The white-tailed deer is aptly named because the white undersurface of its flaglike tail is about all that we see in the fleeting glimpse we get of this superb mammal as it bounds across an opening in the woods. A popular game species, the whitetail is so well known that it needs only a brief description.
Antlers normally occur only in males and are formed and shed each year.
Growth of the antler starts in April or May when the base of the antler, located on the skull, begins to enlarge. Full antler size is reached in August or September, shortly before the breeding, or rutting, season. The velvet then begins to dry and peel. The buck rubs his antlers against trees and shrubs, which helps remove the skin. When all the skin has been shed, the bony core hardens and with continued rubbing is polished.