We have hard horns !!

[GrayDawg]

Went out to the plot today to swap cards in the cam and get the umbrella up over my stand. When I looked at the pictures, I was pleased to see that since last Friday- the bucks have begun and just about completed rubbing the velvet off their racks!

I live for shots like these- I love seeing the crimson on the horns and the velvet hanging off the rack.


Look at the color of the rack on the buck on the right- do you think the rack will stay "Chocolate" in tone?


Here's another shot of the "chocolate" rack


To say I'm excited about hunting this deer starting Oct. 13th, would be the understatement of the year.

Rob

[Dubbya]

Yep, the majority of our deer don't have that fuzzy feeling anymore either.

[5575gb]

I saw my first ones shedding on 8/23/08 this year.

[remington_girl]

I think you mean antlers

[GrayDawg]

Here's another picture taken the next day. The horns look like they lightened up a bit- the rack is a nice one regardless.



Have a good opening day folks....... I have to wait one more month! RemGirl- what's the difference? Antlers & horns are BOTH bones (made up primarily of Phospherous & Calcium) emerging from the top of the head.

Rob
_________________

[remington_girl]

Yes, well they wouldn't be called antlers for the hell of it [8D]

There are actually quite a difference and being a hunter i thought you would have known that.

Antlers are shed every year and in most cases only males have antlers. Antlers are made from a bone-like material, not from keratin (the stuff our fingernails are made of.)

As they grow in each year, the velvet covering provides blood and nutrients to the growing antler. Once the antlers have fully grown in, the velvet peels off leaving only the bony antler behind.

Horns are similar to antlers in that they are hard structures that protrude from an animals head, but the similarities largely end there. Horns are permanent. They consist of a bone core that is attached to the animals skull. The core is covered by a keratin sheath. Both male and female animals can have horns. True horns are unbranched.

[Ken/WV]

Great pics....here in WV we have deer in and out of velvet both right now. But those are some nice bucks for sure...I think his antlers will lighten up some, but it's tough to tell with the flash.

[GrayDawg]

ORIGINAL: remington_girl

Yes, well they wouldn't be called antlers for the hell of it [8D]

There are actually quite a difference and being a hunter i thought you would have known that.

Antlers are shed every year and in most cases only males have antlers. Antlers are made from a bone-like material, not from keratin (the stuff our fingernails are made of.)

As they grow in each year, the velvet covering provides blood and nutrients to the growing antler. Once the antlers have fully grown in, the velvet peels off leaving only the bony antler behind.

Horns are similar to antlers in that they are hard structures that protrude from an animals head, but the similarities largely end there. Horns are permanent. They consist of a bone core that is attached to the animals skull. The core is covered by a keratin sheath. Both male and female animals can have horns. True horns are unbranched.

Point well taken- and thanks for the science lesson. Much appreciated.
That said, in the hunting circles in which I run- we affectionately refer to antlers as "horns". We say things like, "I'll whack a doe early in the season, but once the rut hits- I'm hunting for horns". So I guess what I'm trying to say, is when I used the term "horns" in the title of this thread, I was intending for it to be construed in the vernacular that is understoond in my little part of the world.

But I promise- I'll never do it again!

Rob

[Steven McBee]

awesome pics!

[swamp cowboy]

yeah we call em horns down here in Florida too. Where did you take the pics at? I saw 2 last week still in full velvet.