White Tail Deer Antler Barrel with Gun Metal Finish 30 Cal Bullet Bolt Action Pen with Deer Clip (#643)

This Bolt Action and Deer Clip with Gun Metal Finish 30 Cal. Bolt Action pen is made from White Tail Deer Antler and makes a great gift for the man or hunter in your life. Pen comes in a gift box.

WHITE TAIL DEER ANTLERS
Antlers are extensions of the skull grown by members of the deer and antelope family. They are true bone structures that usually grow in symmetrical pairs. In most species, only the male grows antlers and their primary function is to increase his likelihood of sexual selection by attracting females or helping him fight other males. In many temperate zones, species, antlers are shed and regrown each year.
Each antler grows from an attachment point on the skull called a pedicle. While an antler is growing, it is covered with highly vascular skin called velvet, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the growing bone. Antlers are considered one of the most exaggerated cases of male secondary sexual traits in the animal kingdom, and grow faster than any other mammal bone. Growth occurs at the tip, and is initially cartilage, which is later replaced by bone tissue. Once the antler has achieved its full size, the velvet is lost and the antler's bone dies. This dead bone structure is the mature antler. In most cases, the bone at the base is destroyed by osteoclasts and the antlers fall off at some point. After the breeding season in late fall, the level of pheromones released during estrus declines in the environment and the testosterone levels of males drop as a consequence. This drop in testosterone leads to the shedding of antlers, usually in the early winter.