What is it Wednesday: January 27, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

January 27, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

 This is a buck rub – a spot where the bark has been rubbed off part of the trunk of a small tree, from a male whitetail deer rubbing its antlers on the tree. This buck rub was found fresh back in November.

Most buck rubs are made during mating season, roughly October-December. The buck leaves its scent on the tree by rubbing against scent glands that are at the base of the antlers. This tells does and other bucks that a male ready to mate is in the area. 

Some buck rubs are created in late summer when bucks are losing their “velvet” (a layer of skin with fine hairs that covers the antlers while they are growing). Bucks may rub their antlers against trees to help remove the velvet when it is ready to come off. 

Though buck rubs are generally created between September and December, they can remain visible all year long. Here at Lutherlyn we mostly see buck rubs on trees about the size of the one in the photo – about 4-6 inches in diameter - but bucks will rub on trees both smaller and larger than that.

Amazingly, antlers are grown and shed every year. This is the time of year bucks begin to shed their antlers. Keep an eye out on the forest floor over the next few months and maybe you’ll find some shed antlers! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!