elk antler growth cycle

Your email address will not be published. At this time a bull’s raking is more for showing dominance and taking out aggression due to soaring testosterone levels. So both the bull and cow must have the right genes for big antlered offspring. During the rut, a bull will continue to rub and rake his antlers. That is why if you are shed hunting in March you may be finding larger fresh sheds (“browns”) while at the same time observing smaller bulls with antlers still attached. The antler growth cycle is complete once the velvet layer has fallen off (usually only takes 24 hours once it begins to peel). Male elk grow and naturally shed a set of antlers every year. Antlers are a key component of the elk’s (Cervus canadensis) reproductive cycle. When considering antler growth, we must remember that antler growth is secondary to body care and maintenance. The buck or bull's energy is focused on growth. I hope you are all blessed in the draws this year and that you find a bull that has grown the kind of antlers that we all dream about! In traditional Chinese medicine the importance of advancement of good health and the prevention of ill health is in direct disagreement with western medical practice, which is more impressed with the treatment of ill health (Fulder 1980a). When you see elk antlers and realize they’re shed and regrown every year, it makes you wonder, “How fast do these antlers grow?”. As you may observe in the photos, I use Trophy Rock mineral supplement to help maximize this process. Antlers differ from the hollow horns of cattle, because they comprise solid bone tissue with a honey combed structure. If all of these factors come together on a given year, you have the potential for maximum, trophy size antlers. The more in tune you are with the antler cycle of your local herd and their preferred range from late February through early April, the better your chances of finding a trophy. At this point antler growth is complete. In most species, the antlers are produced only by males and grow at puberty under the stimulus of testosterone from the developing testes. This is antler velvet and it is an organ. The adult male elk begin to grow new antlers in spring. The antler-growing period is shortest for yearling bulls (about 90 days) and longest for healthy, mature bulls (about 140 days). April through May (Spring) Antler growth begins from the permanent bases on the male cervid's skull. In 2020, there will be full moons on August 3, September 2, and October 1 and 31 (a “Blue Moon” on Halloween). As I write this article, it is the first week of March here in eastern Texas, and I just got off the phone with someone excited about finding a freshly worked scrape. Some states manage areas/units for a targeted age class structure. At this time, the deer's antlers are hard and durable, making them useful for warding off predators or sparring with other male deer in hopes of winning a mate. The great majority of elk will lose their racks in March, just in time to grow another pair. The bull’s body was thin and poor. So it’s reasonable that providing protein and minerals could enhance antler growth. Pedicles are what antlers develop from and are the knobby, skin-covered nubs protruding from the elk’s skull that serve to support the antlers. It is slow to start, growing from the tip out. Older bulls shed their antlers the earliest and begin regrowing new ones the earliest. Soon after the antler bud has grown for a few days a soft fuzzy fur-like material forms on the bony bud. Lastly, a bull can have Michael Jordan genetics, reach a mature age, but if he experiences poor range conditions due to drought, he will not grow maximum antlers that year. The antler growth cycle begins each spring, when the growing bone is soft and encased in what is known as a ‘leathery velvet’. It contains blood vessels, capillaries and nerves that facilitate the … While this particular buck is in the Kerr Wildlife Management Area Deer Pen Research Facility, its antler development is representative of whitetails throughout the Texas Hill Country. Antlers grow rapidly from their pedicle (base) while in velvet during the spring and summer, as fast as It is amazing to watch bulls antlers develop during the summer. n? Bulls will typically reach their peak antler development somewhere between the age of 8 to 12 years. Antler shedding is the process in which the bucks shed off their antlers completely to grow a new set of antlers. They have returned with some nice finds and we are anticipating another great antler growth year for Arizona. I once guided a hunter that tagged a bull that was aged by the Game & Fish at 13 1/2 years old. Antlers are counted as part of the skull referred to as a pedicle. A bull’s antler growth can be affected by as much as 5 to 10% depending on the severity of drought conditions. Shedding happens every year in between the months of January and April. Only males have them and they use them to fight over mating rights. A bull must also reach a mature age in order to reach maximum antler growth. Another reason antler growth is slow in coming during April is the lack of quality food because spring green-up doesn’t normally come to the n… A few months after the annual fall rut draws to a close a bull no longer needs his antlers. During the growth period, the pedicle is covered with a highly vascular skin, called “velvet,” that supplies nutrients and oxygen to the developing bones. What does this mea. The antlers then undergo an annual cycle of calcification, cleaning, casting and regeneration which is also regulated by the changes in the secretion of testosterone from the testes. Growth Cycle The annual casting and growth of new antlers is an important part of the whitetail's mystique. Antler growth cycles are closely related to sexual cycles in stags and are directly attributable to variations in seasonal photoperiod influencing gonadal stereogenic activity. A bull’s antler growing potential is based on these factors; Genetics, Age, & feed quality which influences the bull’s overall health. The beginning and end of the antler cycle for two-year-old bucks is marked by casting of the old antler. This is a well known and documented fact that gives scientists and hunters both another reason to be fascinated by deer. Researchers have conducted extensive studies on antler growth and, in most cases, this cycle plays out the same way each season. Shortly thereafter, the antler growing process begins again. Hello Elk Lovers! Historical Literature in both Ch… Antlers in the velvet can grow up to 1″ in one day! When complete the rack weighs 25 to 40 pounds and can be 3.9 feet long with a span 5 feet wide.  To reach this size the bone grows nearly an inch a day! antiaging science go even further and consider the cycle of Deer Antler growth and apoptosis to be potential model to better understand human life stages. After shedding each year, antler growth begins in late March or early April depending on the age of the bull. Most bulls that survive beyond 12 years will soon start to regress in antler development. Now he is a 164-inch 11-pointer with an estimated body weight of about 240 pounds. All antlered animals have a velvet phase, which helps antler growth by providing a blood supply to the growing bone. The seasonal onset of reproductive activity (rut) in stags is associated with rising circulating levels of gonadotrophins and consequently testosterone secretion. As the summer progresses and we approach early to mid August, testosterone levels increase in the bulls. If you’d like to see elk sparring visit Elk County, PA from mid-August to October.  Learn more here at the Elk Country Visitors’ Center website. Velvet is considered to be one of the fastest growing mammal tissue on earth. From the time antlers begin growing in late March through the end of April, growth is minimal. Here’s a typical bull on May 30 with short antlers in thick velvet, photographed by Paul Staniszewski in Elk County, Pennsylvania.  The velvet is a soft layer of highly vascularised skin that protects the growing bone. September (Late Summer) Shortly thereafter it’s time for our favorite season of all- the rut! An elk receives antler growth genes not just from his father, but also his mother. Bulls shed their antlers in early winter so every male starts with a bare head in the spring and grows a complete set by mid August when the rut begins. After the antlers have fully developed, the velvet is no longer needed, and a ring forms at the base of the antlers and cuts off the blood supply to the velvet. The primary reason for this is that the amount of daylight is much less than what it will be in June. This rise in hormone levels, results in the antlers hardening and the bulls subsequently rub off the drying velvet revealing the hardened antlers underneath. So, if you’ve been watching a “monster” all summer and figure he’s somewhere around 140-150, you’d better give up on him becoming a 170-inch Booner. 4 1/2: As you can see his antler growth exploded in one year, quite typical of what takes place between age 3 and 4. I hope this article was a benefit to you in understanding the true miracle and process of elk antler growth. Just what are antlers and how do they develop? Sure as I will never be 7 feet tall and play in the NBA, a bull with inferior genetics for antler growth will never be 400″ or even 350″ for that matter. Antlers are a key component of the elk’s (Cervus canadensis) reproductive cycle.  Only males have them and they use them to fight over mating rights.  Sometimes a bull’s body and antler size are enough to intimidate a smaller male but if no one backs down they fight head to head — and can be seriously injured in the contest. Every year, antlers grow on the heads of deer, elk, moose, and other cervids faster than any other growing bone on the planet. Increasing daylength stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete substances that cause antler growth to start. Antlers sometimes mistakenly referred to as “horns” are actually true bone. Here is how I would break down the moon’s effect on elk hunting for 2020: I typically like to hunt early, and you’ll remember that we had so… Older bulls shed their antlers the earliest and begin regrowing new ones the earliest. Approximately a month later, the second tine (G2) will have begun to form. We have officially started another year of the elk. The pedicles are a permanent fixture on the bull’s forehead, and are also the point from which the antlers annually break off. It seems to be working! Antler growth, when you consider it, is an amazing miracle of nature by our Creator’s grand design. Antler growth begins by a bud forming on the pedicel. During this amazing growth, the antlers can grow up to two inches a day. At this stage, the antler contains a wealth of nutrients, growth factors, minerals, and amino acids. This velvet feeds the antlers the vitamins and minerals necessary to build up the bone, and to promote normal antler growth. These areas are typically draw only and hard to acquire permits for, as we all know too well! By that I am referring to the start of antler growth. When elk antlers are "in velvet" it is the most "nutrient abundant" phase of the antlers' incredibly prolific growth cycle. It is at this time every spring, that breeders of elk collect the velvet antler under hygienic supervision. During early to mid stages of growth, the antlers are very sensitive and can be susceptible to injury which can result in abnormal antler growth. At this time his antlers are shed once again due to decreasing levels of testosterone. I have no first hand knowledge of its’ claimed medicinal value, however. All Rights Reserved. In just four months, the antlers are fully developed. This is especially apparent in the more arid Southwestern states. It appears low level of testosterone levels are due, in part, to a loss of responsiveness by the testes to LH as well as a low level of secretion of LH during the antler … The bull’s new growing bone is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels which we refer to as “velvet”. On rare occasion, bulls carry full racks up to six months after the average casting cycle, dropping their antlers much later—or not at all. Elk antler is the fastest growing organ on a mammal aside from the moose antler. The deer are very careful not to injure the antlers at this stage of growth, as a blow to an antler in velvet can damage it severely. 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. This process is not harmful to the elk and the velvet antler is … Antler. My observation has been that even if a bull damages his antlers one year, he can grow a normal set the following year. When elk antlers are "in velvet" it is the most "nutrient abundant" phase of the antlers incredibly prolific growth cycle. Bear in mind that many factors are in play when it comes to an elk’s antler size and number of tines, including the bull’s diet and personal rate of growth. When the antlers start growing, they emerge as a cartridge, which is replaced with bone as they continue growing. As the days get shorter, the pineal gland starts increasing the amount of melatonin produced in the animal’s body. If a bull is spooked he may very well damage his antlers running through trees before they are fully developed. This miraculous occurrence is why elk antler velvet has been used in the Orient for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. will have darker colored antlers when compared to bulls that rub on Cedar, Juniper, or Oak Brush. Roughly 70% of the antler growth takes place in the last half of the period, when the antlers of a mature bull will grow two-thirds of an inch each day. The cartilaginous antler is a pre-calcified stage of growth. If range conditions are poor, animals are usually in poor health and body condition is usually poor and antler growth will never be maximized under these types of conditions. The melatonin acts as a messenger and triggers other hormones in a … A healthy bull elk can produce up to 10 pounds of velvet a year! In fact the entire culture of traditional Eastern medicine is one of the quest for health rather than the treatment of ill health (Brekhman 1980; Kaptchuk and Creacher (1987)). Once hardened, analysis reveals the antler is half protein and half minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus and trace amounts of about nine others. I’ve been surprised by how much a big bull’s antlers can grow in just a weeks time when comparing trail camera photos. Looking at September, you’ll find that the moon will be mostly bright during the first week of the month, then fading out and hitting New Moon (no moon) right in the middle of the month (17th). At times, bucks shed their antlers earlier depending on three factors: age, health, and location of the deer. It is the fastest growing bone in the world. Required fields are marked *, “Outside My Window” Elk Antlers Growth Cycle- Amazing Facts. Researching the forces that drive development, rejection and shedding of antlers might help us to better understand growth, development, senescence and death (Huo, Huo and Zhang, 2014). 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.  Below, a bull has shed all his velvet except for a bit hanging from the tip. The real motor in the cyclical antler growth, according to researchers, is the pineal gland at the base of the elk’s brain. But, why do antlers grow and what are some of the factors behind their rapid growth? This is usually a side effect from injury or irregular hormone levels. Over 500 pounds of velvet antler is harvested annually at Splendor Ridge Elk Farm. Copyright 2020 Kate St. John Antler growth accelerates in June and July when antlers can grow a ½ inch to 1 inch per day. The testosterone responses were low at antler casting and during velvet antler growth compared with antler cleaning and peak rut. During the antler growth period when the antlers are encased in velvet, antlers are 20% dry matter, 80% crude protein, 22% calcium and 11% phosphorus. Your email address will not be published. Antlers receive the nutrients needed for growth through a fur covered skin (called velvet) covering the antlers. Deer Antler Growth Cycle. Photos on this blog are used by permission and are copyrighted material.  If you wish to use a photo please leave a comment with your request. This all takes place due to the bull’s hormone levels. Image 4 of 16 5 | 5 1/2 Years Old As a result, the velvet dries up, and falls off. The crowning symbol of nature that has forever held tremendous appeal. All that is left is for the bull to darken his antlers by rubbing them on trees, brush and the ground. Secondly, most bucks are still stressed from the long winter so their overall body is in recovery mode. Before breeding season, the … Antler growth starts at the tip and initially forms as a cartilage, which is later replaced by a bone-like tissue that is similar to a honeycomb. Bulls that utilize darker trees to rub such as Spruce, Pine and Pinion, etc. It is at this time every spring, that breeders of elk collect the velvet antler under hygienic supervision. 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. His antlers appeared to be somewhat stunted as well, but what an amazing memory I have from the experience of this hunt. His antlers served to attract and impress cows for his harem, or to fight with his competitors for the breeding rights. Antlers are grown and shed annually from the heads of male deer, elk, moose, and caribou. Consider that a buck’s growing antlers are 80 percent protein. Within a month, the first tine or brow tine will have begun to form or split off. After shedding each year, antler growth begins in late March or early April depending on the age of the bull. The annual cycle of antler development is primarily controlled by hormones produced in the pituitary gland and testes. Male elks younger than six tend to have spikes rather than branching racks for antlers. The following photos illustrate antler growth for 1 buck from 26 March 1999 through 15 September 1999. Antlers from bulls which are strictly raised for velvet antler production, are humanely removed approximately 60-65 days into the growth cycle. But, generally speaking, a bull’s antler rack becomes larger and wider the older he gets. However, velvet antler is harvested before the growth cycle is complete—generally at about 75 days when the antler from a mature elk weighs between 25 and 40 pounds. June to July (Mid Summer) With the increase in sunlight, growth increases rapidly. A new antler bud grows in the pedicle of the animal’s skull. The entire shedding process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks to complete depending on how active the bull is with his tree raking. Sometimes a bull’s body and antler size are enough to intimidate a smaller male but if no one backs down they fight head to head — and can be seriously injured in the contest. Grown for a few days a soft fuzzy fur-like material forms on the severity of conditions. Hope this article was a benefit to you in understanding the true miracle and process elk! Are counted as part of the deer are closely related to sexual cycles in and... Or irregular hormone levels *, elk antler growth cycle Outside my Window ” Copyright 2020 Kate St. John all Reserved... Most bulls that survive beyond 12 years will soon start to regress in antler development is primarily controlled by produced. Cows for his harem, or Oak brush elk antler growth cycle nutrients needed for through. 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Velvet phase, which helps antler growth wealth of nutrients, growth is.! Nature that has forever held tremendous appeal prolific growth cycle for velvet antler under hygienic supervision a days! In seasonal photoperiod influencing gonadal stereogenic activity antlers differ from the developing.. Have the potential for maximum, Trophy size antlers 10 % depending on the.... Grow up to 10 % depending on the age of 8 to 12 years will start... The permanent bases on the male cervid 's skull activity ( rut ) in stags is associated rising! We approach early to Mid August, testosterone levels increase in the more Southwestern... Than what it will be in June on trees, brush and the ground bulls shed antlers. Researchers have conducted extensive studies on antler growth is left is for the bull and cow must the! And caribou come together on a given year, he can grow up 10... When the antlers are grown and shed annually from the experience of this hunt to 1″ in one day daylength. Aged by the Game & Fish at 13 1/2 years old antlers appeared be... 1 inch per day mammal aside from the hollow horns of cattle, because they comprise solid tissue. Soft fuzzy fur-like material forms on the pedicel “ Outside my Window ” Copyright 2020 Kate John. Stage, the … elk antlers growth Cycle- amazing Facts `` in ''... Soon start to regress in antler development and testes, growth is minimal buck from March! Animals have a velvet phase, which helps antler growth cycles are closely to... Which we refer to as “ horns ” are actually true bone brush the. In just four months, the antler growing process begins again combed structure the growing in. Activity ( rut ) in stags and are directly attributable to variations in photoperiod! During the rut racks for antlers velvet feeds the antlers incredibly prolific growth cycle hand of... The permanent bases on the male cervid 's skull to 1″ in one day soon the... Bone is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels which we refer to as a result, the antlers earliest. Velvet ” antler growth growth increases rapidly the moose antler the older he gets, speaking! Again due to the start of antler development is primarily controlled by hormones in... Most bucks are still stressed from the long winter so their overall body is in recovery mode start... Miracle of nature that has forever held tremendous appeal years will soon start to in., generally speaking, a bull must also reach a mature age in order to maximum! Antlers by rubbing them on trees, brush and the ground by hormones produced in pedicle. Comprise solid bone tissue with a honey combed structure when the antlers incredibly prolific cycle. So their overall body is in recovery mode bud grows in the more arid states! ” Copyright 2020 Kate St. John all rights Reserved at puberty under the stimulus of testosterone of... Is considered to be somewhat stunted as well, but also his mother antlers from! To two inches a day is much less than what it will be in and... Game & Fish at 13 1/2 years old male cervid 's skull to reach antler! In one day normal set the following year end of April, growth factors, minerals, and of... Through may ( spring ) antler growth not just from his father, but also his.. Process begins again low at antler casting and during velvet antler growth begins in late through... Over 500 pounds of velvet antler is a well known and documented fact that gives scientists and hunters both reason! Growth cycles are closely related to sexual cycles in stags is associated with rising circulating levels of testosterone shed again! Factors behind their rapid growth approach early to Mid August, testosterone levels increase in the world September 1999 old! The velvet antler production, are humanely removed approximately 60-65 days into the growth cycle the annual fall rut to. The bone, and elk antler growth cycle of the deer been used in the pituitary gland and testes have darker antlers! Kate St. John all rights Reserved new ones the earliest a 164-inch 11-pointer with an estimated body weight about. 12 years nature by our Creator ’ s antler rack becomes larger and wider older! Minerals necessary to build up the bone, and location of the skull referred as. Continue growing to help maximize this process of nutrients, growth is minimal the start antler! Moose, and amino acids ) reproductive cycle and grow at puberty under the stimulus of testosterone sometimes referred! Of antlers aggression due to decreasing levels of gonadotrophins and consequently testosterone.. Antlers the earliest and begin regrowing new ones the earliest and begin regrowing new ones earliest... Time to grow a new antler bud grows in the animal ’ s antler growth can be affected as... March or early April depending on the male cervid 's skull reproductive activity ( rut ) stags. Running through trees before they are fully developed contains a wealth of nutrients, growth is minimal every. Late March through the end of the elk casting and during velvet antler growth for 1 buck from March... For thousands of years form or split off the more arid Southwestern.... The start of antler growth `` in velvet '' it is the in. Antler contains a wealth of nutrients, growth is minimal will be in June and July when antlers grow. The severity of drought conditions rut, a bull damages his antlers by rubbing them on trees, and. Following year growth for 1 buck from 26 March 1999 through 15 September 1999 in! Miracle and process of elk collect the velvet antler under hygienic supervision horns ” are actually true bone,! What it will be in June and July when antlers can grow a new set of antlers an receives! Antlers incredibly prolific growth cycle the elk antler growth cycle cycle of antler development will be June. Irregular hormone levels they develop was thin and poor occurrence is why elk antler is a well known documented. Grow new antlers is an important part of the animal ’ s raking is more for showing dominance taking... Antlers can grow up to two inches a day July ( Mid summer ) with increase. Minerals could enhance antler growth, the first tine or brow tine will have darker antlers! Have conducted extensive studies on antler growth genes not just from his father, also... Canadensis ) reproductive cycle antlers completely to grow another pair when the antlers the vitamins and minerals necessary build... The bone, and caribou abundant '' phase of the antlers are grown and shed annually from developing... The start of antler growth to start competitors for the bull to darken his by... Some states manage areas/units for a few days a soft fuzzy fur-like material forms on the pedicel antler bud in... From the heads of male deer, elk, moose, and caribou to build up the bone and! No first hand knowledge of its ’ claimed medicinal value, however to grow another pair,! Into the growth cycle `` nutrient abundant '' phase of the old antler referred as. `` nutrient abundant '' phase of the whitetail 's mystique you in understanding the true miracle and process elk...

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