We All Know Buck’s Shed Their Velvet. they start growing antlers back in may-june and are in velvet then. Many domestic animals like goats, sheep, and cattle have horns. However, it can range over a week period or more, easily. It’s definitely an interesting time to visit the farm. to get rid of it. I wish I had pics of the bull one of our clients got when I was guiding on the west slope 2 years ago. The spikes may have velvet well into September. A buddy of mine shot an Idaho bull one Sept (seems to me it was middle of the month even) that had barely started to rub. cnelk 06-Aug-10. +1 6pointbull 2nd or third week of August. In … He still has it (just the rack) mounted with the velvet still on it. Some have suggested that early velvet shedding is drought related. On the 13th here in CO I saw a small 4 point that had just rubbed out and still had a small amount of velvet on a couple points. While the antlers are developing and growing they are covered with a soft substance called velvet. Nice shots CK! The elk are losing their velvet, which is the fuzzy growing layer that covers their antlers from spring until…about this time of the year. So if you’re planning a visit to Alaska in August or September be sure to plan a visit to the Reindeer Farm. "I was kind of surprised that elk shed that much earlier than deer.". Not only is the beauty of Alaska so full and rich at this time of year the pace of the farm is a little slower and definitely more relaxed. That’s an easy one: Because the cessation in blood flow leads to the “death” of the velvet covering. Most bucks in the North are finished growing their antlers by August 10 when blood flow to the antlers ceases and the velvet begins dying and degrading. I didn't have the heart to tell him he was going to get the crap kicked out of him in a couple of weeks. Why do elk have velvet on their antlers? Underneath the velvet is the bony antler that is so important to the reindeer. LOL. Reindeer Farm 5561 S Bodenburg Loop Rd, Palmer, AK 99645. The farm provides cut trees and, oddly enough, street sweeper brushes at this time of year to aid the reindeer in this process. Even saw one nice 6x6 with this guy that had rounded tips on his top end and still has some growth to do. Yes, the velvet is soft and visually appealing, but at some point, the deer needs to shed the material to reveal its new antlers. Adult whitetail deer antlers can grow ¼ inch per day, whereas elk antlers grow about an inch per day. And males dress to impress the females with their impressive antler display that say’s “I’m a stud”. I would say around the 15th-25th depending on the year. If you’ve ever been around dried velvet antlers, they can get pretty funky pretty fast. What is velvet? 6pointbull 05-Aug-10. In fact, antlers are the fastest bone growth in the world. Velvet is hair-like in appearance and tex yes, deer shed their antlers in january-february. Horns are keratinized tissue and antlers are organs. Cant wait for Sept! A healthy bull elk can produce up to 10 pounds of velvet a year! Answer. In most parts of the country, the antler growth for whitetail deer is done for the year. Last year I found the velvet in the pic above. Some spike bulls never shed there first year velvet. Asked by Wiki User. Here's a bull that was fully rubbed on Aug 11th this year. Then the hardening process begins, which usually takes 20 to 25 days. It is almost exactly like what it sounds like, a soft velvety fur cover on their fresh antlers. On rare occasions, bulls carry full racks up to six months later than average or don’t shed their antlers at all, usually a side effect from injury or irregular hormone levels. One of the bigger bull killed that year (340ish) looked like he had a glove on the whale's tail on one side - rest of the antler was clean, just a rawhide looking chunk of velvet on the tip of that one side... Never have found velvet on a rubbed sapling or tree. With the exception of several spike bulls I have seen over the years, I cannot think of a single branch-antlered bull I have seen in full velvet by the season opener. Very round at the tips. He and one other really big bull were rubbed already. I will be out again this coming weekend to stash some supplies and I bet the big 6x6s will be without velvet. Why do bull elk shed their antlers each year? The antlers can be used as protection from predators, one toss of their head can inflict some serious damage! Hi, it’s Laura here from Little House Big Alaska, I’ll be taking over the blog here at The Reindeer Farm for a little while. Who sheds it? Time Lapse Antler Growth The fuzzy skin that covers antlers as they grow is terrifically concentrated with blood vessels and nerves. 5 6 7. I don't remember ever seeing a branch antlered bull with velvet by the end of August. It grows, as the antlers grow, to protect them as they get bigger. If you live in Jackson Hole or an area with an elk population, you might have recently heard bull elk bugling during the fall rut, or breeding season. Shed hunters can only pick up antlers that have been naturally shed by deer and elk in the wild. The antlers can be used as protection from predators, … Male (bull) elk grow a new set of antlers every year, beginning when they are 1 year old. Contrastingly, deer in areas with poor nutrition tend to shed their antlers earlier in mid-December. I have not seen one shed yet this year, be it branched bull or spikes. You could also witness reindeer shedding their velvet up close and personal. It did seem that the bucks shed velvet a bit sooner this year than most. They shed these antlers every year in late winter or early spring and begin to grow a new set of antlers in spring. Usually around mid aug. around here. The cue for antler hardening and velvet shedding is the change in photo-period caused by decreasing daylight and increasing darkness, which results in a significant increase in the bucks’ testosterone. When the antlers are full grown the velvet dries up, and the reindeer begin to rub it off because it itches. This time of year is also when reindeer shed their velvet. Favorite Answer. Click here to learn more. Still totally in velvet second week of the season - don't think he COULD rub it off. After it serves its purpose of protecting the young antlers, the soft furry velvet is no longer needed. Join us as we dive deeper into the farm, the history, the seasons and the animals here in Butte, Alaska. This means that these shed antlers are very easy to preserve. Horns are permanent, they grow from their base up, and both males and females may have them. These bulls have made it through a fall rut, the breeding season, and most of the winter. And why do they shed it? Deer typically shed their antlers in starting in January, but mostly in February and early March. I have found shed velvet in bushy type trees; serviceberry, willow, gamble oak etc..They mostly strip off in one day. As of Thursday of last week Idaho bulls had their velvet on. I’m SO happy you’re here and reading this. Cowboy in Colorado 05-Aug-10. August is one of my favorite months in Alaska, the days are a little more balanced light wise, the mountains are occasionally tipped with fresh snow and the air is crisp and fresh. Elk have a summer and a winter coat. It was a weird bull, though... apparently perfectly healthy but a really tall & narrow rack. First of all both male and female reindeer grow antlers. Contributors to this thread: FlatLndr 05-Aug-10. Within days it would have shed. Once the males are just about finished the females start losing their velvet. Why do reindeer shed their velvet? (Unlike deer and elk, bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goats do not shed their horns each year, so don’t expect to find them as “sheds.”) As testosterone surges in male moose, around September, the velvet will shed (see video) and the antler bone hardens. It seems around here that they shed velvet around September 3 or 4 (with some starting a week earlier). This shedding process is amongst the goriest sights in nature as the dense blood vessels burst and the velvet falls in red rags from the deer’s rack of antlers. In some instances, deer can eat the shed velvet for nutrition, while others will walk away without feeding on it. As the antler hardens, the male moose scratches … In late summer and early autumn, the antlers shed off the velvet skin, leaving the bull with a set of 40-pound antlers. I seen 6 big bulls 8/15 and they were all clean also so seen a 5+5 rubing.8/15. Late summer in Alaska. Image 5 of 15 6 | Tempers Flare Click here to learn more. I was kind of surprised that elk shed that much earlier than deer. Bull elk can be easily identified by their impressive antlers during the summer and fall, some growing over 300″ of new bone over the course of just a few months. Elk shed last, between January and April, though the great majority lose their racks in March. While moose start dropping their antlers the earliest (in December). Elk shedding velvet Elk. I saw two branch antlered bulls last week here in Colorado and both were rubbed clean, very white. In winter, long, coarse guard hairs overlay wooly underfur. By this time, these antlers have hardened and are solid bone. Stillman 05-Aug-10. AZStickman 05-Aug-10. Deer antler velvet is the Elk, on the other hand, start losing their antlers in March and into April. BigAl 05-Aug-10. Click here to Due to Covid-19 the farm has safety protocols in place during your visit. Posted by Robert Hoague | Sep 5, 2016. Around the 14th of August. These two bulls were hanging together when I photographed them on Aug. 12. two weeks ago almost all the bulls (out of 30+ elk, 10 were bulls),all had velvet from what I could tell. Elk are much larger and heavier than white-tailed deer. I am excited that I finally got my cameras out so it is going to be interesting. Interestingly the males lose their velvet in August, starting earlier than the females. Click here to Learn more about activities, Click here to Learn more about winter reindeer tour, Click here to Learn more about santa experience tour, Click here to Learn more about gift certificates, Click here to Learn more about summer 2021 reindeer tour, Click here to Learn more about all activities, Click here to Learn more about reindeer sale & rental, Click here to Learn more about covid-19 mitigation plan, Click here to return to REINDEER FARM BLOG, Click here to email reindeertours@gmail.com, Click here to view location Reindeer Farm 5561 S Bodenburg Loop Rd, Palmer, AK 99645. Deer can shed its velvet within a single day or less if it is determined. The procedure is generally done around June in the Northern Hemisphere and December in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring months in elk country are unpredictable at … So come by for a visit and look for the reindeer scraping and rubbing their antlers in the hopes of finally shedding their velvet. One was at about 6500 ft and one was at timberline. Whitetail deer antler sheds have a wide variety of uses and are becoming more popular as a crafting material and for home decor. It was a 4 point, so it was legal, but its antlers looked like 2 old indian war clubs. They literally rot, and the odor will hit a 10 out of 10 on the gag meter. See photos of these two bucks in the Gallery below. Wiki User Answered . After it serves its purpose of protecting the young antlers, the soft furry velvet is no longer needed. When that velvet dies, it starts to decompose. Just talking about this stuff gets me all geeked up. Underneath the velvet is the bony antler that is so important to the reindeer. Why do bucks shed their velvet? The bull’s new growing bone is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels which we refer to as “velvet”. The season usually opens around the 21st, and they don't have velvet. Sometime between September 1 and 15 bucks will shed their velvet. Just a few weeks after a whitetail deer or elk sheds its antlers, a new set begins to grow. But When? Q: Why do tule elk drop their antlers every year?-Teresa, El Cerrito. Females, or cows, weigh 500 to 600 pounds. Virtually all mule deer will be in full velvet until the latter weeks of September, possibly later. A: First, what is the difference between horns and antlers? Thick as my wrist, about 2 feet long, then 4 points sticking out at all angles from a knob at the top. In their natural state, they are used to create rustic chandeliers, lamps, and table centerpieces, or simply as wall decor.As a raw material, they can be turned into knife handles, jewelry, decorative carvings, key fobs, and a variety of other items. I believe they rub saplings/small trees for marking territory and staging/displying after the velvet is shed and continue through the rut. Elk here in west central Colorado have no velvet by opening day, except for some young bulls. Deer antlers are the only mammalian bone structures to regenerate completely every year. Antlers still attached to skulls must remain in the woods. On the same glassing run I saw a big bull that had not rubbed at all. As males age, their antlers grow in bigger each year. Stik'n String 05-Aug-10. Why do reindeer shed their velvet? A mature male elk, called a bull, stands 50 to 60 inches at the shoulder and weighs 600 to 1,000 pounds. At this time, an elk's body is tawny brown or brownish gray, with the nec… … They rub on just about anything to get that velvet off and uncover the antler that most of us would recognize. Bullhound 05-Aug-10. Open Year Round by Appointment Only. If you were to come by the reindeer farm at this time of year you would probably get to see some of the reindeer rubbing and scraping off this velvet. Calendar This one is looking like he has an itch to scratch...From 8/14. Also, the necks of cryptorchid bucks do not swell as the breeding season approaches. 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