42 Nebraskaland • August-September 2024
Velvet Bucks
The science of antlers and
when to harvest a buck
n 2014, at the request of hunters,
the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission opened archery season
Sept. 1 so hunters could have an
additional opportunity to harvest
a velvet-antlered buck. Nebraska is
one of a handful of states that off er
an archery season early enough to
provide this opportunity, but what is
the likelihood there will still be velvet
bucks in Nebraska when the season
opens? And what biological factors
are at play that hunters should know
about?
Growing Antlers
Growing antlers is a complicated
process that involves a number of
factors, as well as pitfalls, for bucks.
The growing process lasts about six
months. Deer antlers are one of the
fastest-growing living tissues on
Earth, typically reaching one-quarter
inch per day for white-tailed deer, and
more in larger deer species, such as elk
and moose. However, growing antlers
is energetically costly and causes
bucks to enter a state of temporary
osteoporosis as they demineralize
skeletal bones, primarily from their
ribs, to acquire large amounts of
essential minerals, such as calcium
and phosphorus, to feed antler growth.
Antler development is a highly
metabolic process during the velvet
stage. Velvet covers and protects the
tissues that contain blood vessels
and nerves as the bone forms. It is
sensitive to touch, and bucks will learn
to avoid physical rubbing or contacting
trees and other obstacles in their
environment. An injury to the antlers
during the velvet stage can aff ect the
growth, fi nal size and shape of antlers.
Newly-grown antlers remain
covered in velvet until testosterone
levels are high enough to cause blood
fl ow to stop. As blood fl ow ceases, the
By Brian Peterson
I
An example of a buck in the process of shedding his velvet while rubbing on a
wooden post. COURTESY BRIAN PETERSON
