How do Antlers Grow?
Whitetail Deer Antler growth usually begins during the month of March or April, by August or early September, antlers are fully-grown. Antlers begin as bony growths covered with skin and hair (velvet). They grow at incredible rates, 
it is amazing what whitetail deer can grow during the summer months. This makes them one of the fastest growing living tissues known to man.
Antlers are very similar to bone. They are supplied with blood through blood vessels in the velvet and through the core of the antler. Antler growth is triggered by the increase in the amount of sunlight during the spring season. The necessary nutrients for antler growth may be taken from other bones in the body, thus depleting the nutrients in these bones and making them brittle.
In order to grow these huge racks, whitetail deer, elk and moose must eat around 50 kg of calcium each season. This is quite a feat when their diet is composed of plant material.
“Shedding the Velvet”
After the antlers have reached their maximum size, blood vessels at the base close down causing the skin to dry up and peel off. The owner assists this process by rubbing against trees. In many areas, you can see these 
rubbings as the thin bark of the aspen, pine and cedar trees is rubbed off along with the velvet. As the velvet peels away by rubbing their antlers on trees they will rub the dried blood from them as well. Once the velvet is gone, only the hard bony core remains as a formidable weapon in the annual rut.
The whitetail’s antlers grow from March until September. It is exciting to watch the antler growing season hoping to see monster bucks develop for the fall rut in your hunting area.
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I really enjoyed reading your article on deer hunting. I think you have done a fantastic job of detailing the subject, I do agree it is exciting to watch these animals grow their antlers. I am blessed to live in an area where they are out my back door.
I have posted this article on food plots you may find interesting.http://wildernessoutdoors.net/2010/05/19/deer-hunting-food-plots
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Whitetail deer are found across the North American region, at 29 million strong, including where cities are expanding. These areas intrude on what was once the whitetails domain. As deer become more and more exposed to this humane society, they become less afraid of humans. In these areas you can find deer walking right up to you, not spooked one bit, and coming into your yard to find whatever morsel of food they can find.
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