Posted by Charlene on March 6, 2005

Q: When deer shed their antlers, do they bleed from where the base of the antler is? A deer came through our yard March 6. It did not have any antlers but appeared had blood on one side of it's head. It is not hunting season here right now although sadly that may not mean that the deer wan't shot.

A: White-tailed Deer shed their antlers from January to March (some young ones may hold on to theirs a bit longer)and times vary a bit between the north and south. The actual antler, once it has lost its velvet and is no longer growing, is just bone with no skin or blood vessels. By winter, the connection between the antler and the pedicle or connection to the skull becomes weakened and either the antler falls off on its own or a gentle bump knocks it off. So, one would not expect that there is any blood involved in this process. Sounds to me as though the deer you saw with blood may have gotten into a scrape with another animal, maybe a car, or may have cut itself on barbed-wire, it would be difficult to know. Your anterless-buck may also have been a doe. Hope this helps.

John Wiessinger ( March 7, 2005)