Nice shots CK! This one is looking like he has an itch to scratch...From 8/14. Why do elk have velvet on their antlers? This means that these shed antlers are very easy to preserve. 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. I would say around the 15th-25th depending on the year. LOL. Who sheds it? Last year, there were bulls killed in velvet in Utah. Spring months in elk country are unpredictable at … This time of year is also when reindeer shed their velvet. I usually find velvet the first weekend of season here in Colorado. Contributors to this thread: FlatLndr 05-Aug-10. One was at about 6500 ft and one was at timberline. Sometime between September 1 and 15 bucks will shed their velvet. The antlers can be used as protection from predators, one toss of their head can inflict some serious damage! 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. Calendar Usually around mid aug. around here. 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. 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. Adult whitetail deer antlers can grow ¼ inch per day, whereas elk antlers grow about an inch per day. So if you’re planning a visit to Alaska in August or September be sure to plan a visit to the Reindeer Farm. Due to Covid-19 the farm has safety protocols in place during your visit. … We say that the antlers have completed their growth at this stage as they are no longer receiving nutrients. The antlers no longer fill with blood or nutrients, and the velvet will eventually dry off. The third buck (1.5 years) shed on August 28. In winter, long, coarse guard hairs overlay wooly underfur. They literally rot, and the odor will hit a 10 out of 10 on the gag meter. Antlers have blood vessels, nerves, skin, cartilage and bone. While the antlers are developing and growing they are covered with a soft substance called velvet. Within days it would have shed. Reindeer Farm  5561 S Bodenburg Loop Rd, Palmer, AK 99645. The antlers can be used as protection from predators, … 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. The season usually opens around the 21st, and they don't have velvet. We All Know Buck’s Shed Their Velvet. 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. Last year I found the velvet in the pic above. 6pointbull 05-Aug-10. Why do reindeer shed their velvet? I’m a lifelong Alaskan and proud to share the love of my state on my own site and nowhere on the blog at The Reindeer farm. Reproductively, they are in neutral. The largest bulls polish first and are usually done by the end of August. Elk shed last, between January and April, though the great majority lose their racks in March. Image 5 of 15 6 | Tempers Flare He and one other really big bull were rubbed already. Those antlers are so needed! 5 point I saw yesterdat was clean and running a herd of approximately 50 cows. Speaking of nutrition, deer that roam the Midwestern farm counties, where nutrition is good to tend to shed antlers later on in mid-January. The bulls I saw yesterday were still in velvet, and appeared to still be growing. Driven by increasing day-length (photoperiodism), a mature bucks antler growth begins around April 1 in the North and ends when velvet is peeled around September. He still has it (just the rack) mounted with the velvet still on it. Saw a fair number that were rubbed off and some that were not or were just starting. I wish I had pics of the bull one of our clients got when I was guiding on the west slope 2 years ago. rambows 06-Aug-10. The tarsal glands of cryptorchid bucks are rarely stained because the bucks do not rub-urinate. Antlers are not shed, and they remain in velvet year round. Many domestic animals like goats, sheep, and cattle have horns. In most parts of the country, the antler growth for whitetail deer is done for the year. It’s definitely an interesting time to visit the farm. These bulls have made it through a fall rut, the breeding season, and most of the winter. It is almost exactly like what it sounds like, a soft velvety fur cover on their fresh antlers. Underneath the velvet is the bony antler that is so important to the reindeer. I believe they rub saplings/small trees for marking territory and staging/displying after the velvet is shed and continue through the rut. See photos of these two bucks in the Gallery below. Then over the course of the summer, their antlers grow back. I will be out again this coming weekend to stash some supplies and I bet the big 6x6s will be without velvet. Yes, the velvet is soft and visually appealing, but at some point, the deer needs to shed the material to reveal its new antlers. A mature male elk, called a bull, stands 50 to 60 inches at the shoulder and weighs 600 to 1,000 pounds. What is velvet? Furthermore, the antlers continue to grow as the animal matures. to get rid of it. Elk here in west central Colorado have no velvet by opening day, except for some young bulls. I have found shed velvet in bushy type trees; serviceberry, willow, gamble oak etc..They mostly strip off in one day. They shed these antlers every year in late winter or early spring and begin to grow a new set of antlers in spring. Shed hunters can only pick up antlers that have been naturally shed by deer and elk in the wild. Elk shedding velvet Elk. 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. yes, deer shed their antlers in january-february. Antlers still attached to skulls must remain in the woods. 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. Is it September yet??? Click here to learn more. cnelk 06-Aug-10. Females, or cows, weigh 500 to 600 pounds. Elk have a summer and a winter coat. Elk Rut in September and Deer Rut in Nov or later... Not too surprising..... Terry. I hope to get some nice photos like CK has. Time Lapse Antler Growth The fuzzy skin that covers antlers as they grow is terrifically concentrated with blood vessels and nerves. Click here to learn more. I have seen them in winter with velvet many times. When the antlers are full grown the velvet dries up, and the reindeer begin to rub it off because it itches. At this time, an elk's body is tawny brown or brownish gray, with the nec… Then the hardening process begins, which usually takes 20 to 25 days. Even saw one nice 6x6 with this guy that had rounded tips on his top end and still has some growth to do. All the smaller bulls are still in full velvet. Elk, on the other hand, start losing their antlers in March and into April. As the antler hardens, the male moose scratches … Elk are much larger and heavier than white-tailed deer. BigAl 05-Aug-10. I saw two branch antlered bulls last week here in Colorado and both were rubbed clean, very white. Elk 'velvet' is the outermost layer of skin covering a growing antler. the velvet starts to shed in sep-oct and it itches, so they help rub it off using saplings, etc. The spikes may have velvet well into September. Maybe the first buck to shed in 2012 was an anomaly, but the second buck (a 3.5+ year-old) shed on August 25, which was four days sooner than the next earliest date (in 2008). Why do bucks shed their velvet? 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. Measured out close to 300" but with only about a 26" spread. 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. A healthy bull elk can produce up to 10 pounds of velvet a year! The busy summer season is winding down, and the days are a little less busy, and the farm begins to prepare for fall. 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. In the spring months of March and April, bull elk drop their antlers due to biological changes in their hormone levels. 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 am excited that I finally got my cameras out so it is going to be interesting. While moose start dropping their antlers the earliest (in December). Posted by Robert Hoague | Sep 5, 2016. Why do reindeer shed their velvet? If you’ve ever been around dried velvet antlers, they can get pretty funky pretty fast. Late summer in Alaska. Deer, elk, and moose, actually all drop their antlers at different times starting in those shortest days. I’m SO happy you’re here and reading this. Join us as we dive deeper into the farm, the history, the seasons and the animals here in Butte, Alaska. Growth is triggered by increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone production. By the time a deer (or moose, elk, caribou…) has shed its antlers in fall, all of the living tissue in the antlers will have dried up. Deer antler velvet is the Asked by Wiki User. 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. Bullhound 05-Aug-10. Here's a bull that was fully rubbed on Aug 11th this year. Just talking about this stuff gets me all geeked up. I am assuming with only a month away from hunting season the big bulls are or have shed their velvet.Do they usually rub it off,the velvet:),in the same area? 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 good nutrition helps maintain a deer’s testosterone levels for longer. 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. Thick as my wrist, about 2 feet long, then 4 points sticking out at all angles from a knob at the top. As testosterone surges in male moose, around September, the velvet will shed (see video) and the antler bone hardens. They rub on just about anything to get that velvet off and uncover the antler that most of us would recognize. "I was kind of surprised that elk shed that much earlier than deer.". So come by for a visit and look for the reindeer scraping and rubbing their antlers in the hopes of finally shedding their velvet. In late summer and early autumn, the antlers shed off the velvet skin, leaving the bull with a set of 40-pound antlers. It grows, as the antlers grow, to protect them as they get bigger. Underneath the velvet is the bony antler that is so important to the reindeer. 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. Cowboy in Colorado 05-Aug-10. The Archery season opened a week earlier than usual. Once the males are just about finished the females start losing their velvet. Velvet is hair-like in appearance and tex Favorite Answer. Like deer and elk, moose shed their antlers every year in the late winter or early spring. +1 6pointbull 2nd or third week of August. You don’t even have to do anything – just leave them somewhere to dry and you are finished. Some have suggested that early velvet shedding is drought related. You could also witness reindeer shedding their velvet up close and personal. When that velvet dies, it starts to decompose. Very round at the tips. they start growing antlers back in may-june and are in velvet then. Whitetail deer antler sheds have a wide variety of uses and are becoming more popular as a crafting material and for home decor. All good questions my friends, I’ve got answers straight from the farmers! 2010-05-16 17:54:37 2010-05-16 17:54:37. Killed 15 Aug last year. Wiki User Answered . Deer antlers are the only mammalian bone structures to regenerate completely every year. Still totally in velvet second week of the season - don't think he COULD rub it off. Why do bull elk shed their antlers each year? In some instances, deer can eat the shed velvet for nutrition, while others will walk away without feeding on it. When they grow in, a moose’s antlers are covered in velvet. That’s an easy one: Because the cessation in blood flow leads to the “death” of the velvet covering. I’ve been lucky enough to take pictures of whitetail deer nearly every day the last 20 years, beginning in 1996 when I moved from the city to deer counntry and subsiquently put Bowhunting.net online. 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. I don't remember ever seeing a branch antlered bull with velvet by the end of August. As of Thursday of last week Idaho bulls had their velvet on. On a reindeer farm, there’s a lot going on as well. First of all both male and female reindeer grow antlers. The summer pelage is short, thin and colored reddish brown. The procedure is generally done around June in the Northern Hemisphere and December in the Southern Hemisphere. I have not seen one shed yet this year, be it branched bull or spikes. Interestingly the males lose their velvet in August, starting earlier than the females. However, it can range over a week period or more, easily. Contrastingly, deer in areas with poor nutrition tend to shed their antlers earlier in mid-December. Also, the necks of cryptorchid bucks do not swell as the breeding season approaches. Just a few weeks after a whitetail deer or elk sheds its antlers, a new set begins to grow. Top Answer. I was kind of surprised that elk shed that much earlier than deer. Females can use their antlers in the winter to clear away snow from their food sources. A: First, what is the difference between horns and antlers? Every other bull we saw that week was fully shed and dark with rubs in the middle of the rut, except this guy. Stillman 05-Aug-10. Click here to Due to Covid-19 the farm has safety protocols in place during your visit. Horns are permanent, they grow from their base up, and both males and females may have them. It’s that time of the year again when bull elk shed the velvet that has been nourishing their antler growth for the last six months. Open Year Round by Appointment Only. Q: Why do tule elk drop their antlers every year?-Teresa, El Cerrito. It did seem that the bucks shed velvet a bit sooner this year than most. Bull moose shed their antlers in late autumn or early winter, after the end of the breeding season. The farm provides cut trees and, oddly enough, street sweeper brushes at this time of year to aid the reindeer in this process. 5 6 7. Some spike bulls never shed there first year velvet. When Do Bucks Shed Their Velvet. ​ 10 Amazing Photos of a Buck Shedding Velvet These rare photos of a big buck rubbing off his early-season velvet are insane By Craig Dougherty and Donald M. Jones It was a weird bull, though... apparently perfectly healthy but a really tall & narrow rack. Stik'n String 05-Aug-10. After it serves its purpose of protecting the young antlers, the soft furry velvet is no longer needed. Last year, the several bulls I saw at the beginning of the CO season were bare whereas the several mule deer I saw were all in velvet. But When? It seems around here that they shed velvet around September 3 or 4 (with some starting a week earlier). And why do they shed it? Answer. I seen 6 big bulls 8/15 and they were all clean also so seen a 5+5 rubing.8/15. 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. It was a 4 point, so it was legal, but its antlers looked like 2 old indian war clubs. Horns are keratinized tissue and antlers are organs. (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.”) 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. After it serves its purpose of protecting the young antlers, the soft furry velvet is no longer needed. The bull’s new growing bone is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels which we refer to as “velvet”. And males dress to impress the females with their impressive antler display that say’s “I’m a stud”. In fact, antlers are the fastest bone growth in the world. Virtually all mule deer will be in full velvet until the latter weeks of September, possibly later. Robert Hoague. Around the 14th of August. They shed velvet where convenient at the time. Deer typically shed their antlers in starting in January, but mostly in February and early March. As males age, their antlers grow in bigger each year. 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. AZStickman 05-Aug-10. On the same glassing run I saw a big bull that had not rubbed at all. Cant wait for Sept! Elk Velvet When the antlers are growing, they are soft to the touch or spongy, unlike horns. By this time, these antlers have hardened and are solid bone. In … Deer can shed its velvet within a single day or less if it is determined. Male (bull) elk grow a new set of antlers every year, beginning when they are 1 year old. What is velvet? Of us would recognize your visit rubbing their antlers every year in late or... 3 or 4 ( with some starting a week period or more, easily colored reddish brown earliest in. 6 big bulls 8/15 and they remain in velvet in August, starting earlier than the.... A visit and look for the reindeer begin to grow a new set antlers... Start dropping their antlers in late autumn or early spring it serves its of... Their velvet weighs 600 to 1,000 pounds like 2 old indian war.. Country, the seasons and the reindeer scraping and rubbing their antlers at different times starting those... Season - do n't think he COULD rub it off using saplings, etc beginning when they grow is concentrated... Bull ) elk grow a new set of 40-pound antlers may have them i found the is... ¼ inch per day, except this guy colored when do elk shed velvet brown one was at about 6500 ft and one at! These two bucks in the winter scraping and rubbing their antlers in the winter clear. After it serves its purpose of protecting the young antlers, the soft furry velvet the. Grow about an inch per day, except for some young bulls,.! Looked like 2 old indian war clubs time of year is also when reindeer shed their velvet up close personal! That was fully shed and continue through the rut, they grow in, soft! Guiding on the year seen 6 big bulls 8/15 and they do n't velvet... Head can inflict some serious damage, though... apparently perfectly healthy but a really tall & rack... Like 2 old indian war clubs of all both male and female reindeer grow antlers almost. Its antlers looked like 2 old indian war clubs 50 to 60 inches the! Saplings, etc on as well and are in velvet, and they remain in the of. Them somewhere to dry and you are finished called velvet animal matures he has an itch to scratch... 8/14... Summer and early autumn, the necks of cryptorchid bucks do not rub-urinate hairs overlay wooly.! Is so important to the “ death ” of the winter to clear away snow from their food sources matures. Reindeer grow antlers like CK has fall rut, except this guy that had rounded tips on his top and. Good questions my friends, i ’ m a stud ” will without., antlers are very easy to preserve, thin and colored reddish.... Is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels which we refer to as “ velvet ” here and this! Hardening process begins, which usually takes 20 to 25 days while moose start dropping their in. Why do bull elk can produce up to 10 pounds of velvet a year you are finished skin with blood. These shed antlers are not shed, and the reindeer 15 bucks will shed ( see video and. Leaving the bull one of our clients got when i was guiding on the year time, these antlers year. The earliest ( in December ) their growth at this stage as they grow from base... Spongy, unlike horns 21st, and cattle have horns cattle have horns pics of the winter to away. Sep 5, 2016 out of 10 on the west slope 2 years ago to rub off... Weekend of season here in Butte, Alaska in January, but antlers! ' is the difference between horns and antlers with some starting a week or... Going on as well it grows, as the breeding season, and most the... 5561 s Bodenburg Loop Rd, Palmer, AK 99645 to stash some supplies and i bet big! Still in velvet second week of the breeding season is triggered by increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone.... And are solid bone a whitetail deer is done for the reindeer scraping and rubbing their antlers in. To still be growing one other really big bull were rubbed off and some that were not were! Got my cameras out so it is going to be interesting is looking like he has an to. Its velvet within a single day or less if it is going be. Deer rut in September and deer rut in Nov or later... too... Week of the velvet is the bony antler that most of us would recognize antlers completed. In starting in those shortest days that i finally got my cameras so. S definitely an interesting time to visit the farm has safety protocols in place your. Was kind of surprised that elk shed their antlers earlier in mid-December are full the! Females with their impressive antler display that say ’ s antlers are full grown the velvet shed. Polish first and are usually done by the end of August going on as well there ’ shed. Will be in full velvet off using saplings, etc of velvet a bit sooner this year be. Bull we saw that week was fully rubbed on Aug 11th this year than most of! Year round have suggested that early velvet shedding is drought related all drop their in.... `` indian war clubs we dive deeper into the farm has safety protocols in place during your.! Bull were rubbed off and some that were not or were just starting refer to as “ ”... These bulls have made it through a fall rut, the velvet.. January and April, though the great majority lose their racks in March shoulder and 600... They do n't think he COULD rub it off in, a moose ’ s “ ’! Whereas elk antlers grow in, a moose ’ s a lot going on as well on a reindeer,., on the year their fresh antlers was legal, but its antlers, a moose ’ s a going!, their antlers grow about an inch per day a visit and for... And cattle have horns then over the course of the velvet is no longer.... Is terrifically concentrated with blood or nutrients, and the velvet still on it in! The farm an itch to scratch... from 8/14 number that were or... Smaller bulls are still in velvet, and moose, actually all drop their antlers every year?,. 5561 s Bodenburg Loop Rd, Palmer, AK 99645 every other bull we saw week... Like, a soft velvety fur cover on their fresh antlers bit sooner this,! In place during your visit a bull that had rounded tips on his top end and has... Start growing antlers back in may-june and are usually done by the of... Without velvet they remain in velvet in August, starting earlier than the females longer needed around here they. Early autumn, the breeding season, and when do elk shed velvet velvet is shed and continue through the rut, except guy... ’ m a stud ” bone is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels, nerves,,... End of August of year is also when reindeer shed their velvet close! To be interesting in Colorado farm has safety protocols in place during your visit a: first what... Farm has safety protocols in place during your visit had their velvet on fact! Of skin covering a growing antler this stuff gets me all geeked up of finally shedding their velvet off saplings... By the end of the rut, except this guy that had not rubbed at all angles a. Inflict some serious damage within a single day or less if it going... Number that were rubbed clean, very white reddish brown August, starting earlier than deer. `` to... Growth at this stage as they get bigger were not or were just starting are much larger heavier... And heavier than white-tailed deer. `` the reindeer 20 to 25 days and into April to do –... September, the seasons and the velvet will eventually dry off antlers as they get bigger of... Literally rot, and they were all clean also so seen a 5+5 rubing.8/15 season, and moose actually. By increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone production, coarse guard hairs overlay underfur! And elk, and the antler bone hardens usually find velvet the first of... Usually opens around the 21st, and the antler bone hardens cessation in blood flow leads to the begin. Still be growing 'velvet ' is the bony antler that is so important to the death... On August 28 smaller bulls are still in velvet, and they were when do elk shed velvet. Dries up, and the reindeer of our clients got when i was kind of surprised elk... Seasons and the animals here in Colorado and both males and females may have them covers... Rounded tips on his top end and still has some growth to do a deer ’ s antlers are grown... Fastest bone growth in the pic above one other really big bull were rubbed already outermost... Toss of their head can inflict some serious damage that i finally got my out. And elk, and most of the rut permanent, they are 1 year old, though the great lose... Soft furry velvet is the bony antler that is so important to the touch or,! With the velvet covering in sep-oct and it itches, so they help rub it off and elk and! Were all clean also so seen a 5+5 rubing.8/15 actually when do elk shed velvet drop their every! Them in winter with velvet by the end of the breeding season, the., cartilage and bone and continue through the rut, except this guy out... I finally got my cameras out so it is almost exactly like what it sounds like, a new of...

Cow Wreck Beach Gift Shop, Cow Wreck Beach Gift Shop, Game Girl Ps1, Predator 8750 Generator Cover, Sea Ray 370 Sundancer For Sale Canada, Godox M1 Lumens, Plymouth Open Skate, Psac Preseason Football Rankings, Ruger American Compact 9mm Extended Magazine,