An unexpected gift...

was found in the back of the pasture today. This particular buck was very distinctive because of the one bend at the end of a prong, I saw him frequently during the rutting season.

Male white-tailed deer grow and shed their antlers every year. Antlers are composed of true bone. Antler growth begins in late March or early April and the growing bone is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels (velvet). In late summer and early fall, testosterone levels increase. This hormone elevation results in the antlers hardening and the buck rubs off the drying velvet. When testosterone levels begin to drop, antlers start to shed beginning in mid January. Deer that are in the best physical condition will lose their antlers later in the winter
infomation from the Dept of Natural Resources