The pedicle, or mounting point, where these antlers are attached and grow from, is also the location where the antlers break off. It’s pretty dependent on your area, actually. The males will spar with each other using their antlers to establish dominance and claim females. Figure 7. For most of us, that means the time to shed hunt is early February to March. Average 9-1-1 response time = 4 minutes Use a game camera to ensure most bucks have shed. The main purpose of antlers is to attract female deer for mating. Growth Cycle. The process is complete when the antlers drop in winter. A very low percentage had dropped, but some drop in November. Like whitetail deer, elk and mule deer shed their antlers via a combination of factors. Older animals tend to cast and clean their antlers first. Antlers grow rapidly from their pedicle (base) while in velvet during the spring and summer, as fast as 3/4 inch/week for yearlings and 1 1/2 inches per week for adults during peak growth (Jacobson and Griffin 1983). However, outliers are always present…bucks that either drop very early or late even pushing into early April. Just like velvet development, the rut, fawn drop, and most things in a deer’s life, photoperiod tells a buck when they should drop their antlers. Leg, pedicle and velvet injuries can all lead to antler deformations. I have seen some with antlers up to St. Paddy's Day and my hunting buddy had seen some hold them longer. While moose start dropping their antlers the earliest (in December). The annual casting and growth of new antlers is an important part of the whitetail's mystique. When Do Elk and Mule Deer Drop Their Antlers? So, you might think that all members of the deer family would drop their antlers at the same time. There are a number of rules and regulations that all Hog Deer hunters must be aware of before they go hunting. Keep an eye out for new hunting locations. When growth is complete the velvet is rubbed off and the antler is described as clean. I have seen bucks that have shed their antlers in early December, and at the other extreme, I once observed a large 9-point still holding his antlers in early April. Look in areas where deer spend most of their time ; Look in and around late-season food plots. The quicker it gets cold, the sooner they’ll be getting rid of their antlers. White-tailed deer may grow deformed antlers as a result of an injury. I am pretty sure that the hunters reading this know all about antler drop, but then again, some hunters insist on incorrectly calling antlers “horns,” so I’m not sure. Male white-tailed deer with antlers in the velvet stage. WHEN do deer shed their antlers? Hog Deer do not cast their antlers in a regular fashion, however, around August to October is most common. Examine travel corridors and water sources. Deer, elk, and moose, actually all drop their antlers at different times starting in those shortest days. The Hog Deer is a herding animal and is found in the coastal tea-tree swamp areas. During mating season, when the antlers are growing, the male deer displays his antlers to a female deer and uses them to become the dominant male. Antlers are dropped, or cast, and grow back over a period of months while covered in a furry skin called velvet. When bucks drop their antlers can vary by region and even parts of the state. Figure 6. Deer that are malnourished or injured, for instance, will tend to drop their antlers quite a bit earlier than those who are healthy and jacked full of testosterone. The five British deer species which carry antlers replace them every year. 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