Deer Antler growth usually begins during the month of March or April, by August or early September, antlers are fully-grown. In most cases the typical deer antlers begins growth out of the head in a backward motion, then quickly changes direction and sweeps forward. Deer antlers are among the fastest growing tissues known to man. Growing as much as a ½ inch per day during peak development. The development process can vary greatly depending upon
1. Use infrared-triggered trail cameras to monitor antler shedding. Begin hunting sheds as soon as most or all bucks in the photos have dropped their antlers (timing will vary geographically). Rodents will immediately begin gnawing shed antlers, so don’t postpone your search until warmer weather. 2. Concentrate your search in these areas: 1) winter food sources, especially cool-season food plots (searchers rate these as the top location for producing sheds); 2) bedding areas or winter
Spring is the season of new beginnings. The big event is the birth of fawns in late May or June. Triggered by increasing amounts of daylight, bucks begin to grow new antlers. Spring is a tranquil time when deer relax and replenish their bodies from the long, harsh winter. Come spring, some whitetails must reacquaint with their environment. Northern deer begin the trek back toward their warm-weather range. This may take a few days or
In the fall, deer grow a specially designed winter coat and begin to store fat. The winter coat has hollow guard hairs for insulation with a fine hair underfur for warmth – this helps them retain body heat, thus reducing energy demands to stay warm. The fat reserve provides nutrition over winter. In addition, deer decrease their metabolic rate during the winter, which reduces food requirements to approximately one half of what they need in
Want to make an educated guess at the age of a giant whitetail buck roaming your hunting grounds? Analyze his physical features using Charles Alsheimer’s four-point system: 1. The rack. A buck’s antlers change significantly with age, especially after the age of 3. Most mature bucks will have more antler mass, non-typical points and larger racks until they pass their prime. 2. The body type. Aging deer on the hoof is a popular discussion point
