Velvet Racks

I've run across a few bucks lately, and boy are they beautiful. Not only is the whitetail deer in a beautiful coat in general, and looking quite healthy, but the racks for the matured bucks are close to being full size before shedding the velvet, which happens sometime in August-ish.

While in the growth phase, the antlers are covered in "velvet", a layer of skin that supplies the budding antlers with the nutrients needed to build the bone mass. The antlers will grow rapidly for 2-4 months. When the velvet is no longer needed, a ring at the bottom of the antler shaft forms and cuts off the supply of blood and nutrients. The velvet withers and begins to fall off. As a rule this process is facilitated by the deer by rubbing his antlers against trees. The whole process is repeated every year for the rest of his life. (Source: http://www.antler-shed.com/why_deer_shed_antlers.htm)



While the antlers grow, the bachelors hang out together until the competition for does begins.







This interesting rack has double brow tines, which is unusual. Most bucks have a single brow tine on each side or none at all.







Both of these bachelors have interesting racks, and are both non-typical, I believe. I still cannot count the points with the angles I got, but the tines are not balanced on both sides for hunters scoring purposes.







It looks to me that there are at least 7 on the left and possibly 4 or more on the right. I would love to get a closer look at either of these guys, so I will definately be on the lookout when I am in the area again.