As soon as October brought cooler weather and the cornfields were harvested, I “pested” dad to take me spotting deer along with his best hunting buddy, Wayne.

“Spotting deer” was done after dark with a bright spotlight, to observe bucks that venture out then. On those fall nights Dad or Wayne could be heard saying, “look at that set of horns” or “wow, Reedy, wouldn’t we love to get our hands on that set of ‘horns.’ ”

For years, I knew them as horns. Dad or my nature readings corrected that impression. Deer grow antlers. In North America, white-tailed and mule deer, elk, moose and caribou grow antlers. In contrast, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goats and domesticated cattle grow horns.

Probably, most know that deer and their close relatives begin growing a new set of antlers each spring. It is truly hard to believe that a moose with antlers spanning almost 6 feet grow new ones in just a couple of months’ time.

As days lengthen in spring, the pedicles on a buck’s forehead grow. The bristly hairs enlarge and swell, arteries increase in size to supply blood and antler growth begins. The tender growing antler (basically cartilage) is covered with a velvety covering nourished by a network of arteries.

As the abundant plant life supplies them food during the summer, the antlers grow rapidly. A healthy, mature, well-nourished “whitetail” could have antlers grow at a rate of half-inch a day. Amazingly, a big bull moose’s antlers may see 4 or 5 ounces of growth daily. When the antlers are in velvet, they are very much alive, very sensitive, nourished constantly and easily damaged.

Male deer or moose are very much aware of the size of the antlers and seldom “bump” them as they forage all summer. However, they sometimes get damaged and can get misshaped. Insects such as botflies can lay an egg in the soft antlers and some hunters may have found what looks like a drill hole in the bone. When the antlers reach their final size, the final tips of cartilage harden into bone and soon the velvet drops off. This hardening happened when the buck’s testosterone levels begin increasing in preparation for the “rut” or breeding season.

The last few weeks of the summer, the antlers draw a significant amount of calcium and phosphorous from the deer’s skeleton, weakening it. Heavy autumn feeding replenishes those levels. Many Midwestern ranches or hunting lodges specializing in deer hunting feed mineral-rich supplements to grow larger deer and antlers.

A deep forest buck from the Broad Mountain may take an extra year or two to grow a very large rack, compared to a Bucks County farm-fed buck feasting on a buffet of nutrient-rich crops.

Deer grow antlers for two reasons: First, female deer equate large antler and body size as a better mate to breed with, and second, if the larger antler size didn’t intimidate a buck’s competitor, they can be used to fight for the breeding opportunities.

I have observed a few really “knock ’em down” fights, but most often have observed younger, smaller-racked bucks just jostling each other. (Possibly as practice for fights as they mature) After breeding season, the testosterone levels drop, and usually by early February, the antlers drop off. Usually a buck loses both antlers about the same time.

Just a reminder: It’s time to hear the great horned owls calling and setting up pair bonds. Listen just before dark or just as dawn approaches to hear the hoo, hoo, hoo … hoo, hoo.

Test your knowledge: Porcupines have increased their range and can be seen dead along almost any roadsides throughout our area. Other than autos though, what does prey on them successfully? A. Black bear, B. Golden eagle, C. Bobcat, D. Fisher

Last week’s trivia answer: Woodpeckers nest inside cavities where protectively colored eggs would not be needed where potential predators could not see them anyway.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.