ANTLER GROWTH

[phorn]

Does anyone know when antlers are done growing for the season?

[harvey lee]

In most parts of North America a mature buck will start to grow antlers around mid March. The month of July is the prime growing season for antlers. During July it’s not uncommon for a mature bucks antlers to grow as much as one inch per day. From mid March to Late August a bucks antlers are covered by a soft tissue called velvet which delivers blood to the growing bone. By the end of August the decreasing amount of daylight starts to slow down the amount of antler growth and the velvet covering the antlers starts to dry up. The drying velvet cuts the flow of blood to the antlers causing the antlers to start to harden up and shrink slightly.

[vister]

Cameras tell me every year it's usually beginning around 3rd week of August in a two week window, and it's always the little forks to lose velvet first, and spikes last

[phorn]

Thanks guys

[DaveT]

If the ends of the tines are dark they are still growing. In my experience most bucks antlers are fully grown by the end of July, I assume August is spent turning the soft antler into hard antler.

[eyeguy 54]

When I used to chase velvet in ND most of the deer still had velvet opening weekend and labor day. By the next weekend no more velvet.

[Bear55]

Each buck kind of has his own genetic clock, some grow early and slow down, some pack on inches late. Mother nature can also play a roll, during that harsh spring I saw a lot of velvet bucks the first week of archery opener, the only time in 15 years of bowhunting I had seen a velvet buck. All of the general dates posted above are on the money as well.

[sportfish]

Last year I hand a big 9 point in velvet on camera on sept 23 but most lost velvet by the 6-12 of sept.