Deer Antlers - Facts About Antlers & The Deer That Grow Them (2024)

Perhaps nothing is quite as unique to the deer species as their antlers. Grown and shed annually, this miraculous and impressive feature – prized by hunters around the world – helps bucks and stags compete for mates during the yearly rut.

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Articles About Deer Antlers

An extension of the deer’s skull, each deer antler is a single, miraculous structure made of bone, cartilage, skin, nerves, blood vessels and fibrous tissue.

Antlersare shed and regrown every year, and are used as weapons, symbols of sexual prowess, and as tools to dig in the snow for food.

Members of the Cervidae family (deer) are the only mammals that grow antlers, and the annual process of growing and shedding antlers is one of the most fascinating things about deer.

On this page we share some interesting articles that will help you learn more about deer antlers, the reasons why they are grown, how they harden during the gory velvet shedding process, and how antlers differ from horns.

Antler vs Horn Comparison

If you’re like most, then you probably aren’t too focused on animal anatomy and its terminology. But just like in humans, titles are important … and it’s important to get them right. A common misuse

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Are Deer Antlers Safe For Dogs?

Dogs love to chew and, given the choice, they will clamp down on almost anything, whether it is good or bad for them. One of the challenges of owning a puppy and raising it to

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Deer antlers aren’t just for hanging on the wall. Maybe you already knew that animals like squirrels and mice find ways to use antlers, but did you know human beings can use them too? Let’s

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Deer Antlers

Deer are the only animals to possess antlers. All species of deer have antlers in one form or another. Unlike horns, which are permanent structures, antlers are lost each year and regrown afresh.

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Identifying deer signs is essential for successful hunting. They’re also useful for photographers, deer enthusiasts, and nature lovers. Scrapes are one of the most useful deer signs, and you should know how to identify them.

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Deer Velvet Shedding

When it comes to deer antlers, the rut gets all the headlines. After all, this is the time when males literally bump heads to decide who gets the female. However, while males enter the rut

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Do Deer Antlers Get Bigger Each Year?

For many hunters and collectors, antlers are prized possessions. For the deer, it is a sign of virility and dominance, and a source of protection against other males and predators. Unlike horns that are found

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Do Female Deer Have Antlers?

Have you ever wondered whether female deer have antlers? Maybe you’ve noticed that female deer don’t have antlers in the local species you’ve seen or learned about, but what about the many other deer species

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How Do Deer Shed Antlers?

All deer shed their antlers as part of a natural process that corresponds to their reproductive cycle. Deer do not have to try to shed their antlers – the antlers shed themselves. But how do

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See A Deer With One Antler? Here’s Why

Most deer hunters know that looking at the antlers is one of the best ways to discern a deer’s age and other characteristics, such as species. But have you ever seen a buck with just

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Shed Antlers (when to look, how to find them)

We’ve all heard of deer hunting, but what about shed antler hunting? It’s the process of searching for shed deer antlers in the wild. Deer shed their antlers every year, and many people enjoy searching

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What is a Brow Tine Deer?

There are a number of different types of deer out there, and the terminology used to reference different deer, even among animals in the same species can get confusing. Deer terminology goes beyond just different

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What is a Button Buck?

There are lots of terms to learn about when you start out as a deer hunter. One of these is “button buck.” So, what is a button buck, and what differentiates it from other male

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What is a Drop Tine Deer?

Deer hunters are always looking for prize animals that they can take down. And an exceptional or unusual antler rack is always a bonus. But you’ve got to learn about your prey first. Some of

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What Is A Spike Buck?

In the sport of hunting, one can often tell how old a male deer is based on the size and shape of his antlers. The older a deer is, the larger and more twisted his

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When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers?

Unlike horns, antlers fall off and regrow every year. That’s why every buck (male deer) sheds its antlers once annually. Antler shedding and regrowth are impacted by several different factors, but they all relate back

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When Do Deer Start Growing Antlers?

Antlers are a male deer’s most defining characteristic. Hunters are always on the lookout for a good set of antlers to hang on their walls or to use in interesting ways around the home. But

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Where to Find Deer Antlers In The Woods

Deer antlers are an impressive hunting trophy that commemorates a successful trip. They can also be used in decorating your cabin or even transformed into tools. But did you know antlers can be found in

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Why Do Deer Have Antlers?

We tend to assume that the only purpose antlers serve is to help male deer fight during the mating season. The truth, however, is more complicated. Why do deer have antlers? Deer antlers serve a

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Why Do Deer Shed Their Antlers?

Have you ever asked yourself “Why do deer shed their antlers and regrow them?” In this article we’ll explore the evolutionary and physiological reasons why deer shed their antlers, and explain the process from beginning

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Deer Antlers - Facts About Antlers & The Deer That Grow Them (2024)

FAQs

Deer Antlers - Facts About Antlers & The Deer That Grow Them? ›

Antler growth is incredibly fast. In fact, antlers are the fastest bone growth in the world. Just a few weeks after a white-tailed deer or elk sheds its antlers, a new set begins to grow. Growth is triggered by increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone production.

How long do deer antlers grow? ›

Over its lifetime, the deer will develop and shed antlers, with new, uniquely-shaped antlers appearing each time. Generally, antlers grow in about 120 days.

How do deer antlers grow and shed? ›

Deer and their relatives grow antlers each spring and shed them every winter. Once antlers are shed, the process of growing them begins anew. Male deer have two spots on their skulls called pedicles from which their antlers grow. In the spring, the antlers begin to sprout from the pedicles.

How fast do deer lose their antlers every year? ›

Antlers drop annually in late winter, typically January through March. The dropped antlers are called “sheds” and the process does not hurt the buck. From spring through summer, the antlers grow back and are usually bigger than the previous year.

What month are deer antlers fully grown? ›

In late August or early September, growth is completed and blood ceases to flow to the antlers. This process initiates drying of the velvet, which is then sloughed or rubbed off, resulting in polished, hard antlers during the breeding season. The velvet shedding occurs rapidly, usually in less than 24 hours.

Do deer regrow their antlers every year? ›

Yes, males of all species of the deer family shed their antlers and grow new ones annually. They are fully developed in time for mating; they are a form of courtship display, either by simply showing that they've got good enough genes to stay alive for a long time, or sometimes to actually fight over the females.

Do antlers grow back if cut off? ›

Horns are bony structures that are found outside the body of animals. They are covered in queratin and some may never grow back again if they are cut. Antlers on the other hand, are different because they fall naturally every year. They are covered by a layer of velvet and grow back every spring.

How does deer antlers grow? ›

Antlers grow rapidly from their pedicle (base) while in velvet during the spring and summer, as fast as 3/4 inch/week for yearlings and 1 1/2 inches per week for adults during peak growth (Jacobson and Griffin 1983). Growth rate slows dramatically during late summer while mineralization of the antler is completed.

Why do antlers fall off? ›

The amount of testosterone peaks in mid fall and begins to decline following the rut, as day length increases into late winter. The decline of testosterone triggers hormones to reabsorb calcium in the bone around the pedicle. This enables the antlers to be shed after some weeks of this testosterone decline.

What is so special about deer antlers? ›

Antler growth is incredibly fast. In fact, antlers are the fastest bone growth in the world. Just a few weeks after a white-tailed deer or elk sheds its antlers, a new set begins to grow. Growth is triggered by increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone production.

What are 3 interesting facts about deers? ›

Quick Deer Facts

Deer do not have gallbladders. While deer are immune to brain worms, moose aren't, and their walking patterns and behavior change. Deer meat is highly nutritious and edible for human consumption. Male deers use their antlers for defense against predators.

Can a deer's antlers fall off? ›

Male deer or bucks use their antlers to establish dominance and compete for mates during the breeding season. Once the breeding season is over and hormone levels decrease the bone where the antler was attached to the pedicel begins to erode away. Eventually the antler falls off, generally during January to March.

How can you tell how old a deer is by antlers? ›

The number of antler points a buck has does not correlate with the buck's age. Yearling bucks have been known to grow antlers with eight or 10 points when the habitat and nutrition are good. The spread of the antlers can offer a clue to a buck's age. Yearling bucks rarely have antlers that grow wider than their ears.

Why do deer antlers bleed when they shed? ›

During this growing period the buck's antlers are covered in a soft layer of skin tissue called 'velvet'. Underneath this velvet layer are nerves and blood vessels that support the fast antler growth. This velvet layer gradually dries and sheds away from the antlers once they are fully developed.

How old is a 10 point buck? ›

Age Estimate: 2 ½-Year-Old Buck

Often, it grows between six and 10 points, with a typical average number of eight points. The head is still long and slender. Body weight distribution shows a heavier rump than front end.

Do buck antlers get bigger every year? ›

A buck's antlers grow differently from year to year. The mass and length of the antlers will increase from year to year unless a buck hurts them during the velvet season. Deer's antler size is determined by past genetics and protein input which allows antlers to grow more.

How can you tell how old a buck is by antlers? ›

The spread of the antlers can offer a clue to a buck's age. Yearling bucks rarely have antlers that grow wider than their ears. A buck with an antler spread well outside the end of the ears is normally a mature or older buck.

What age do deer get their antlers size? ›

about 13 to 14 inches for yearling and 2.5-year-old bucks and about 15 inches on bucks 3.5 years old and older. extending to the tip of the nose are generally 20 or more inches in length. yearling bucks can produce 6, 8, or even 10 antler points (see above).

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