Buck antlers grow rapidly each year, then harden as seasons change

Male deer, or bucks, have some of the fastest-growing tissues in the animal kingdom. Their antlers can grow rapidly during spring and early summer while covered in velvet, a soft tissue that supplies nutrients.

By late August, most bucks have developed the majority of their antler size for the year. During this period, growth slows as the antlers begin to harden and mineralize.

As daylight hours shorten, rising testosterone levels decrease blood flow to the velvet. This causes bucks to start shedding their velvet by rubbing their antlers on trees and shrubs, revealing hardened antlers behind the shedding tissue.

Photographer Rick Small captured images of bucks during this process, highlighting the seasonal changes in their antler development.

Source: Original Article