Antlers vs. Horns
Posted by b. corens on April 2, 2004
Q: topic: shedding antlers (deer)
About March 20 I had two bucks in my back yard. They both had their fully polished racks, 4-6 points still attached and still rubbing on small trees. (1)Why are they still attached this late into the year, and(2) was the rubbing to get the antlers to fall off, they still looked firmly attached.
bob in Minnesota
A: Older White-tailed Deer keep their antlers until February or March while younger deer keep theirs until May. Due to your timing, not sure whether you were seeing young or old bucks. Remember too that after that first year, buck antlers (size of rack) are a reflection of their health rather than age. To the best of my knowledge, bucks don't make any effort to remove their antlers but they simply become less and less firmly attached at their base and just fall off.
John Wiessinger ( April 2, 2004)