Bull elk getting ready for the rut
With the rut imminent, bulls throughout Pennsylvania’s elk range have been shedding their velvet and sporting freshly polished antlers. In recent weeks, area elk watchers have been sharing plenty of photos on social media of bulls with velvet hanging from their antlers, as well as a few videos of some trying to use trees or other shrubbery to get the velvet off.
According to Pennsylvania Game Commission Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield, antler growth typically occurs from early/mid-april to early/mid-august.
“During growth, antler is a living tissue full of blood vessels (highly vascularized),” Banfield said. “If an elk cuts their velvet during antler growth, it bleeds a lot. However, the antlers’ primary function is combat-related, so as day length changes, it triggers an increase in testosterone in bulls that causes the antlers to harden, and blood flow is stopped. This causes the velvet to basically dry up and fall off the hardened antler.”
As for why some antlers appear bloody when an elk begins shedding its velvet, Banfield explained that during growth, antlers have a lot of blood vessels both inside and along the outside of the antler. When the velvet sheds, sometimes residual blood can be seen, but it is not flowing blood.
Banfield added that, on average, it takes roughly a day or two for a bull to completely shed its velvet.
Occasionally, bulls are also seen eating the newly-shed velvet.
“It’s not really known why they do this, but it’s thought to be either because it is nutritious or to hide it from predators similar to cows’ postpartum behavior of eating the placenta and any afterbirth,” Banfield said.
With most of the area bulls now having shed their velvet, elk watchers have been observing sparring behavior as they test out their antlers and prepare for the rut.
“The rut is really dictated by photoperiod, but most actual breeding occurs between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15,” Banfield said. “However, the bulls are ready by the end of August/early September, and then bugling starts now. Cows generally won’t allow any breeding until mid-september.”
Banfield added that the temperature also
plays a role in rut behavior.
“The ambient temperature seems to play a role as well where cooler temps increase activity and warmer temps decrease activity,” Banfield said. “The cooler nights we’ve been having recently have prompted some early bugling.”
With prime elk viewing time set to begin and thousands of people about to descend upon Pennsylvania’s elk range for the rut, Banfield also reminded elk watchers
of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Elk Smart initiative. To be “elk smart,” elk watchers are reminded to give elk space of at least 100 yards; to refrain from feeding the elk, which is illegal in Pennsylvania; to refrain from naming the elk and treating them as pets; and to do their part if the see someone being disruptive or careless and ensure the safety of others and the long-term welfare of the elk herd.