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| Ready To Shed Velvet |
The last two weeks have been a period of change in
Pennsylvania Elk Country, as the
bull elk shed the velvet. The new velvet covered antlers begin growing
soon after the previous years rack is shed in late winter and early
spring. with new antler growth beginning almost immediately. The new
antlers are covered with "velvet" which is composed of a
soft velvety feeling tissue, which contains a network of blood
vessels that carry nourishment to the developing antlers. The antlers
reach their full size during July and by early August the velvet
begins to dry and crack and eventually peel away, exposing the hard
bone like antlers that the animal will carry throughout the autumn
and winter.
The bull in the photo below is starting the
process with small bits of loose velvet hanging from the antlers and
bloody areas with patches of the underlying antler structure showing
through.
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| Starting To Shed |
When the velvet is completely ready to be shed, the animals hasten
the process along by aggressively horning trees, saplings, and the
ground. At this point it is common to see the velvet hanging from the
antlers in long, loose strips.
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| Shedding Almost Completed |
The process is usually completed in a day or so and
the bull is left with the hard, bone like antlers that he will carry
throughout the autumn and winter.
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| Shedding Completed |
Now
that the velvet is gone sparring intensifies as the first stirrings of
the pre-rut sweep through the herd. While I prefer to photograph elk in a
natural setting, it seems that
many of the bulls were hanging close to cabins and houses this week and
on Wednesday morning I photographed two fine bulls sparring close to a
cabin.
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| Sparring Beside A Camp |
By
late August or early September the full-blown rut will get underway and
thousands will travel to Benezette to experience the exciting sights
and sounds of the rut. The rut should be very intense by mid-September
and should peak late in the month, or in early October.
Originally published at
Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.
