Deer antlers are an incredibly fascinating biological phenomenon. The shape of the antlers varies from very small and sharp “spikes” to fantastic typical and atypical frames. To better understand the parts of a deer antler, we will first examine some basic deer antler terms, the difference between antlers and antler, and then move on to the correct name for each part of the deer antler.
Antler Terms
Point: a projection on an antler at least one inch long.
Shelf: refers to the set of antlers of a particular deer. All racks are divided into two classifications; typical or not typical.
Typical: Typical gratings are those antlers that look like a classic or “normal” grating. In a 10-point dollar (a dollar with a shelf that has a total of ten points), the dollar would show five matching points on each side, and the location of these points would be in typical locations.
Not typical: Atypical racks, by definition, are racks that do not appear normal. They may exhibit incomparable spots (for example, 3 spots on one side and 5 on the other), they may have spots that grow on other spots, or the spots themselves may be abnormal in shape.
Antlers vs. Horns
The horns are found on mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bison, and other game animals. Horns, unlike horns, grow throughout an animal’s life. If they are lost or damaged for any reason, they cannot be replaced. The surface of the horns is made of keratin, much like the fingernails of human hands. They are alive, as they receive nutrients through the blood vessels that are inside the horn.
Deer, like elk and elk, have horns, not horns. The antlers are not made of keratin, they are dead bones that grow out of the animal’s skull. The horns tend to be much longer than the horns and have numerous branches. Deer grow annually and shed their antlers annually. Antler tissue is said to be the fastest growing mammalian tissue known to man. Even the largest shelf of a mature deer grows in about three to four months!
Parts of a deer antler
Pedicle: The base of the deer antler, where the antler bone meets the deer head.
Make: The central stem of the antlers, from which all other points arise.
Eyebrow picks: The first division or point outside the beam.
Bay antlers: The second division (or point above the brow line).
Royal antlers: The third division in the flagstaff (or point above the bay flagstaff).
Surroyal Antlers: The fourth division or point above the royal antler.
Fork: The end of the deer antlers, where the central beam splits in two.
Palm: The end of a deer antlers where the central beam splits at various points, resembling the human hand.
Tooth crown: A barb that grows at the end of the deer antler, the points on the fork or palm.
These terms should help you correctly identify and discuss the different parts of a deer antler.