The velvet is a soft layer of highly vascularised skin that protects the growing bone. Only 53 days later, on July 22, the antlers are still in velvet but nearly done growing as shown at the top of this article. Just before the rut begins the antlers stop growing and the males rub off the velvet against shrubs and trees to shed the dead skin. Legal shed collection may have set seasons and may require a permit. If shed antler collecting is allowed, you should always follow ethical collecting practices - give wildlife their space and protect sensitive habits by staying on roads and paths.
You can always share your experience by photographing your find and leave it in place to remain a valuable part of the ecosystem. Girl on the left holds a moose antler to her head, while girl on the right holds mountain goat horns to her head.
Animals in the deer family grow antlers. Antlers are branched bones that are shed every year. In midwestern states, whitetail deer, elk and moose have antlers.
Unsurprisingly, the largest antlers are found on the largest deer species - moose! Other North American animals with antlers include mule-deer and caribou. Caribou, also known as reindeer, are the only species where both males and females have antlers. Animals in the bovine family grow horns. Horns are permanent bones covered with keratin, the same material as our fingernails.
Bovine animals include wildlife like bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and domestic animals like cattle, goats and sheep. Both males and females have horns. Bull elk with short antlers covered in velvet. Antler growth is incredibly fast. In fact, antlers are the fastest bone growth in the world. Just a few weeks after a whitetail deer or elk sheds its antlers, a new set begins to grow.
Growth is triggered by increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone production. 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! Genetics and age play a role, but the driving force behind large antler growth is good nutrition. Having a healthy and protein rich diet can lead to a stunning rack. Therefore, high quality habitat is a must!
Whitetail deer buck rubbing antlers on a tree to remove velvet and leave a scent mark foreground right. While I have had to stay near the phone recently to visit with successful Arizona elk tag holders, some of my friends and family have had the opportunity to do some shed hunting. They have returned with some nice finds and we are anticipating another great antler growth year for Arizona. Just what are antlers and how do they develop?
Antlers differ from the hollow horns of cattle, because they comprise solid bone tissue with a honey combed structure. After shedding each year, antler growth begins in late March or early April depending on the age of the bull. Older bulls shed their antlers the earliest and begin regrowing new ones the earliest.
A healthy bull elk can produce up to 10 pounds of velvet a year! This miraculous occurrence is why elk antler velvet has been used in the Orient for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. This velvet feeds the antlers the vitamins and minerals necessary to build up the bone, and to promote normal antler growth.
As you may observe in the photos, I use Trophy Rock mineral supplement to help maximize this process. It seems to be working! Most elk shed their antlers from February until April.
Large bulls tend to drop their antlers first, with young bulls carrying their antlers longer. Individuals within the same elk herd may drop their antlers at different times. Also, an individual animal may drop the second antler days or weeks after dropping the first. Looking for elk sheds is a popular activity.
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