Velvet question? (BSK, or anyone else who knows)

[CAW]

Why is his velvet so dark? It's almost black and has been that way since I started getting pics of him in June. None of the other deer on this farm have velvet this dark.

 

[BSK]

No idea. Must be something unique to him.

 

[Shed Hunter]

That is pretty neat! I've never seen it before. Keep us updated on him.. I would like to see the color of his antlers without it.

 

[BSK]

I would like to see the color of his antlers without it.

All antlers are bone white under the velvet. How much the velvet bleeds when it sheds determines whether the antlers stay white or are stained brown by blood.

 

[infoman jr.]

I would like to see the color of his antlers without it.

All antlers are bone white under the velvet. How much the velvet bleeds when it sheds determines whether the antlers stay white or are stained brown by blood.

Fun fact of the day right there. I didn't know that.

 

[tnbucs1]

Any tendencies for color of rack vs age of deer?

 

[Shed Hunter]

BSK-do you agree with everything in this quote from a QDMA article?

Amazing Antlers by Kip Adams

On a lighter note, the second question asked about different coloration in antlers. Several factors may be responsible. According to Dr. Bubenik, antler color depends partly on the amount of oxidized blood on the antlers (from velvet shedding) and partly from a chemical reaction between the blood and juices from plants on which the antlers are rubbed. If a buck begins rubbing his antlers before the velvet and blood have completely dried, the blood stains the antler and gives it a darker color. The predominant species of trees in an area also influence the color. Pines allegedly cause darker antlers, likely from bucks rubbing on exposed sap after they break the tree�s cambium layer. A buck�s genetics may also influence color. Some bucks are predisposed to having lighter or darker antlers, and to rub more or fewer trees. A buck�s age can play a role as older bucks tend to rub more than younger animals. Finally, the time of year can influence color as antlers generally lighten over time due to the bleaching effect of moisture, sunlight and extreme winter conditions.

Do individual bucks maintain a consistent color from year to year? According to Dr. Mickey Hellickson, chief wildlife biologist for the King Ranch in south Texas, yes, with a few exceptions. The antlers of some individual bucks gradually become darker as the buck increases in age, likely due to increased rubbing behaviors as his dominance standing improves. The above reasons explain why you may see light, medium or dark antlers throughout the whitetail�s range.

 

[Shed Hunter]

I would like to see the color of his antlers without it.

All antlers are bone white under the velvet. How much the velvet bleeds when it sheds determines whether the antlers stay white or are stained brown by blood.

I remember you telling me that before.


Have you ever seen a full black velvet rack before?

 

[petestock]

Great pic's when you click on the main on. Photo bucket is amazing.

 

[BSK]

Any tendencies for color of rack vs age of deer?

No, it is more a tendency for individual deer; i.e. a genetic thing. Some split velvet when it is still alive hence it bleeds a lot and produces a dark rack, and that tendency usually stays for life with that individual buck.

 

[BSK]

BSK-do you agree with everything in this quote from a QDMA article?

Amazing Antlers by Kip Adams

On a lighter note, the second question asked about different coloration in antlers. Several factors may be responsible. According to Dr. Bubenik, antler color depends partly on the amount of oxidized blood on the antlers (from velvet shedding) and partly from a chemical reaction between the blood and juices from plants on which the antlers are rubbed. If a buck begins rubbing his antlers before the velvet and blood have completely dried, the blood stains the antler and gives it a darker color. The predominant species of trees in an area also influence the color. Pines allegedly cause darker antlers, likely from bucks rubbing on exposed sap after they break the tree�s cambium layer. A buck�s genetics may also influence color. Some bucks are predisposed to having lighter or darker antlers, and to rub more or fewer trees. A buck�s age can play a role as older bucks tend to rub more than younger animals. Finally, the time of year can influence color as antlers generally lighten over time due to the bleaching effect of moisture, sunlight and extreme winter conditions.

Do individual bucks maintain a consistent color from year to year? According to Dr. Mickey Hellickson, chief wildlife biologist for the King Ranch in south Texas, yes, with a few exceptions. The antlers of some individual bucks gradually become darker as the buck increases in age, likely due to increased rubbing behaviors as his dominance standing improves. The above reasons explain why you may see light, medium or dark antlers throughout the whitetail�s range.

No. I've seen every shade of rack from every part of the country, including from areas in the Great Plains, where there is not a tree or shrub to rub on for 50 miles. It can't be a reaction to things deer are rubbing on, as some areas produce dark racks where there are no plants to rub on, and what plants are available (and preferred for rubbing) is vastly different across the whitetails range. In essence, to much variation in plants rubbed on (or lack of them) to produce the same results everywhere.

 

[BSK]

I would like to see the color of his antlers without it.

All antlers are bone white under the velvet. How much the velvet bleeds when it sheds determines whether the antlers stay white or are stained brown by blood.

I remember you telling me that before.


Have you ever seen a full black velvet rack before?

Yes. Although velvet color usually displays very little variation from animal to animal, or region to region. Seeing something very "different" with velvet is a rarity.

 

[Shed Hunter]

BSK-do you agree with everything in this quote from a QDMA article?

Amazing Antlers by Kip Adams

On a lighter note, the second question asked about different coloration in antlers. Several factors may be responsible. According to Dr. Bubenik, antler color depends partly on the amount of oxidized blood on the antlers (from velvet shedding) and partly from a chemical reaction between the blood and juices from plants on which the antlers are rubbed. If a buck begins rubbing his antlers before the velvet and blood have completely dried, the blood stains the antler and gives it a darker color. The predominant species of trees in an area also influence the color. Pines allegedly cause darker antlers, likely from bucks rubbing on exposed sap after they break the tree�s cambium layer. A buck�s genetics may also influence color. Some bucks are predisposed to having lighter or darker antlers, and to rub more or fewer trees. A buck�s age can play a role as older bucks tend to rub more than younger animals. Finally, the time of year can influence color as antlers generally lighten over time due to the bleaching effect of moisture, sunlight and extreme winter conditions.

Do individual bucks maintain a consistent color from year to year? According to Dr. Mickey Hellickson, chief wildlife biologist for the King Ranch in south Texas, yes, with a few exceptions. The antlers of some individual bucks gradually become darker as the buck increases in age, likely due to increased rubbing behaviors as his dominance standing improves. The above reasons explain why you may see light, medium or dark antlers throughout the whitetail�s range.

No. I've seen every shade of rack from every part of the country, including from areas in the Great Plains, where there is not a tree or shrub to rub on for 50 miles. It can't be a reaction to things deer are rubbing on, as some areas produce dark racks where there are no plants to rub on, and what plants are available (and preferred for rubbing) is vastly different across the whitetails range. In essence, to much variation in plants rubbed on (or lack of them) to produce the same results everywhere.

Thanks for the input. I had a good feeling the rubbing and age stuff was false.

 

[BSK]

Master Chief,

Let me add that I believe what a buck rubs on could alter his antler color. But it will not do so uniformly (bucks use some parts of their antlers to rub very heavily and other parts of their antlers not all for rubbing), hence this behavior will only stain parts of the antlers. What I'm saying is dark or chocolate colored antlers do not come from what a buck is rubbing on he. He had dark antlers from the time his velvet shed and bled onto the white bone of the newly exposed antlers. He definitely did not start out with a white rack and it slowly grew darker with time (due to rubbing or anything else).

If you closely examine the parts of a buck's antlers that he uses most for rubbing (the inside of the bases), you will find that bucks actually wear off the outer patina of dark antler material, exposing lighter-colored unstained bone underneath. So instead of adding color, where bucks rub with their antlers the hardest, the antlers get lighter.