The shortening days trigger change for our male whitetail deer. It’s time for the males – the bucks – to shed the soft velvet that’s nurtured antler growth through the summer months and start showing off their stuff.
With the velvet gone, the bone-hard antlers are ready to be strutted to impress the does, to rub trees and shrubs to mark territory, and to battle any rival bucks that challenge their turf. No two sets of antlers are created equal. Larger and more intricately branched antlers signal dominance and are favored over challengers in battle. They’re also said to show strength and strong genetics to impress the does.
