Reindeer Horn Color

Finally, the time of year can influence color as antlers generally lighten over time due to the bleaching effect of moisture and sunlight. A buck's antler coloration is driven by genetics, age, behavior and the environment. This explains why you may see light, medium and/or dark antlers throughout the whitetail's range.

Here's everything you need to know about reindeer antlers, from when they emerge, how often they shed and more. Mike: Why do some bucks have chocolate antlers and others white racks? Seems like dark antlers are slightly more common on bigger bucks, am I right?-Tim from MN Whitetail biologist Mickey Hellickson told me in an email one time: Antler coloration is determined by several things, including: (1) buck age (older, more dominant bucks make many more rubs on trees than younger bucks, therefore. Ever wonder why the color of deer antlers vary from deer to deer? We have seen really dark chocolate colored antlers all the way to bleach white antlers.

But why? Is it genetic? Is it habitat related? Does it have to do with how old a deer is? Well, let's take a minute to unpack some information with some deer experts. So here's everything you need to know about this iconic animal, including why they need antlers, why they really can have red noses and how their eyes change colour! The Primary Antler Color Deer antlers are fundamentally composed of bone, growing as extensions from the animal's skull, and are naturally an off-white to cream color.

Like other bones, antlers consist mainly of the protein collagen and the mineral calcium hydroxyapatite. Deer antler color is determined by several factors, one of which is the environment in which they grow. Factors such as seasonal changes, availability of minerals and nutrients in soil and exposure to sunlight can have an impact on the color of deer antlers.

Antler color comes from elk/deer/moose rubbing their antlers on different colored materials: trees, dirt, brush, other antlers etc. Elk shed their antlers every year and begin growing a new set right away. When we think about how antlers get their color, there are two possibilities.

Either the antlers retain blood stain from velvet, and the antler growing process, or the antlers have become stained due to environmental reasons such as tree bark, soil, and vegetation. There are as many theories on the causes of different antler colors as there are different antlers. One hunter conducted his own experiments to learn the truth.