Whitetail antlers are one of the most amazing structures in nature. In the fall, antlers become solid bone as hard as those in the animal’s body, yet during the growing process, this crown of amazement is covered in a furry tissue called “velvet.” What is it? How does it grow? To learn more, check out this enjoyable post from the Gamekeepers.
Antlers. They have fascinated man since the beginning. Going back thousands of years, one can see man’s love for animals with antlers etched and painted on the walls of caves. Antlers were a trophy in a different way before they were used to decorate walls of our hunting camps and game rooms. Before modern civilization, antlers were used to make tools, ceremonial wear, and weapons just to name a few. So how do these intriguing bones grow? What are they made out of? How do they go from this soft looking, furry velvet, to a durable set of rock hard fighting gear?
Antler genesis is an amazing process and is one of the fastest growing tissues known. The antler growing process for whitetails is an annual event and is regulated by hormones which are controlled by the photoperiod or length of day. The primary hormones responsible for antler growth are testosterone and IGF (insulin like growth factor). The rise and fall of testosterone levels initiates the peeling off of the velvet and the casting or shedding of the antlers, while IGF that is produced in the liver promotes actual growth. The longer days correspond with a drop in melatonin production; this kicks off the hormone cycle for antler growth. You can get very scientific and complicated with all the glands and organs involved in this process, but basically a buck’s brain measures the length of day by the amount of melatonin produced. This in turn influences testosterone and IGF levels. If you have ever noticed the bucks that are late in the velvet shedding process are often the yearling bucks and older bucks that have survived and are past their prime. This is directly related to the lower levels of testosterone output.
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