Antler growth is triggered by changes in daylength. Once the days start to get longer in the spring, antler growth initiates. In NB, it is typically sometime in May. Antler velvet is the fastest growing tissue in the animal kingdom, and many "mature" bucks will have a relatively impressive rack by the end of June, mid July. Yearling bucks also grow antlers, but they can be difficult to see until later in the summer as their ears can hide much of the growth they put on until into July, and cause a lot of people to mis-sex deer in june. Most antler mass has been accumulated by August. As daylength decreases rapidly in September, antlers harden and the velvet sloughs off.
Researchers at Mississippi State U. caused a buck to grow and cast 3 sets of antlers within one year simply by changing the amount of light the deer's eyes were subject to.
The foremost researcher of deer antlers is a Canadian - Dr. George Bubenik. He did a lot of antler research while a prof at Guelph University. He has since retired, but fortunately, he sent me a pile of his papers on antler growth and development several years back. He also surgically removed the pedicel cells (where the antler growth originates between the ears of a buck) and transplanted this onto other animals, as well as onto other parts of a deer - and had a buck grow an antler out of his leg, and also had a mouse produce a bony "antler" between his ears. Ever hear of the "Jackalope?"......apparently it's surgically possible. LOL!
