Huge Wyoming Moose Struggles To Get Last of Velvet Off Antlers
Nature is such a cool thing to see and with help of Wyoming Game and Fish, being able to watch parts of nature that you're not always able to see, is easier. One of the most interesting things to see in nature is the circle of life of an animals antlers.
Every spring the male members of the deer family, which includes Moose, Elk, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer and Reindeer, begin to grow antlers. Once this process begins, the antlers are covered in a velvet skin that has a blood supply the antlers need to grow and be healthy.
The antlers are the quickest growing tissue of any type of mammal and can grow up to an inch a day. Once the antlers are fully grown and the males start to get all revved up for the mating season (rut), and the velvet that has been providing much needed nutrients will begin to peel off and the antler will harden. During the time when the velvet starts to come off, the animal will have an itching sensation which is why you'll see them struggling to get the velvet off. They'll rub their antlers on trees, bushes or anything else they can to help relieve that itch, which is also a way to spread their scent to let the ladies know he's single and ready to mingle.
Game and Fish shared this video of a Bull moose working on getting the last little bit of the itchiness off.
After months of the antlers growing, peeling and protecting, and the rut season is complete, Moose, Elk and Deer will shed their antlers, usually between December or and March. Once the antlers are shed, after a couple of months the whole process begin again.
This video from National Geographic shows the exact time when a Bull Moose starts dropping his antlers.