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Antler Color

backstraps

backstraps

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Do you guys know or know of any studies related to antler color?

Why some may be dark, light, etc?

Is it a genetic thing? Would it have anything to do with the core habitat of the buck?

What do ya think?
 
I feel like the older bucks tend to carry a slightly darker rack than the younger bucks, but the habitat has play in it as well. A buck that lives in the midwest with more exposure to open field feeding tend to get more sunlight on the rack causing somewhat of a fading/lighter color. Whereas a bucking in our terrain spend alot of their time in cover feeding. Also rubbing causes a little of the staining as well. And rubbing is triggered in rutting activity and i feel spontaneously hits a buck to rub. And since our bucks here spend more time in timber and cover, they probably get those spontaneous triggers more while in timber. Also younger i bucks, i dont think, hit trees as much as the next slightly mature buck does. JMO
 
The darker horns are caused by them rubbing the velvet off befor the horns have hardened up & blood stains them.if they let it dry up before they rub it wont set into the horns.seems to be more prodominate in some areas so i suspect its a learned behavoir to rub early
 
A couple of days after velvet is shed the antlers are almost white. The color comes from whatever trees that the buck rubs his antlers on, the darker the wood the darker the antlers.
 
backstraps said:
Do you guys know or know of any studies related to antler color?

Why some may be dark, light, etc?
Click to expand...

Here we go again... We've fought this out over and over and over again on this site and just about every other site.

Bucks with dark antlers bled more when their velvet split. The dark color is only a thin patina on the antlers, and when chemically analyzed, this thin patina is found to be blood absorbed into the outer layer of the antler bone.

Bucks with white racks didn't split their velvet until the velvet was completely dead, hence no bleeding and no absorbed blood patina.

And no, buck rack color does NOT come from what tree they rub on. Vigorous rubbing actually wears away antler bone, exposing the whiter core. Dark-racked bucks have their dark rack from day 1 after velvet shedding.

And no, bucks with whiter racks are NOT bucks that live out in the open where the sun bleaches the rack while dark racked buck live in the shaded forest.


Is it a genetic thing?
Click to expand...

Yes, it can be genetic, in that some bucks are genetically programmed to split velvet early, when it will bleed and stain the antlers, while some bucks may be genetically programmed to not split velvet until the velvet is completely dead, hence a white rack.


Would it have anything to do with the core habitat of the buck?
Click to expand...

Nope. Dark and white-racked bucks can be found in every habitat.
 
Very interesting for sure. I've seen two almost identically racked bucks, about 5 yrs apart, that were 140 class 10 pts, and I mean almost identical too. One had ivory white antlers, and I messed up and missed my opportunity to take him, while the other was a dark gray color, which I was able to take. Cool stuff. :cool:

Oh, both were seen on the exact same ridge, just a few years apart tho.
 
With bucks raised in fenced pens, where they have absolutely nothing to rub on, you see both chocolate brown racks and bone white racks. And the dark racks are dark from the time their velvet splits (and bleeds profusely).

ALL antlers are bone white under the velvet. They are just bone. In essence, they don't grow as dark racks under the velvet.
 
I am guessing that the velvet on the tips of the antler tines dries earlier than the main beam and the base of the antlers. Most of the deer that I kill have light colored tips and are darker toward the base. That seems to be the normal coloring.
 
Very Interesting. I like to find facts behind myths. I have heard the darker racks come from the trees they rub and the dark dense bedding areas they stay in most of the day.

Thanks for the facts BSK, sorry I didnt catch it when it was hashed around earlier :) Thats another reasin its handy having you around ;)
 
Read this today


The buck�s antlers can also vary in color. This variation is usually the result of the amount of oxidized blood left over from velvet shedding and the type of plant the deer uses to help shed the velvet. The chemical reaction between the blood and sap present in the tree or bush used to rub the antlers can sometimes lead to interesting color variations.
 
Also this



Factors that Determine Antler Color and Symmetry


Oxidized blood/local plants - antler color depends partly on the amount of oxidized blood left over from velvet shedding and partly on a chemical reaction between the blood and sap from plants on which the antlers are rubbed.
 
I agree with BSK on this one, but have also read the same that Bama Bow Merker stated

However, imo, if the plants or trees had much to do with coloration, it would only be in the areas where the tree/plant was rubbed. Not the entire rack. Ive seen chocolate racks all the way to the tips.
 
From what I read I agree with BSK as well. I didn't post those things to dispute BSK, but found those articles relative to our discussion interesting. It seems the timing of the rubbing (relative to the amount of blood) is the most important factor. Other factors may play a limited role it seems. I can't remember the name of that show, but the comment about the deer's diet seemed odd. It came on July 3rd. Not sure, what they are basing that on.
 
Great question backstraps, and thanks for the answer BSK.

I will head to camp armed with that answer this Fall.
 
I guess every deer in Canada has just no common sense, and split their velvet too early! Cause everyone of them suckers have dark racks. I still think more than blood plays a huge role in this process. Just my .02
 

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