Night-cam captures rare moment of a deer shedding its antlers- Republic World (2024)

FAQs

What happens when a deer sheds its antlers? ›

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. Adult white-tailed deer antlers can grow ¼ inch per day, whereas elk antlers grow about an inch per day.

Antlers drop annually in late winter, typically January through March. The dropped antlers are called “sheds” and the process does not hurt the buck.

So, when testosterone levels decline, a special type of bone cell called an osteoclast removes the bone tissue by reabsorbing calcium between the antler and pedicle, and the antler falls off. Bucks occasionally shed both antlers within minutes but more commonly carry one for a few more hours or days.

Sometimes a buck will shed both antlers at roughly the same time, and other times a buck may shed one antler and carry the second for hours or even a couple days before shedding it.

During this growing period the buck's antlers are covered in a soft layer of skin tissue called 'velvet'. Underneath this velvet layer are nerves and blood vessels that support the fast antler growth. This velvet layer gradually dries and sheds away from the antlers once they are fully developed.

Antlers are made up of living bone tissues that regenerate throughout the life of the deer.

The increased presence of nerves on an antler makes it more sensitive to pain than any other part of a deer's body. As it moves through a heavily wooded area in summer, a buck becomes well aware of the exact location of its antlers in reference to obstacles and takes great care to avoid contact with any woody matter.

Does cutting the antlers of farmed deers hurt? - Quora. Only if done while the antler is still in velvet. I've never heard of it being done then. Once the velvet sheds there's no living tissue, so it doesn't hurt.

Finally the blood vessels within the antler itself are filled and lose their ability to nourish the velvet, and it dries up and falls off. The velvet is typically totally removed in a day, and some of it may be eaten by the buck.

Testosterone Controls Antler Casting

Timing of the final break between the weakening connection of the antler and the pedicle can vary. The buck shaking its head, rubbing its antlers on a tree, or the downward jolt when he jumps over a creek or fence can cause the buck to “cast” or “shed” one or both of their antlers.

How long do deer live? ›

Most male white-tailed deer live to about 6 years of age. Some live longer, some less. Females tend to live about two years longer than males. The record white-tailed deer was a doe in Georgia that lived 22 years.

This condition in whitetail bucks that results in antlers in velvet beyond the normal velvet-shedding date of late August to early September is usually caused by a birth defect known as cryptorchidism. In extreme cases both testicl*s remain in the abdominal cavity and never descend into the scrotum.

“Deer species aren't well designed to butt heads,” Mr. Petersen said. “When they do, the chances of locking up horns is pretty good. Usually they manage to unlock them, but if they don't, one or both of those animals is going to die.”

Both sexes finish growing their antlers at the same time but shed them at different times of the year. Typically, males drop their antlers in the late fall, leaving them without antlers until the following spring, while females keep their antlers through the winter until their calves are born in the spring.

Fighting Dominance

The primary reason male deer have antlers is for use in establishing dominance over other males.

The removal of antlers, or de-antlering, of deer is performed to help protect other animals and handlers from injury. However, antlers are also removed in the production of antler velvet which is used for medicinal purposes.

Antlers in the early stage of growth are covered with a fuzzy skin called velvet, which contains a tremendous concentration of nerves and a vigorous supply of blood. The velvet nourishes the growing antler for about five months. During development, antlers are delicate and extremely sensitive to the touch.

A pair with locked antlers may struggle themselves to death through exhaustion, starvation or dying of thirst. In some cases, animals battling near water can tangle up, fall in and drown each other. Locked up cervids also make tempting targets for predators like coyotes.

In fact, a unique set of antlers that are smaller might just be quite a bit more valuable than a larger set that isn't unique or holds some sort of status. Most of the time, whitetail sheds, and other big game shed antlers, are sold by the pound, though. That number can range from $2-15, sometimes more.