What is velvet on a deer’s antlers?

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male white-tailed deer — deer Male white-tailed deer (*Odocoileus virginianus*).

Velvet is a highly vascularized, nerve-filled skin covered in short, soft hairs that encases a deer's growing antlers.1

This tissue plays a critical role during the development phase, providing the necessary nutrients for the antlers to grow, which can take up to 150 days depending on the species. As the mating season approaches and testosterone levels rise, the velvet eventually dies. The deer then removes it by rubbing the antlers against branches and small trees, a process that also stains the underlying white bone a brownish color. Once the velvet is removed, the hardened antlers serve as weapons for combat or as display organs for courtship.1