During an afternoon outing, I came across a stunning whitetail buck standing quietly in the sagebrush along the trail. Its antlers were still covered in velvet—a soft, nourishing layer that deer and other antlered animals grow each summer. By late August and early September, they will rub off this velvet, revealing the full hard antlers beneath. Seeing the buck in this stage of growth made the moment feel like a rare glimpse into the cycle of nature.
During an afternoon outing, I came across a stunning whitetail buck standing quietly in the sagebrush along the trail. Its antlers were still covered in velvet—a soft, nourishing layer that deer and other antlered animals grow each summer. By late August and early September, they will rub off this velvet, revealing the full hard antlers beneath. Seeing the buck in this stage of growth made the moment feel like a rare glimpse into the cycle of nature.