Author: Kevin A. Gardner
Very few things can stir the feelings in a hunter’s heart like a fine set of well-polished and symmetrical antlers. These bony protrusions mesmerize and amaze us. They are the things our dreams are made of the night before opening day. On our trophy wall they symbolize our appreciation of their design and give us a status among our peers as to our abilities and wisdom in the outdoors.
But long before antlers are our trophy remnant, they serve a greater purpose to the animal that nurtures and relies on them as a means of establishing his dominance in a herd. With them he has the potential to be the herd boss, being given breeding right over many smaller bucks by the females of the group. His selection of rub trees and the length of time he spends honing the antlers show how serious these weapons are to his survival.
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