Nov 23, 2019
In male whitetail deer, antlers begin to grow in late spring, covered with a highly vascular tissue known as velvet, which supplies the nutrients needed to grow. The antlers harden in late summer and then shed their velvet once they quit growing. Shedding normally only takes a day or two, often facilitated by rubbing their antlers against trees, and it is not painful. Some deer have been observed eating their own antler velvet, likely as a way to preserve the nutrients.
Photos by Donald M. Jones via OutdoorLife
