Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-09-12
A BUCKS HORNS.

don't Oellcvo tnero " auytuuB snose
curious In nature than the bucks horns
says an old Pennsylvania hunter. They
begin 70 make their appearance In the
spripg Of the bucks second year. Ihe
firrt Sign Of their coming ID q swelling
OF the akin over the spots on top OF the
head from which the horns are to rise,
The antlers are now budding, for on the
swelling spots are the fo0tstalks from
which they are to sp;lng, and the nrter..
lea of the head-the antlers being, In al
their preliminary or caItii.glnou,,
.itages, but parts OF the animars gencral
system-a-e beginning to deposit on
them, little by little, but with grest
rapldity, the bony matter of which the
finished horns arc composed. AZ the
antlers grow the skin still stretches over
them and continues to do 20 until they
have reached their natural Size and be
como solid horn. This u the stage 10
the growth Of the antlers that 10 techni-
cally known among hunters 40 the time
when the buck 10 In velvet. The skin ]:
Indeed beautiful velvet covering, AND
all beneath It is 10 fact simply sgreat
tissue of blood vessels. While the horns
continue soft and part OF the deers
nervous and velnous structure, the sr.
teries which run up from the head
through them make burrows In the Yield
ing substance. Il 10 these burrows that
give to the bucks horns their rough,
corrugated surface when they have BE-
come hardened.
The bucks first horns do not arrive at
the dignity of sntlers. They are simply
graceful, sharp-pointed spikes; hence
the term "spike buck" among hunters.
Each succeeding year adds prong,
though, and when the buck 10 adorned
with his proud head gear Of i've prongs
all hunters know that he can't be less
than seven years old. The Ave prong
antler Il the perfect and complete one,
and any more prongs have no signih-
cance except as freaks. But the velvety
skin, with its delicate substantial
structure, grows with and envelops all
the great spread OF the i've prong antier,
as well as the few inches OF the young
bucks spike. As long a. the horns are
In velvet they are extremely tender and
entirely useless. The soft skin must
therefore be removed, but not suddenly
nor roughly, and not until another ex.
traordinary stage 10 the development OF
the horns is completed. The arteries
and their circulation must be dlscon-
nected from the horns before the skin IL
broken, or the result would be the turn
iug Of the large quantity OF blood back
to the brain or some internal organ, and
death be the result. This danger .
prevented aud the desired end accom-
plished by the formation OF rough ring
OF bone around the base Of the horns,
notches being left In It at fret for the
passage of the arteries. These openings
are gradually contracted as new bone
forms, until the arteries are compressed
a. by q llgature, and the circulation
above the ring OF bone IL efiectually
stopped. The velvet skin, thus deprived
Of lis vital source, dries up and peels of
the horns, process which the buck now
hssteus by rubbing bis sntlers against
the trees. This rubbing against the
trees displaces more or less bark, and
leaves fsvorlte sign TO the obseryant
hunter passing through the woods that
there Il deer about. When the velvet -
or the horns they have reached their
perfect stage.
That the sweeping, powerful antlers
of mature buck, which he carries 30
proudly and defisntly, should be but the
growth Of Q fortnight or 20 does not
seem possible, but such 10 the fact.
When early spring comes again new
set of horns begins to spr0ut. They
spring from the head like growing
plant, and push last years antlers from
their place. These fall from the bucks
head. The new horns soon crown him
agaln proudly, but what becomes OF the
cast-off setf have asked that question
scores Of times, and paused for reply.
I am pausing yet.