Horns and Antlers

Deer antlers are made from bone that grows out of the top of their heads. These antlers have one main support on each side of their head that holds the entire rack of antlers. There are points on the antlers and the number of them differ for each animal. They may have from one to eleven different points per antler. They can also have different numbers of points on each of their antlers.

Most deer only have a single point on their antlers until they are about three years of age. The more points a deer has, they older it is. While you can’t determine the exact age of a deer from its antlers, you can get a good idea of how long it has been around. You may notice that the antlers have a type of velvet material on them. Since the antlers are a life part of the animal, they need blood and nutrients to be carried to them.

The velvet is a type of protective coating during the early stages of development for the antlers. After three or four months, the antlers no longer need this velvet covering and so the deer start to shed it. This process can take a while and in the mean time, the antlers can become itchy. This is why the deer rub then against the bark of trees and you will find various pieces of the velvet on the ground.

Each year deer shed their antlers in a process that takes two or three weeks to complete. This takes place during the warm summer months after mating has been completed for the season. This is because the male deer use their antlers to compete for mating rights to a particular female. Without those antlers, they wouldn’t be able to take part in this process that determines that the dominate male gets to reproduce.

Many hunters like to keep the antlers of the deer they kill as a type of trophy. They proudly display them on the walls of their home. Some people choose to make decorative lights and chandeliers from deer antlers. This can be a great way to give your home a very rustic look.