by Chris Thompson
As summer approaches and the vegetation of Schmeeckle Reserve grows rapidly, the Friends of Schmeeckle trail cams are capturing fewer and fewer images. One regular critter that we are still seeing regularly on the cameras is Whitetail Deer. As you can see from a few of the pictures, Schmeeckle’s resident bucks are starting to show off their growing antlers.
The fuzzy covering seen on the growing antlers is called “velvet.” Antler growth is an annual event and is regulated by hormones which are controlled by the length of day. Underneath this fuzzy membrane, the antlers are supplied by a rich supply of blood and nutrients from veins that run on the outside of the antlers. When antlers are in velvet, they are very vulnerable to being injured. Bucks seem to be very aware that they have this fragile treasure on their head and are very careful in their actions throughout antler growth.
With the days of late summer getting shorter, testosterone levels begin to rise, and the growth cycle begins to slow down, initiating the process of hardening or mineralizing of the antlers. Hopefully, we can watch the bucks’ antler development throughout the year via the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve trail cameras.
