Posted by Traci Rich on November 28, 2004

Q: When an Elk sheds his antlers, will the new antlers grow back in the exact same shape/form as the one he shed?

My husband was watching a hunting show and the hunter made the comment that he finally found an elk that eluded him 3 years ago. How does the hunter know that it is the "EXACT" same elk?

My husband said it's becasue of his antlers. So I reminded him that they shed their Antlers; only for him to inform me that they grow back "exactly" the same. It's not that I doubt him as much as I'm curious if this is true.

Thanks,

Traci Rich

A: Your question required some extra research and hereís what I found. I emailed the Wild Rose Ranch in Garden Grove, Iowa where Brad and Laura Funk have an elk ranch. This is what they said:

ìHope this will help. In my experience, any given bull elk will grow similar antlers year after year. This is true of all the cervidae family. I can often tell the bloodline of an animal by it's antler shape and size. An injury will cause a deformity. If it affects the pedicle, (growth plate) of an antler, it will repeat year after year. Young bulls will get bigger and better antlers until about the sixth or seventh year. In short, a bull have antlers that can be identified from year to year, but they will not be exactly identical year after year.î

Looks like your husband knew what he was talking about. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( December 7, 2004)