The velvet dries and falls away when its blood supply ends. Wounded or injured deer usually cast their antlers earlier than normal because injuries activate the osteoclasts cells early. Check these places for fresh sign. It hurts to an extent, but in the same way itching a scab does. He was a young buck, the nubs of his antlers still in velvet. The same situation goes for deer with declining physical conditions. At the start of mating season, they begin to shed this velvet layer, leaving them with shiny new antlers to intimidate and take down … Bucks often hasten the process by rubbing their antlers against trees or brush, possibly because the dying velvet causes an itching sensation. 1 Deer Antler Shed: Gender. Shed Hunting the Hard Way . The new antlers are usually complete by early September, well before the rut, the deer family’s breeding season. This is an interesting question – actually two interesting questions: can taking deer antler velvet hurt you, and can taking IGF hurt you? This is also the time when reindeer rubbing their antlers against tree trunks is a common sight. Remember, most mature bucks have four-finger-wide tracks. When Whitetail Deer Antlers Lose Their Velvet. Contributing Factors. Regardless, hang a camera if it looks good and set up another observation stand. This process does not hurt the deer. If it is dried out it does not hurt it is removed and does itch sometimes. Velvet stays on antlers for just over four months, when males will start rubbing up against trees and bushes to remove it—a behavior that turns their antlers brown. If you found the deer you’re after, it’s time to make a … Compare it to a scab on your self. Nothing can safely beat walking through large bedding areas or winter food plots (e.g., standing corn or soybean fields) for finding shed antlers. When the antlers are ready to be shed , the blood supply is automatically cut off. The velvet is NOT totally dry and the WILL bleed when shedding the velvet. He was moving slowly, and for a deer, rather inelegantly. 1 Comment. And the area should be littered with rubs if they’ve shed velvet. In addition to this, the antlers of a female deer have lesser branches. It is quite common for a small buck with only spikes or 4 points to loosen the velvety skin and completely shed this covering in a single scraping session. It has no major side-effects, but based on the results of two RCTs, there’s no evidence to suggest that antler velvet is effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis . The velvet dries out mostly but it does have some life in it still. There was … It actually itches more than it hurts. Antlers harden in late summer and then shed their velvet once they quit growing. The antler regeneration and shedding cycle follow one another, before and after every mating season. These fresh antlers are covered in velvet while they grow, which delivers to them the blood they need to develop. At the end of the day, the best way to go shed antler hunting is to lace up the hunting boots and hit prime spots at the right time of the year. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in some of the ‘building blocks’ of cartilage. Female deer do not usually shed their antlers. Antlers can get very bloody when shedding the velvet. I've seen a deer knock it's antlers off on a tree (they do this every year) and it definitely was in some pain afterwards -- but I'm sure it feels better right away. This is because female deer either lack antlers or their antlers are smaller in size. Antler velvet is a nutritional supplement made from deer or elk antlers. The velvet then withers, shrivels and falls off. Some deer shed their antlers earlier or later than normal depending on different factors. When he stepped out from behind the sage into the clearing I saw the reason for his erratic gait: His right foreleg appeared to be broken. by Tom Kalinowski. No not really. The antlers will get stained with blood.