growth in a deer is largely dependent on the age of the deer, genetics, and diet. As a deer matures it will typically grow more tines and eventually max out and then become smaller year after year as the deer ages. In a whitetail buck the antlers typically reach optimal development around 5 to 6 years of age. A whitetail buck's main antler beam curves forward without dividing or branching. A mule deer bucks major antler beam, on the other hand, grows upward with a dichotomous (dividing or branching) fork.
Throughout the year whitetail bucks and the occasional doe grow antlers. The antlers start growing in early spring and throughout the year, until late August/early September, when the antler growth stops.
Throughout the growing season the antlers are coated in a light velvety coating that helps protect the antlers and encourages growth. Underneath the velvet the blood and nutrient flow promoting the growth of antlers. At the end of the growth cycle, the velvet falls or is peeled off by rubbing and scraping and voila, the mature antler is exposed.
There can be a lot of irregularity in antler growth. Throughout the year as antlers grow, bucks get in fights with other bucks, or an antler is dinged or is banged on something. These types of events will cause some type of visible or hidden "splinter" in the antler, and will result in an irregularity in the antler. This type of irregularity can also be caused by something like an injured leg or joint, or equally common - being hit by a car.
What these types of "injuries" do is to draw the attention of the deer's immune and nutrient system from the antler to the injured part of the body. This will result in an irregular growth of an antler. The injury generally will affect the growth of the antler on the side of the injury. And friends, this is a very common occurrence in whitetails. That's why perfect and symmetrical racks are so prized.
Typically, when antlers grow, they grow in unison, and as the animal ages and matures, the antlers grow larger and heavier, with more and longer tines. What a deer hunter looks for and can determine from antlers are several different things: The type of nutrients, genetics and deer management in a particular area. Without naming any particular area in Wisconsin, there are areas where trophy bucks are far more common than in others. These areas generally have a lot of exceptionally good deposits of needed nutrients and minerals both in the ground and in available forage.
And then there's the commitment of that area - -and its hunters - -to closely manage the deer population. Generally in these "big rack" trophy areas, smaller deer are simply not being taken. Cooperation on all fronts means that the trophies will be there, albeit they are never a "gimme." Deer hunters who frequent these areas often would rather come home empty-handed than with a small deer. "You make your choice and you take your chances" as the old saying goes.
Non-scientific Scenario of Antler Growth.
A new buck to about six months of age will by September or so have a couple of little nubs on his head about an inch or so high. These animals are called "nubber bucks." It is illegal to hunt them in many states (check your regs! - -as I keep "preaching" to you to do - - before going out). A buck that’s a year-and-a-half old and has carried through its first winter and made it to its second year is called a "spike buck." They'll have two spikes sticking straight out of their head, with anywhere from four to eight points, with an average width of seven to eight inches, and tines two to four inches long. From what I've seen, I'd estimate that 90% of the bucks taken in Wisconsin in any given year fall into this category.
If a buck makes it through its second year, they really start to put on growth in their antlers - -depending again on their food source, genetics and area management. Their racks will get heavier and wider, with longer tines. You can get bucks with 20 inch spreads, and 14 inch tines. These bucks are called "trophies" (as if you didn't know – and stop salivating- - they are out there, but they take a lot of patience and effort to bag. I know. The closest I've ever gotten to one is seeing a shed here-and-there).
FAQs
Adult white-tailed deer antlers can grow ¼ inch per day, whereas elk antlers grow about an inch per day. Moose regrow a few months after shedding, making their growth rate even more impressive. A moose in his prime can grow as much as a pound of antler per day!
What are the characteristics of whitetail deer antlers? ›
Successive points or tines typically grow upward from the main beam as you move from base to tip. A typical antler could have as few as one or as many as six or more typical points growing more or less perpendicular to the main beam with both antlers forming a fairly symmetrical rack.
What do deer antlers tell you? ›
Male white-tailed deer commonly establish dominance in the breeding season by fighting with other males to determine strength. The size of antlers on deer has been thought to display age-related dominance between males without the males actually having to fight.
What are whitetail antlers made of? ›
Antlers are found in the deer family (Cervidae). Horns are found in the bovine family. Bovines include bison, antelopes, sheep, goats and domestic cattle. Whereas antlers are composed of bone, horns are composed of keratin (same material as hair and fingernails) on the outer portion and live bone on the inner core.
What are some interesting facts about whitetail deer? ›
Amongst deer, it's the bucks (males) who flaunt their antlers. In early spring, their antlers are shed and regrow up to a quarter inch a day. White-tailed deer are excellent swimmers and are not afraid to pass through waterfronts for food or new habitat. White-tailed deer are the Olympians of the forest!
What is so special about deer antlers? ›
Antler growth is incredibly fast. In fact, antlers are the fastest bone growth in the world. Just a few weeks after a white-tailed deer or elk sheds its antlers, a new set begins to grow. Growth is triggered by increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone production.
How often do deer antlers fall off? ›
Each year male white – tailed deer, elk and other members of the deer family shed their antlers after rut or breeding season. Each spring as days lengthen male deer, bucks, begin to grow a new set of antlers.
What do deer antlers symbolize? ›
Bridget Fox | The spiritual meaning of deer antlers is that they signify strength, determination, alertness and protection.
Can you tell how old a buck is by his antlers? ›
The number of antler points a buck has does not correlate with the buck's age. Yearling bucks have been known to grow antlers with eight or 10 points when the habitat and nutrition are good. The spread of the antlers can offer a clue to a buck's age. Yearling bucks rarely have antlers that grow wider than their ears.
What month do whitetail antlers grow the most? ›
July: July is when you'll really be able to see what kind of head gear bucks will be sporting. Antler growth can explode at this time of year, with growth potentially being as substantial as an inch a day. June is really all about frame, and then in July you'll really see tine length.
Yes. There is no harm in giving deer antlers to your dog if you know what you're doing. Whole antler chews made from 100% natural ingredients by Pet Expertise are safe for dogs when not chewed too aggressively. As such, a dog can break his teeth on an antler, just like with any hard chew.
What is inside a deer antler? ›
Inside the hard, protective shell is the marrow. Just like our own bones, antler bone marrow is the spongy tissue that carries oxygen throughout the body and can help fight infection. Within bone and marrow are many essential nutrients needed for bone to grow and for the body to use.
How do you describe a deer's antlers? ›
Hunters have developed terms for antler parts: beam, palm, brow, bez or bay, trez or tray, royal, and surroyal. These are the main shaft, flattened center, first tine, second tine, third tine, fourth tine, and fifth or higher tines, respectively. The second branch is also called an advancer.
What makes whitetail deer special? ›
White-tailed deer have good eyesight and hearing. Only male deer grow antlers, which are shed each year. White-tail deer are good swimmers and will use large streams and lakes to escape predators.
What do whitetail deer love the most? ›
The top 20 deer foods are: acorns, alfalfa, apples, beechnuts, brassicas, cereal grains, clover, corn, cowpeas, fall leaves, fir needles, forbs, milo, northern white cedar, persimmons, pears, saplings and shrubs, soybeans, and treetops (felled or fallen).
What are the characteristics of antlers? ›
Antlers are a pair of bony, branched structures that protrude from the frontals of the skull of animals and are shed annually; horns are also paired and protrude from the frontals, but they are permanent, unbranched, and made up of a bony core and a keratinized sheath.
What is the anatomy of a whitetail deer antler? ›
There are two types of bone within an antler, spongy bone and compact (cortical) bone. Spongy bone makes up the inner portion and is less dense, softer, and weaker. Spongy bone is highly vascularized during growth, which allows the transport of nutrients and growth regulating hormones.
How would you describe the difference between antlers of whitetail deer and antlers of mule deer? ›
This is a key difference between the bucks of these two species. The antlers of a whitetail deer typically grow a main beam, with single points coming off of that main beam. The antlers of a mule deer fork, meaning the points that come off of their main beam split into two points.
