Quote Originally Posted by wharfeego View Post
Never!

Looks as though he's still got his velvet covering the new antlers; I'm surprised that the velvet hasn't been shed by now?

I found this on a website...

[I]During its development, the growing antler is covered in a grey furry membrane known as velvet. This carries the blood vessels and nerves for the developing antler; the antler is bone growing on the outside of the body from the pedicles unlike horns, which are hollow and not cast each year. Should the velvet become damaged during the antlers’ growth, deformities can occur. The antlers are usually fully developed between March and April (earlier in older animals), when the increasing length of daylight causes a rise in testosterone levels.
Hi Wharfee

Well spotted - yes I love his velvety antlers. I think he's quite a young one, plus I took that photo two or three weeks ago and hadn't downloaded it from the camera until yesterday. So the velvet has probably gone or nearly gone by now. He was there last night but I didn't have the camera and it was too murky to see him properly.