Dark colored antler?

Years ago I read an article about what contributes to dark more chocolate colored racks. I recently saw someone advertise it was part of their genetic line they had for sale. I think that is bologna. What I recall is that sap from a certain type of trees was rubbed on while shedding velvet. I would like to try to create an environment in an area fenced off within a pen where I can let my bucks into to shed and get this staining effect. If anyone has info on what creates this coloration I would like your input.

Thanks

Ryan

That sounds pretty simple. I have seen the bleached white racks in the wild where there was both lots of pine and cedars. My brother lives in western Arkansas and most of the racks there are dark. Timber companies cultivate a lot of pine trees there. I am wondering if a certain type of grime or soil in combination with the sap is also necessary.

Mike

Keep us updated. It seems if it was genetic the bucks whole skeletal system would be darkened.

Brett

Maybe it's the Kudzu? Lol

Yankies don't know much about it.

There is a humorous story that happened to me involving stained antlers. About ten years ago one morning in late August I entered my buck pen to chore and there standing on a rise in front of me was a 190" wide heavy long tined 10 point. His horns were bright pink. We are talking like fluorescent pink. The first thing that crossed my mind was that my neighbor had pulled a prank on me and spray painted his antlers. I went back to the house and got the binoculars. I then could tell it wasn't paint. It looked more like a bright pink stain. After feeding, I began to walk my buck pens and soon I found the source of the amazing pink antlers. The buck had thrashed a large stand of polk weeds that were covered with their purple skinned ink berries. The color stayed on his antlers about three weeks. At that time I didn't have a decent camera to photograph him. He was quite a sight to behold so proud holding his head high with his bright pink horns.

Arrowed1

That is very good info if they started getting the dark antlers on your farm only AFTER you began to use the product. I will look into that some more.

Thanks

Found an interesting statement in the writings of a wildlife biologist out west,he states"Although antlers are bonewhite when the velvet is first removed, they become stained various shades of brown as plant compounds accumulate through constantly being rubbed by brush and trees. The color results from a chemical reaction of the plant compounds with the air, in a process known as oxidation."

There has to be certain brush,plants, or trees that contribute more coloring than others. I am also beginning to think bucks that spend their lives in thicker environments tend to have the darker colored horns resulting from their constant contact with brushy materials of the thicket environment.

It is puzzling that you would have much different colored antlers in an identical environment where parameters are fixed. I have consistently seen the dark racks come from timber companies clear cuts where new forest growth was very dense. I also consistently see dark coloration wherever woody fibers are stuck around burr points. Grime ,sap, and weed juices sticks and stays on these areas because of the roughness of the surface. When velvet is shed the blood stays longer on the horns also in these areas.There has to be a more scientific explanation to this. I am going to keep searching.

Cody

I love your original thought on this topic. If you are seeing a darker color after your bucks shed velvet then a fade in color based on more rubbing, I believe they could be removing their velvet on some kind of smaller stemmed vegetation that is darkening their antlers in the environment there. They could be then polishing them making sign post rubs on something larger that doesn't stain. I would be very interested in knowing what type of small stemmed vegetation they are removing their velvet on in your area of South Dakota. When my bucks first shed velvet they are bleach white and then over time darken very slightly. I went through my sheds and my bucks of all ages have no distinguishable differences in color. I also called a couple other deer farmers in Indiana and ask them to look at theirs. They said the same thing that all ages were the same color. The bucks antlers I earlier referenced coming from the thick overgrown clear cuts in western Arkansas are all dark brown from their pedicels to the antler tips. My brothers daughters hunt this area and disappointingly shoot yearling bucks regularly and their horns are dark brown. I am not satisfied with the inventory I have done on my bucks colorations. I am going to go up to Russ Bellars and a few other places and study their older and younger bucks racks. I am artistic and my eye catches details very well. If I recall correctly all of Bellars older bucks sheds were very light colored just as mine. As soon as Thunderstorm and Thunderstrike shed their velvet, their antlers were very light colored and Thunderstorm was so old he barely rubbed anymore. This has something to do with the environment I am certain.

When I was trying to research this on-line I was amazed at the number of products marketed to stain antlers. It's hard to find writings on this subject because there are so many" how to stain antlers" articles. I would most like to try and create a situation where Mother Nature does the job.


I would appreciate the info if any others would inventory the coloration of any sheds you might have where the ages are known and if you are comfortable saying what state your deer are raised.

Thanks in advance for the input.