When do deer polish their antlers?

Deer don't actually "polish" their antlers in the way we might think.

Here's what happens:

* Antlers are made of bone: Antlers are made of bone and covered in a soft, velvety skin called velvet.

* Velvet sheds: When the antlers are fully grown, the velvet starts to dry and rub off, revealing the hard, bony surface.

* Rubbing and scraping: Deer will rub their antlers on trees and bushes to help remove the velvet. This rubbing also helps to remove any remaining soft tissue and expose the bone underneath.

So, while deer don't "polish" their antlers in the traditional sense, the rubbing and scraping they do to get rid of the velvet might look like polishing.