DEER HORNS!


RyanH

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1st off I dont know where the heck to Post this. So if it neeeds to be moved please do so!

Ok me and my boss got in a arguement about deer antlers. He was telling me he is a BIO major and that the antlers are a type of skin! Not a HORN! He tried to tell me that they are NOT BONE.

So what are they if they are NOT BONE? He was being drop dead serious! And I just could swear they are Bone. Please correct me if Im wrong.

He said they are not bone because they are sheded. And he said if they WERE bone they would not shed.

My boss has me totaly messed up! Because I have ALWAYS known them to be BONE.

Like I said he was a BIO major and also was DEAD SERIOUS!

Please inform me! confused.gif

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Re: DEER HORNS!

Well Ryan you are right and he is wrong..... grin.gifgrin.gifwink.gif

Here ya go print this off and bring it to him..... wink.gif

Deer shed their antlers annually as a prelude to the regeneration, or re-growth, of new ones.

The entire shedding process takes a mere two to three weeks to complete, and the re-growth phase takes place over the summer. The docile male deer that, with the exception of the male and the female reindeer, solely sports antlers sheds them between January and April, after the autumn mating season draws to a close. He can do without antlers at this time, because his need for them in prior months, to attract and to impress females for his harem of mates, and to fight with his competitors for the females' affections, no longer exists.

The antlers themselves differ from the hollow horns of cattle, in that they comprise solid bone tissue with a honeycombed structure. Pedicles, or knobby, skin-covered nubs protruding from the skull, support the deer's antlers, or points, which range in number from one shaft to eleven branches. The pedicles are a permanent fixture on the deer's forehead, and are the point from which the antlers annually break off.

During the first year the pedicles appear on the young deer's forehead. The following year, the youngster sprouts straight, spike-like shafts, and in the third year, the first branch appears. In successive years, as the deer matures, his antlers lengthen. In most species, he acquires additional branches. One can actually determine the age of the deer from the number of branches on his antlers, as their number increases with age.

During the growth phase of the bony antlers, they are covered with a sensitive skin referred to as "velvet," which is filled with blood vessels that feed the antlers the vitamins and the minerals necessary to build up the bone, and to promote normal antler growth. Antler growth spans two to four months, after which time the velvet is no longer needed, and a ring, which effectively serves as a shutoff valve, forms at the base of the antlers and cuts off the blood supply to the velvet. As a result, the velvet withers, dries up, and falls off, often assisted by the deer, which rubs his antlers against tree bark. The antler regeneration is complete, and the shedding cycle will resume once mating season in the fall concludes.

And here's the link...

http://www.myoan.net/facts/facts_deer_antlers.html

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Guest bronco_mudder

Re: DEER HORNS!

[ QUOTE ]

One can actually determine the age of the deer from the number of branches on his antlers, as their number increases with age.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this for the most part, but this is bull, you can't determine a deers age from the number of points smirk.gif Come on! Deer where I hunt can have anything from a spike to a tiny 4X4 rack for their first one. Lots of deer only grow a 4X4 rack their whole lives, right through their prime. So is that deer only 4 years old forever, sounds to me like a woman keeping telling you how old she is. Just kidding ladies, don't kill me for that grin.gifcool.gifwink.gif

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Re: DEER HORNS!

[ QUOTE ]

well, luke has it nailed. but heres the point:

the boss may not always be right, but the boss is always the boss. be cool

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL.... Being a BOSS myself Steve...I can relate... grin.gifwink.gif

As for judging a deers' age by his rack..... I think we can safely say we won't see a 1.5 year old sporting a massive based typical 8 rack....if we do I think it would be a rarety.... wink.gif

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Re: DEER HORNS!

[ QUOTE ]

As antlers near the end of the growing process, spongy bone in their outer edges is replaced by compact bone, while their centers become filled with coarse, spongy, lamellar bone and marrow spaces. The velvet dies and is removed in part by the animals rubbing and thrashing their antlers against vegetation.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is from His link. grin.gif

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