Summer Day Driving Down Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Drive Stock Photography

Velvet is the soft fuzzy layer that covers male deer antlers for a small window of time each year. While it is beautiful, the purpose of velvet is much more functional than it looks. This concentrated network of blood vessels and nerves is actually a protective layer for the hardening antlers underneath. It allows the antlers to reach their full potential so that they can be used by the male during rutting season. During a five-month period, the velvet provides nourishment and protection to the hardening antlers beneath, helping them grow big and strong. Velvet is one of the biggest contributing factors to deer antlers being the fastest growing tissue of any mammal.