If you see a Roe Buck in winter/early spring, you might think that there is something a bit strange about their antlers; that they look furry.
Roe Bucks shed their antlers around November and they start to grow again in December – they look like furry little lumps when they grow again. When they are growing they are coated in a ‘velvet’. This velvet is important as it is supplying the growing antlers with blood and nutrients to help their growth. At this point the antlers are very soft and can easily break off. The rate at which the antlers grow varies; it can be because of the deer’s diet and its maturity.
The antlers will stop growing in April or May. When they get harder the velvet will start to fall off and the deer will also rub them against trees to speed this process. Whilst they are still soft they need to be careful, as they can break off easily and won’t grow back again until next time.
There are four Roe Bucks I’ve seen out on my walks the past week or so and their antlers are at different stages; with and without velvet. When they do stop growing and have shed the velvet, the perfect antlers have three spikes (tines), with the first going forward and the other two going back.
Come November, the whole process will start again. The antlers will fall off and new ones will start to grow.
