Mike: Why do some bucks have chocolate antlers and others white racks? Seems like dark antlers are slightly more common on bigger bucks, am I right?—Tim from MN
Whitetail biologist Mickey Hellickson told me in an email one time:
Antler coloration is determined by several things, including: (1) buck age (older, more dominant bucks make many more rubs on trees than younger bucks, therefore their antlers tend to be darker; (2) bark coloration of the predominant rubbing trees in a region; (3) genetics (some strains of bucks have light racks in their DNA while other have dark); (4) time of year (early in the fall “new” antlers are darker; later in the season antlers that have been exposed to sun and light longer and are more bleached out, especially in open habitats.
From my experience, habitat has a lot to do with it. The buck on left in the picture lived 5 years in the thick, dark timber of Saskatchewan, where most all the older bucks have dark to black racks. The right buck was also 5 when I shot him out in western Iowa, where the habitat is much more open with ample sunlight.
BUT, that light rack on that mature buck is sort of an anomaly. I’d say that 90% of the 4- to 7-year-old bucks I’ve shot over the years have dark racks.
Do the bucks have a predominant antler color where you hunt?
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See, I would argue the exact opposite. Seems to me that genetics are the primary cause. Most of our area is heavily wooded. We also have many thick pine plantations that receive very little sunlight to the forest floor. These conditions are nearly identical to the pine woods of the north country, and many of these bucks will spend most all of their time in thick cover. You would expect our antlers to be quite dark, but they’re not. Medium to light in color for this area.
Here we have more open habitat, but some areas have more evergreens and aspens. In the areas where we have more of these tree species the racks are noticeably darker, especially in and around the bases/burrs. In other areas the racks tend to be lighter because the trees rubbed tend to have less of a coloration/stain to them. I’ve seen bleach white racks, and also dark racks you’d sware came from Canada. I believe it has more to do with the type of trees rubbed than any of the other factors. Just MHO.
Also wanted to add that the blood from the velvet shedding process might also factor in some situations…esp. areas with denser habitat/foliage. At least initially…
Come on Fall!!!!!!!!
Seems like bucks from the northern country have dark racks but so do a lot of them in Texas. I never see dark rack bucks in our hunting area. Even the few older ones we have seem to be light colored. The U.P. of Michigan seems to have darker racks as well. Lots of timber and swap there
In Wisconsin you get the whole range, white to real dark. In Buffalo Co. most fall in that more medium range.
Mike what a great topic! I’ve always wondered why there are such differences in the coloration of whitetail racks from various regions. I’ve noticed that many swamp bucks of the south have darker racks, while bucks from the open delta areas in the same state are lighter colored racks which makes since now considering this post. I love the fact that, not only do you post some great big buck stories on this blog, but also plenty of informative pieces such as this.
yes, agree, all the bucks I’ve shot in SD are pretty much white, that’s the open sunlight habitat
I do a ton of shed hunting in western SD, very little timber, and all antlers even older larger bucks have very white antlers.