Anyone who has hunted for deer in the past knows the importance of antler discussion. Learning the terminology behind deer hunting is one way to be more familiar.
Deer Antlers can be quite complex so hunters have created specific terms for each part. By learning deer antler terminology, you’ll be able to discuss these trophies with ease and confidence.
What are antlers?
These bony protuberances develop on the frontal pedicle—the base from which the antlers grow. Antlers are more common in male deer. But, antlers can also be found on female deer.
Deer Around four to five months old, antlers are usually first grown as buttons. Deer grow these antlers and then shed them annually, which requires a ton of energy.
The size and formation of deer antlers depend on a lot of different factors, such as age, nutrients, and genetics. The condition of a fawn’s mother and its date of birth also play a large part in how a deer’s antlers.
Basic Antler Terminology
The next time you’re hanging shed antlers, test yourself on your antler knowledge by naming each part of the antler as you go. Here are some more terms and definitions so you can get a firm grasp of antler anatomy:
- Beam – Central stem of the antler.
- Burr – Bony rim around the pedicle.
- Brow Tine – The point at which antlers branch off.
- Bay Tine – The second point of branching off.
- Tray Tine- The third branching off mark.
- Surroyal Tine – Fourth branch on a separate tine of a deer’s antler.
- Fork – The end of the antler that splits into two tines.
- Palm – Usually used to discuss moose, this refers to the end of the antler that spreads out, resembling a human hand.
- Crown – The top tine on the deer’s antlers.
These terms describe the arrangement of deer antlers. Some other terms used to describe the state of the antlers include:
- Rack – This term refers to the complete set of antlers; racks are usually typical or non-typical.
- Abnormal tine – This is a tine that grows off another tine instead of off the main beam.
- Typical – This adjective refers to a rack that has all its tines growing upward with no abnormal tines.
- Non-typical – Refers to a rack that has one or more abnormal tines, or tines that grow off another tine instead of the existing beam.
- Drop tine – This phrase describes a tine that is growing at a downward angle.
- Kicker point – An abnormal tine that grows near the pedicle from the burr.
Why Do Deer Grow Antlers?
There are many misunderstandings about the purpose and use of antlers. Some wildlife biologists believe that female deer evaluate a buck’s antlers to assess whether he would be a good potential mate.
Since only the males typically grow antlers, many believe they are mainly used in territorial battles between bucks. Male deer will lock their antlers during mating season and push one another to establish dominance.
This theory is supported by most scientific evidence. Others believe deer antlers are used to defend themselves against predators and to assert their dominance.
How do antlers grow?
Males usually begin growing antlers in the late spring. They grow from their pedicles and often the hormone output of deer regulates their growth rate. The hormones, in turn, are influenced by the amount of daylight, known as photoperiod.
The increasing amount of daylight corresponds with decreased melatonin levels, which, in turn, trigger a surge of hormones in the young deer, inciting antler growth.
This is how male deer can harden their antlers in order to assert their dominance at the breeding grounds.
What Is Antler Velvet?
As the young antlers are growing throughout the late spring and summer, these bony protuberances have a potent blood supply to help with growth and are covered with a hair-like substance called velvet.
Late summer or early fall is when the blood supply stops enriching the antlers so deeply. The antlers begin to harden which indicates that the buck has arrived at the right time.
The velvet must also be removed. This means that the antlers need to be rubbed against rocks, tree trunks, or even brush. The velvet will eventually fall off if it is left untreated. It takes only 24 hours.
Healthy male deer keeps his antlers through the breeding season.
Antler Deformations
Sometimes you see a buck with weird deer antlers, /our-obsession/blogs/deer/odd-antlers-causes-of-antler-growth-deformities and wonder how they got that way. Most likely, the buck sustained an injury to his antlers or to his pedicles. Leg injuries can also cause deformation in antlers.
During the breeding season, older male deer fight a lot with their antlers. This sometimes results in an injury to the pedicle, which can later result in an abnormal tine or non-typical rack.
These racks are extremely vulnerable as deer grow their antlers. During this growth period, antlers consist of mostly water – 80% – and a very low solid matter content – 20%. When in this stage, because of their high water content, antlers are vulnerable and can be injured or marred, resulting in deformed antlers. An injury can cause the tines to harden prematurely, creating a non-typical.
Although deer usually recover from wounds during this growth stage, sometimes severe injuries to the antlers in this period can lead to permanent physical deformations.
The relationship between a leg injury and antler deformation is not widely understood, but there have been proven correlations between the two. When a deer is injured in the legs, usually due to a vehicle accident, the antler on whichever side is damaged grows out to be deformed.
There isn’t a clear cause-and-effect between these two, but scientists speculate that the nutrients that usually would go to the growing antler are relocated to help mend the leg.
Final Thoughts
Deer antlers, their growth, and their formation make a fascinating subject for hunters and non-hunters. Many hunters have a few racks hanging on their walls, but some of these same hunters may not know the basic terminology of deer antlers.
