Contrary to myth, the size of the antlers and the number of points are not indicators of the age of the deer. The membrane, known as velvet, offers a degree of protection to the growing antlers that are fueled by a rich supply of blood and nutrients from veins that run on the outside of the antlers. Most science-based sources place the growth rate of antlers as close to a quarter inch per day if the deer is healthy and has an excellent food supply.Īs most nature-watchers notice, the whitetail deer’s antlers are presently covered in a very fine, soft, and furry appearing membrane. Antlers, which are made of bone, are one of the fastest growing tissues in the entire animal kingdom. I began to take notice of antler growth a few months ago and then seemingly overnight, the white-tailed bucks that roam my meadow had impressively large velvet coated antlers. That will all change soon as bucks go their separate ways and their antlers give clues to behavioral patterns. I noted that during the last weeks of August, their meanderings and travel routes seemed to change, but they still appeared in “bachelor groups.” With the arrival of September, it is still not uncommon to see antlered bucks of various sizes and ages feeding together in orchards, or at times in lush flower meadows as I often witness just a few hundred feet from my house. It’s also the time my restless camera lens searches for them. As summer slowly wanes, bucks “in velvet” become more restless and increasingly roam the meadows and woodlands of our county. Statistics and safety concerns aside, deer are fascinating creatures to watch through the seasons. About 80 percent of these crashes occur on two-lane roads between dusk and dawn.” Each year, there are nearly 50,000 reported vehicle-deer crashes in Michigan. “ While the state’s two million deer are most active in spring and fall, vehicle-deer crashes are a year-round problem. Oakland County has close to 2,000 deer-vehicle encounters each year and the Michigan State Police website states: Thousands of deer face deadly encounters with automobiles each year or meet their end during hunting season. The white-tailed deer’s distinctive white tail and white rump patch is clearly visible when they bound away from real or perceived danger, thus its name, white-tailed deer. ![]() They can also sprint up to 30 miles per hour, leap over eight feet to clear a fence, and cover almost 30 feet in a single bound. They use speed and agility to outrun predators and escape perceived threats. They are adaptable creatures and face little in the ways of predation with perhaps the exception of the eastern coyote taking the occasional fawn or an injured deer. Our diverse natural habitats, landscaping practices, and travel corridors gift them with an abundant food supply, places to take shelter, and the opportunity to leisurely graze on a great variety of seasonally changing wild plants and fruits, including leaves, grasses, forbs, fiddleheads, mushrooms, acorns, twigs, nuts, wild fruits, and at times, our vegetable and flower gardens, and farm crops. Love them or hate them, they are here to stay. White-tailed deer are the smallest members of the deer family, which include moose and elk, but without a doubt, they are the largest and one of the most frequently seen mammals of Oakland County.
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