Question: When do bucks shed their antlers, and why? — Riley O.
Answer: Antlers are fascinating works of nature’s art, and one of their most interesting characteristics is that, like leaves on a hardwood tree, they are deciduous. Each year a new set is grown then cast off.
Photoperiodism plays an important role in this process. Waning daylight prompts physiological changes in a buck’s body, and he begins to draw antler minerals back in. The tip of the antler pedicle becomes more brittle and porous. Eventually, a specialized layer of cells called osteoclasts forms at the abcission line between the pedicle and antler base, ultimately degrading the point of attachment until the antlers simply fall off.
When this occurs can vary with several variables including age, nutrition, geographic area and possibly climatic conditions. There are exceptions to every rule, but older bucks tend to shed their antlers first, possibly because they have expended the most energy during the rut and are the most worn down.
Similarly, deer in areas of poorer nutrition shed antlers earlier than those that are more well nourished. There is also evidence suggesting that harsher weather conditions can accelerate shedding.
Specific dates vary, but deer in northern states begin shedding in late December and into January. Some deer retain antlers into February and sometimes even March, but most have shed by early February.
– Photo by Ken Piper