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Velvet antlers grow most in June and July. When they begin to change to hardened bone in late July and early August, a rack won’t add much beam or tine length. Photo by Tony Campbell.

Let’s begin with the latest research on those amazing antlers that drive us back to the woods every year in search of a bigger set. A project recently conducted by Dr. Craig Harper, Dr. Mark Turner and others found that for every 1 degree decrease in average annual temperature, antler size increased one inch. This aligns with earlier research that said the size of buck racks appears to be determined by habitat quality and climate from region to region.

Here are 14 more facts about those velvet antlers that are growing now.

  1. Increasing daylight in late March and early April triggers the beginning of new antler growth. In areas with ample nutritious food, bucks sprout velvet nubs earlier than deer in raw habitats.

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  1. The headgear of yearling and older bucks becomes noticeable in May, as brow tines and main beams form and begin to show.

  2. New velvet antlers are composed of bone, blood and skin.

  3. Velvet antlers have a complex system of blood vessels that causes them to be hot. There is so much blood carrying protein and minerals through a buck’s antlers in summer that thermal imaging devices can detect even small, fuzzy beams and tines.

  4. Tiny hairs on the velvet stick out and make antlers look thicker and larger than they actually are. The hairs act as a sort of radar system so a buck won’t bump into trees, fences and other obstructions and damage his soft new antlers.

  5. Sebum, a semi-liquid secretion on the hairs, gives the velvet a shiny look. Sebum is thought by some scientists to act as a natural insect repellent to keep gnats and biting flies off a buck’s eyes and face.

  6. Velvet-encased antlers grow faster than any other tissue in the world, except for tumors.

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  1. The most intense growth period occurs throughout June and July, when a rack’s main frame is established and points begin to branch out.

  2. Scientists at the Mississippi State Deer Lab found that antlers can grow as much as ¾ inch a week for yearling bucks and 1-1/2 inches per week for adults.

  3. The bone inside velvet antlers consists of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other minerals. Although food supplies some of these nutrients, a lot of minerals are sucked directly from a buck’s skeleton, causing him to develop a mild case of osteoporosis during summer.

  4. In late July and early August, antlers begin to change from soft and pliable to hardened bone. “A buck’s antlers will go from looking swollen or bulbous at the tips of the tines to a more normal diameter,” said Missouri biologist Dr. Grant Woods. “Once this change in appearance occurs, a rack won’t add much beam or tine growth.”

  5. By mid-August most antlers are fully developed for the year. Sometime from September 1 to 15, give or take a few days, bucks shed velvet. The cue for antler hardening and velvet shedding is the change in photoperiod (decreasing daylight and increasing darkness), which results in a significant surge in a buck’s testosterone.

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  1. Velvet shedding often takes only hours, though it’s not uncommon to see a deer walking around for day or two with bloody velvet tatters. Bucks have been observed turning their heads to peel or even eat dry strips of velvet that dangle off their racks. Mature bucks rub trees to remove any last scraps of velvet and begin polishing their new crowns.