MONTGOMERY-Spring and summer months are an important time in the world of a white-tailed deer. Food resources are once again abundant after reaching an annual low during the winter months. High-quality foods available during the spring are extremely important for pregnant does, since they are carrying this year’s fawns which are born later in the summer. Great nutrition during the spring and summer help assures the fetuses develop normally. Having high quality food at this time of year is also important for male deer since April typically marks the start of antler growing season and they continue to grow into the summer months.
Despite what many people believe, white-tailed deer have antlers, not horns which are found on animals such as goats, sheep, and cows. Unlike horns, antlers are shed and regrown each year. Horns are composed primarily of keratin, a protein that also is the main component of hair, hooves, and skin.
The secretion of several hormones, primarily testosterone, initiates antler growth. However, contrary to popular belief, testosterone levels do not remain high during the period of antler growth. Rather, after a surge of testosterone initiates antler development, testosterone drops until once again beginning to rise at the onset of antler hardening. The secretion of these hormones is triggered by photoperiod (day-length).
There are two phases in the antler cycle. First is the antler genesis, or growth period, in which the antlers are growing, living structures encased by a soft covering called “velvet.” The second phase is the death, or hardening, of the antlers. In this phase, the antlers ossify and the buck rubs off the velvet covering. In late winter and early spring, in response to dropping testosterone levels, antlers are shed and the whole process begins anew.
Antlers grow from button-like structures called pedicles located on the frontal bones of the skull and typically begin growing in April. Antler growth usually ends by late September in Alabama. Growing antlers place a significant nutritional strain on bucks during the growth cycle. Antlers are comprised primarily of protein during their growth period, but once hardened, they are essentially bone — comprised primarily of calcium and phosphorous.
Mature bucks use their antlers as a sexual display to receptive females, but the primary purpose for antlers are for intrasexual display and aggression. Antlers are an extremely important visual component in establishing dominance hierarchies among bachelor groups of bucks during the spring and summer. As they harden, antlers become important for displaying aggression towards other bucks and, when needed, serve as dangerous and sometimes lethal weapons during battles with similarly aged bucks.
To find more information on antlers and other aspects of the biology of white-tailed deer, visit Outdoor Alabama.
