dark rack vs. white rack

[mudingbuck]

I was just thinking today. What makes an Iowa whitetail's rack dark or white? Genetics, food source, etc.? I then thought maybe it has something to do with the amount of sun each whitetail gets. Like a deep timber buck that doesn't see much sun light has a darker rack? A prairie buck that hangs out in the crp and field edges has a lighter rack? Becasue we all know if you leave a skull hanging on a fence post the sun bleaches the rack. Just something to ponder.

 

[Sligh1]

Not genetics- it's what they rub on. I've had many bucks with dark racks one year and whiter the next. Maybe sun or other things BUT for most part it's mainly what's rubbed- cedars & pines will have darker racks. if they are rubbing oaks for example, pry be lighter racks. I'd imagine the reason Canadian racks are darker is all the pine & spruce up there. Here, it's some what of a gamble if they end up rubbing cedars or whatever.

 

[6x6]

I am not sure about the staining, but we get bucks that will have a blueish grey color in their antlers sometimes just blotches others the whole antler. The velvet is a grayer color also rather than brown. My sons buck this year had a pinkish, orange colored rack from the time he stripped untill mid october when he shot him. So some is genetic.

 

[msauer933]

The buck I shot this year had a chocolate set of antlers and he lived in a piece of thick crp/cedar ground.

 

[maher2215]

I believe it has a little bit to do with where they live and where they rub. Obviously the sun will bleach them white as you always see most winter bucks with white racks before they shed. We have alot of crp with pines but most of those bucks have white racks by now I think its because they are in sun most of day. Youth season bucks can tend to have some pretty neat racks due to the fact they havent been sun bleached and have not rubbed real hard besides some brush to clean velvet off. But yea if a buck is rubbing sappy cedars and pines its more likely that sap is going to catch alot of dirt and dust and turn rack dark colored they the buck almost polishes it into its rack and it may take a while for that to ware off. I have found a few dark antlers shed hunting but not very often.

 

[skyleralan]

From everything I have read, it is primarily what they are rubbing on at the time they are shedding the velvet like most have said. Like anything, I am sure genetics could play a small part, but from everything I have read and seen it is dictated on what they are rubbing on and the staining that occurs from the blood.