Antlers vs. Horns
Posted by alice seehuus on January 26, 2004
Q: I met an elk yesterday in the forest hvo had one antlers on eatch side, about 25 cm long, looking like a strait pin. Is this a young male hvom is just starting to get his first antlers? And when do they lose them.
A: I think you saw a young (1 year old) male. After their first year, the size of their antlers is more a product of their genetic makeup and their nutrition than age. Thus a well fed bull with the right genes will tend to have larger antlers than others. Bull Elk lose their antlers in the spring so I would imagine that the animal you saw will be dropping his in the next few months.
John Wiessinger ( January 26, 2004)
Filed under: Mammals