Antler Color

DesertGhillie · May 19, 2015

Are there any studies done on a muley?s antler color? I know sun exposure in open terrain has a tendency to lighten any antler, but how do certain bucks end up with dark chocolate tines?

I can't believe the notion that vegetation has an impact during rubbing, because I've seen antlers perfectly chocolate, which would be virtually impossible to do. What do you guys think? Is it blood soaking into the bone during velvet shedding? The more a buck bleeds during this period, the darker? Is it pure genetics? I'm somewhat baffled?

DW · May 19, 2015

Everything I've ever read or seen is they are bone white and the color comes from what they contact.

Blanding_Boy · May 19, 2015

Yep--no studies needed on this one, it all depends on what they rub on. Deer in the plains/grasslands and be nearly all white, deer in dark timber are dark and deer in burns are black and all colors in between.

Todd Black
DLL

DesertGhillie · May 19, 2015

Funny, because I'd of concluded the exact opposite. I've held my fair share of bone, and the darkest color is usually found in spots that receive the least amount of contact, i.e., knobby bases that prevent good contact with vegetation, while the rest of the antler is much lighter. This example still doesn't explain the complete chocolate brown sheds, which I think has more to do with blood flow during velvet rub off, but I'm no biologist.

DW · May 19, 2015

It's a pisscutter but at the end of this video watch this buck work a tree. They have seven scent glands, 2 of those,the pre-orbital and the forehead gland are used in rubbing trees to leave a scent post. They spend alot of time on that burr area u speak of in order to lay that forehead gland scent on the tree. Wish I coulda found ya a better video.
https://youtu.be/hXEQCBEEha0

4corners_sportsman · May 19, 2015

I was wondering what would happen if you beat an antler around shrubs and bushes? I have some deer racks that aren't the desired color that I would like to darken. Would rubbing these racks around in vegetation darken the antler?

trophymuley · May 19, 2015

I think it is definitely whatever they rub on! Here's an example for you. These two bucks pictures were taken on the hoof around the same time. They stayed in the same spot together until they shed. They bedded together in the same stuff all the time. The buck that his antlers ended up going white shed almost a month before the other one. As you can see one of the bucks bleached out a lot more than the other. When you wet the antlers the lighter colored one smells just like wet aspen and maple tree bark. The darker antler smells like pine and sage. The sun will bleach out particles with less oils and sap a lot faster. White antlered field deer are usually rubbing on grasses and sage brush leaving very little oil or sap to absorb into the bone.

Works a lot like wood. Stain a piece of wood with an oil based stain and another piece with an oil free stain. Put them in the sun and watch which one fades faster.

6x7 · May 19, 2015

>I was wondering what would happen
>if you beat an antler
>around shrubs and bushes? I
>have some deer racks that
>aren't the desired color that
>I would like to darken.
> Would rubbing these racks
>around in vegetation darken the
>antler?

Rub blood from a steak package on the horn then some dark dirt,rub the horn on a small tree or cut a limb off and rub it onthe horn it will darken up nice

mntman · May 19, 2015

I think the darkness can also depend on how much moisture there is in the ground/trees. For instance on wet years there is more pitch in evergreens, so when bucks rub their antlers there is a higher rate of "staining" their antlers. Just something I have noticed on the bucks/bulls I have shot on dry vs wet years. No scientific study, just my observations.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

Smokepole · May 20, 2015

Shot this buck in a burn almost black antlers

This one came out of oak and aspen, lighter colored

I believe it's what they rub

Smokepole

DesertGhillie · May 20, 2015

You?ve all convinced me. Thanks for the pics and video! What I like most about the theory is that it provides a general story about where each buck has spent the majority of his summer and fall. That buck in the video convinced me they can cover their rack in a specific vegetation pretty easily, and I can't believe how much that shed washed out in a short time period!

buckhorn · May 20, 2015

I shot a Buck in Wyoming Region H when the opener was on Sept 10. He had just shed his velvet. At that point they are almost pure white. He had started to rub on an evergreen tree and his antlers were almost all white except for some green from the fresh spruce needles. Some blood from the shot got splashed on them also.
When their antlers are fresh like that they absorb everything like a sponge.That Bucks antlers were Red, White And Green immediately after the kill.
They also dig in the soil and mud which will affect the color of fresh antlers
I believe the biggest contributing factor is the amount of pitch in the tree they are rubbing on.Then dirt will stick to the pitch and get rubbed in

Great Subject

cosmic_cowboy · May 21, 2015

I dont know... I once saw two bucks side by side that spent the summer together and rubed out the same week one was dark brown the other was allmost white... I think there is more to it than JUST what they rub on.
CC