Axis deer have a high fertility rate and can breed year round, usually based on their birth date. Antlers are cool, but white-tailed deer are amazing in their … But the next morning presented another unusual opportunity when, after a brief staring contest, Ryne found himself drawing on a big buck he had never seen before (seen in the photo above). According to the U.S. Deer farms and preserves will selectively breed deer based on the size of their antlers (known as culling). In fact, I’ve seen an older age class buck with no sign of shedding velvet that was sporting completely clean antlers within 22 hours! Because their testosterone levels remain low in early fall, their antler development is not completed, and their velvet is not shed. During this time the overall size of the antlers actually appears to decrease because the velvet covering the antlers shrinks as the blood flow slows. The only problem is that this herd may have a more limited gene pool skewing the timing. when I say velvet is lost fast, I mean fast. The growth and formation of Red deer antlers is a complex process that appears to be a case of modified endochondral ossification (i.e. a January born bucks horn development will differ from that of one born in june. Only the stags have antlers which start growing in the spring and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter. “But then I went and looked at the buck. Cryptorchid bucks are different. Secondly, most bucks are still stressed from the long winter so their overall body is in recovery mode. Most of the Hill Country Axis shed antlers in December. There’s truly too many of them here, but most of the landowners in the immediate vicinity don’t hunt. There’s just not much real life information to be found on them anywhere else. Typically they shed velvet about two months prior to July. The third buck (1.5 years) shed on August 28. Velvet Underground: Your Top Seven Locations For Tagging A Velvet Buck June 07, 2011 By P.J. This and get out hunting now instead of waiting till June. By June most are in hard antler so how long before this will they have shed the velvet? OP is referring to stripping of velvet, not shedding antlers. That is definitely the exception, not the rule. Antlers are made of bone which can grow at a rate of 1 inch a day. As days begin to get shorter, a buck’s testosterone level declines. Reproductively, they are stuck in neutral. In Texas, bucks shed velvet from late August to late September depending on the location and the year, and they are plenty aggressive within weeks if not days. Cryptorchid bucks are incapable of reproducing. They grow and shed antlers on their own clock so in one heard there may be a newly shed buck, a hard horn buck and a buck in velvet. These are the only days I would be able to go and I was wondering if they would have their velvet shed yet. These same results can sometimes be produced in a buck that is born normal but subsequently suffers a testicular injury. The primary reason for this is that the amount of daylight is much less than what it will be in June. The fall is when most hunters see bucks freely moving around their property. Antlers are shed due to the decline of testosterone production following the rut. Most deer in New England have lost their velvet by Labor Day or shorthy after. [quote=rockinbbar]I found a bit more on what I briefly hit on about antlers above... I’ve spent a lot of of time with Axis deer over the past few years, and have learned a whole lot more by practically living with them than from any other source. October: December, January and February As the temperature starts to drop, deer shed their antlers. Whitetail bucks can lose their antlers beginning as early as mid to late December. The mating behavior of the axis deer is quite different from the other deer. The normal production of testosterone is diminished, and the antler cycle of hardening, velvet shedding, and antler casting is altered. In normal bucks, a rise in testosterone levels occurs in late summer with increasing day length. How long does it take for a buck to form hardened antlers? Whitetail buck on august 27 in the late afternoon. They lack the chemical stimulation to express dominance or individualism. From the time antlers begin growing in late March through the end of April, growth is minimal. According to Dr. Valerius Geist, the first black-tailed deer came into existence around 2 million years ago. The bachelor groups that have been together since early the previous winter begin to separate due to more aggressive attitudes among the individuals. Sometime in late August through mid-September most bucks will peel the velvet from their antlers. There comes a time in the off-season when whitetail deer hunters all over the country become obsessed with collecting deer antlers. He currently serves as Senior Advisor for QDMA. In fact, one can find Axis Deer in hard horn and in velvet at the same time. From a deer management perspective, stag bucks do not contribute anything do a deer herd. In this article Skyler Watkins, owner of Black Water Guide Service goes into detail on his preferred method of hunting trophy axis … It looked like he was born that way.” This condition in whitetail bucks that results in antlers in velvet beyond the normal velvet-shedding date of late August to early September is usually caused by a birth defect known as cryptorchidism. 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). This obsession corresponds with the time of the year when deer shed their antlers. If you are new to deer hunting and are eager to collect your first deer antlers, you are probably wondering when do deer shed their antlers. Velvet can be completely shed from a whitetail buck’s antlers within a day or two. Hunting velvet axis deer might be the best time frame of the year to connect on the trophy of a lifetime. They lack the chemical stimulation to express their dominance and individualism. After the breeding has been done a deer's focus goes back to safety and food, testosterone levels begin to retreat to normal. However, most bucks won't start to shed their antlers until late January or early February depending on where you are in the country. The heart-shot buck went 25 yards. The annual casting and growth of new antlers is an important part of the whitetail's mystique. The first buck to loose his velvet and get his picture taken. They do not follow any seasonal rut and fawning can occur in any month. The deer are very easy to spot this time of year with their velvet antlers and the reddish tint to their coats. The actual time between losing the velvet, start to finish, is only one day. If allowed to mature, obviously they have the potential to provide a memorable, quality hunt. The velvet dries and falls away when its blood supply ends. In 2000, he was awarded the Deer Management Career Achievement Award from The Wildlife Society. Researchers report that males in velvet antler can breed. When the velvet makes a split near the base of an antler or along one of its tines, and you can see blood peeking through, changes are good that the next time you see that buck his velvet will be gone and his hard antlers will be showing. This condition in whitetail bucks that results in antlers in velvet beyond the normal velvet-shedding date of late August to early September is usually caused by a birth defect known as cryptorchidism. A third factor that affects deer antler growth and development is nutrition. 1 Comment. Nutrition. Reproductively, they are stuck in neutral. Ryne knew the buck’s antlers had looked massive and unusually light colored, almost white, but he wasn’t expecting to find the deer was still completely in velvet during the peak of the rut. Another reason antler growth is slow in coming during April is the lack of quality food because spring green-up doesn’t normally come to the no… During the shedding process, higher testosterone levels slow down the speed of the antlers' growth and the veins in the velvet cut blood flow and nutrition to the bone . His velvet was gone, the first buck I’ve seen and photographed this year to completely shed his velvet. Fish and Wildlife Service, the velvet dries up just before the breeding season and the deer rub it off on surrounding vegetation. However, most bucks won't start to shed their antlers until late January or early February depending on where you are in the country. Furthermore, the antlers continue to grow as the animal matures. Cryptorchids don’t rub or scrape as the rut approaches. At times, bucks shed their antlers earlier depending on three factors: age, health, and location of the deer. Male deer, or bucks, grow and lose their antlers every year. "I used to have Bass rolling like thunder.........can't do dat no mo'.". Looks like May or June might be the earliest for the June/July rut bucks. by Tom Kalinowski. That is definitely the exception, not the rule. A third factor that affects deer antler growth and development is nutrition. Here in NH, I have seen bucks shot during the very beginning of bow season (Sep 15) that were still in velvet. This is one of the best times you could possibly hunt mule deer. Black-tailed deer are referred to as the “Ghost of the Pacific” for their ability to move unheard and unseen through the thick rainforests of the Pacific Coast. Increasing levels of testosterone cause their velvet to peel off. In extreme cases both testicles remain in the abdominal cavity and never descend into the scrotum. “Of course he has testicles, he’s a buck!” Ryne told the taxidermist. Antler growth will be limited and in most cases the stag condition is genetically based or at least influenced by injury during early physical development. Though given an interesting name, the black-tailed deer is considered as the least studied deer species of North America. I would rather shoot a sika in hard horn rather than in velvet? Crucial to their survival, it is necessary for deer to regrow their antlers quickly. Some have suggested that early velvet shedding is drought related. The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806 re… Red Deer hinds (females) do not have neck manes. 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). We saw by far more hard horned axis bucks in July than we did in April. The European Red Deer is adapted to a woodland environment. Deer farms and preserves will selectively breed deer based on the size of their antlers (known as culling). During summer, antlers look fuzzy while growing beneath a “velvet” skin that carries nutrient-rich blood to these bones. Copyright © 2000-2020 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bachelor groups tend to break up pretty quickly once they can use their headgear to hurt one another. Their antlers never lose their velvet and the antlers themselves never are shed. Black Water Guide Service has been a part of literally hundreds of Axis deer hunts and has quickly become the industry leader in info on the best way to kill Axis.The majority of our articles are based on the pretense of hunters looking to harvest axis while hard horned however, the easiest way to hang a trophy axis deer on your wall is while they are still sporting their velvet antlers. Most bucks shed their velvet between mid-August and mid-September. At that stage, antlers are soft to the touch and easily damaged. Though I saw a few during the regular rifle season that were just starting to grow out this past year. On the other hand, as you make you way down to the south where the temperatures are moderate, antler shedding takes some time to begin. and 1 kg (2.2 lbs) is more common. Quality hunt I mean fast ” skin that carries nutrient-rich blood to these bones aggressive attitudes among individuals... 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