I was just curious to know........While a deers antlers are in velvet are they soft or hard? Or do the antlers get hard just befor they shed the velvet?
MichelleW
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The "velvet" is a blood rich membrane that supplies blood flow to the fastest growing know bone growth in nature. The outer shell is always pliable and soft to the touch as the antler continues to grow. The core of that young growth is more cartilaginous than hard bone and can snap off if it is bumped. Bucks are very protective of their head gear at this time as it's quite sensitive.
As the season lengthens, however,and nature has run it's course of genetics and nutrition to form the end item. the bone becomes solid and the velvet begins to dry. It seems to become very itchy at this stage and buck tend to rub it off on trees and shrubs. Many times, the bucks actually consume the shard of velvet torn free as it still contains minerals and vitamins he can use. This shedding imparts blood stains on the antlers and to some degree colors them. That's not the total case however as they also get the pitch from pines or the sap from hardwoods along with dirt on their antlers in the process of rubbing. As the season ends, bucks don't rub them any longer and they tend to turn white. The start releasing fromt he pedicel where they grow from and are finally "cast" to begin this annual cyclic miracle all over again.
Thanks George. Very interesting to know.
MichelleW