The growth and formation of antlers is a complex process that appears to be a process known asmodified endochondral ossification- in other words, a cartilage skeletonis turned to bone. Red deer antlersmay reach 90 cm (3 ft.) in length and weigh 3 kg (6.6 lbs) each, although 70 cm (2 ft. 4 in.) and 1 kg (2.2 lbs) is more common. During their development, the antlers are soft and vulnerable to damage and covered in a greyish-purple coloured membrane calledvelvet.The velvet carries nerves and blood vessels to the developing antlers and, should the velvet become damaged, the antlers can become deformed.
Antlers have androgen (male sex hormone) receptors and it appears that an increase in testosterone levels in the stag—probably related to decreasing day length—causes a cessation of the velvet's blood supply, causing the bone to dieand dryout - at this stage, dry velvet can be seen hanging from the stag's antlers and he is said to be “in tatters”. Dry velvet is usually removed by rubbing the antlers against trees and bushes during summer (typically during July), a process known as “cleaning”, and during this rubbingthe antlers become stained with tannins and sap from the trees and saplings, turning them fromwhite to a polished chestnut brown.
The rate of antler growth varies according to conditions, but may be as high as six centimetres (2.5 inches) per day in prime stags living in good conditions. A good quality mature individual will have 12 to 15 branches(called tines or points) to his antlers and stags are often named according to the number of these points. Antler development typically begins at around 10 months of age and by his second year a stag will, provided the conditions are good, have his first “head” - these are short, simple, unbranched antlers and at this point he is referred to as a brocket.
Over subsequent yearsthe antlers should become progressively larger and branched. It should be noted, however, that the number of tines is an unreliable indication of age and, once the stag passes about 10 years old, the number of tines often starts to decline in a stage known as “going back”. A Red deer with 12 points (six per antler) to his antler is called a Royal stag, while 14 points make an Imperial stagand an animal with 16 points or more is referred to as a Monarch.
In his article for South Coast Today, a Massachusetts news and current affairs website, outdoor writer Marc Folco described how hunters often speak in terms of “pointers”. Folco explains that a deer with five tines each side is a five-pointer, while one with six either side is a six-pointer. In cases where the antlers are asymmetrical (i.e. different number of tines each side), the two values are given separated by an X - thus, a deer with six tines on one antler and five on the other is a “6 X 5”, rather than an 11-pointer.
The names given to the year classes of male Red deer, often assigned based on the level of antler development, are:
Yearling = Calf Second Year = Brocket Third Year = Spayad Fourth Year = Staggard Fifth Year = Stag Sixth Year = Hart Seventh + Year = Great Hart
The antlers—which are fully developed and cleaned by August—are used during rutting; they are employed as weapons with which to fight for access to hinds. Come March or April, increasing day length triggers a reduction in the amount of circulating testosterone, which causes the antlers to be shed and the cycle to begin again. The time of casting seems to be fairly stable, at least for some stags - in his excellent book WildGuide, Simon King mentions one old stag he knew that cast his antlers on or about 15th March each year for eight years.
Shed antlers and velvet represent a veritable goldmine of nutrients for many animals, including both sexes of deer. Antlerscontain a variety of essential elements, including calcium, phosphorous, sulphur, magnesium, potassium, sodium and iron, as well as various amino acids, including all eight essential ones (i.e. those that are required in the diet and can't be synthesized by the animal). Consequently, it is not uncommon to find deer chewing on an antler or velvet they (or another deer) have recently shed.
More comprehensive coverage of the structure and formation of antlers, as well as a discussion of the various theories proposed to explain their evolution can be found in the antler QA.
The bigger they are, the easier it gets. For example, according to GoHunt, a 180-inch set is worth $150-200. Furthermore, it reports that a 200-inch set is worth about $400.
Deer don't always feed in the same place. Unless deer have a regular feeding spot when they're ready to shed, they could drop their antlers anywhere. They probably have a fairly consistent bedding area, but might have a maze of trails heading to different food sources.
Antler length can be another indicator of age. With good genetics and feed, a mature red stag should reach 40 inches in antler length. A quick assessment tool on the hill can be to hypothetically place the length of a stag's skull (circa 16 inches in length) along his antlers when he is looking directly towards you.
The antlers are prized by collectors and others to use for things like decorations, door handles, chandeliers, chairs, wall art, dog chews and as traditional medicine in China and Asia.
The intent of the law is to prevent the sale of antlers from wild California deer. This means it is unlawful to sell antlers cut off a wild deer from California — even a deer lawfully harvested by a hunter.
Most shed antlers (sheds or drops) don't last long in the woods. Squirrels, mice and porcupines munch them quickly. They seem to chew down the tines first, and then go for the main beams. Actually, bones of any sort don't last long here.
Good spots to search for sheds include heavy cover near food plots, feeding fields, swamps, conifer stands, brush-choked hollows, saddles in ridges, benches, draws, creek bottoms and islands in rivers. Sometimes you'll find sheds in cover so thick you can barely walk through it.
With the increase in needed food, in and nearby crop fields, food plots, and other late-season food sources are some of the best places to find shed antlers, simply because that is where they spend most of their time. Moments before the antler falls from the head of a buck; they become loose and fragile.
When should I take away or discard the antler? Antler has no expiration date, but when the antler becomes small enough to swallow or "choke on" you should take it away.
Lifespan: Up to 20 years, but few deer live longer than 16 years. Origin & Distribution: In Britain most red deer are found on the open moorlands of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, although scattered populations are found elsewhere such as north west England, East Anglia, Exmoor and Ireland.
No, typically antlers are not a reliable way to determine an animal's age. What antlers do indicate is the health and fitness of an animal. The one case where you can be fairly certain that antlers are a good indication of age is for yearling deer and elk, which have spikes rather than branched antlers.
As conservation-minded, big-game enthusiasts, it's one place where we can collectively minimize potential impacts to wintering wildlife.” Along with maintaining safe distances and limited interactions with wintering animals, there is another reason to leave shed antlers where they are, they are a food source.
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.
People hunt shed antlers for three main reasons: Some people enjoy the hunt itself and the reward of admiring a fresh shed antler. They enjoy the thrill of shed hunting and being outdoors. Deer and big game hunters acquire valuable information about animal behavior by finding their prey's shed antlers.
If you want to sell your own antlers, then check out our antler buyer directory to find one near you. You may also search Craigslist and Facebook to find a buyer. Get a few prices before you sell your antlers (current antler prices). Buyers pay by the pound, or whether the antler is unique.
Buck is an informal reference to $1 that may trace its origins to the American colonial period when deerskins (buckskins) were commonly traded for goods. The buck also refers to the U.S. dollar as a currency that can be used both domestically and internationally.
Fish and Game Code, section 3039 generally prohibits selling or purchasing any part of a bird or mammal found in the wild in California. Complete antlers, whole heads with antlers, antlers mounted for display or antlers in the velvet may not be sold or purchased at any time.
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