If you’ve ever come across a set of antlers lying on the ground in the woods, you may have wondered – does shedding antlers hurt for deer? This is a fascinating question, and in this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about the antler shedding process in deer.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: Most experts agree that shedding antlers does not hurt for deer. The antlers are attached to bony protrusions on the deer’s skull called pedicles. Before the antlers fall off, a layer of tissue starts weakening at the point where the antlers connect to the pedicles, which cuts off blood flow and numbs any pain receptors.
In the article below, we’ll explore the full antler growth and shedding cycle, explain whether shedding causes any pain, look at what deer do after shedding antlers, and more. Let’s dive in!
The Antler Growth Cycle
When antlers start growing
Deer antlers begin growing from the pedicle, an attachment point found on the skull, in late March or early April. This marks the end of the dormant season for antlers. At this stage, deer antlers are covered in velvet, a soft, blood-rich tissue that transports oxygen and nutrients to support the rapid growth.
The impressive rate of growth at the onset can be up to 2.5 cm (1 inch) per day for yearlings and 1 cm (0.4 inches) per day for mature bucks. This is indeed astounding!
Stages of antler growth
The antler growth cycle can be divided into three main stages:
- Growth stage – lasts around 4 months from spring to summer. This is when rapid growth occurs and velvet provides nutrients.
- Maturation stage – velvet starts peeling off and antlers harden. This lasts 1-2 weeks in August.
- Shedding stage – testosterone levels drop after the mating season, weakening the pedicle connection and causing antlers to fall off. This shedding occurs in late winter.
Clearly, each stage serves an important purpose in developing strong and healthy antlers for the mating rituals.
When velvet shedding occurs
Bucks start shedding their velvet in late summer when antler growth is completed, typically around August or September. With testosterone production ramping up for the mating season, vessels in the velvet constrict to cut off nutrient supply to the antlers.
This causes the velvet to shrivel up, dry out and fall off. This process only takes about 24-48 hours to complete and does not hurt the deer. In fact, bucks are often seen rubbing their antlers on trees to help remove the dying velvet.
Completion of antler hardening
By mid-September, the velvet is completely shed and antlers become fully hardened and mineralized. The bone-like quality provides strength and weaponry for sparring during the rut. Amazingly, the antler growth and shedding cycle resets shortly after the mating season, priming the deer for regrowing a new set of antlers the following spring!
The Antler Shedding Process
What causes antlers to shed?
Deer antlers are some of the fastest growing bones in the animal kingdom. They are grown and shed on a yearly cycle in response to changes in the levels of testosterone. As daylight increases in the spring and summer, elevated testosterone levels trigger antler growth.
In the winter, decreasing testosterone causes the antlers to shed.
The growing antler is covered in velvet, a hairy skin containing blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients needed for growth. When growth is complete, the velvet dries up and deer rub their antlers on trees to remove it, revealing the hard, bony antlers underneath.
Does shedding hurt?
Fortunately for deer, shedding their antlers does not hurt. The antlers are held on the deer’s head by a piece of skin called the pedicle. As testosterone levels decrease, the pedicle weakens and creates a separation between the antler and bone.
When the antler comes off, the pedicle completely covers the wound.
Deer will try to speed up the shedding process by thrashing their antlers on brush and small trees. Even this looks painful, but it is not. The deer are simply assisting a natural process that occurs painlessly.
When do antlers shed?
Different deer species living in various climates will shed their antlers at different times of year. But a general timeline is:
- Late fall or early winter – Most deer in temperate climates shed their antlers starting in late fall or early winter.
- Late winter or early spring – Deer living in more tropical climates shed later, in late winter or early spring.
- Age impacts timing – Younger deer under poorer nutritional stress tend to shed antlers earlier.
In most areas of dense deer populations, finding shed antlers is common from January through April.
What deer do after shedding antlers
Shedding is a sign that the harshness of winter may soon end. Deer immediately begin focusing their energy on new antler growth:
- Nutrition – They intensify feeding efforts to obtain protein and minerals needed for rapid antler growth.
- Safety – Without antlers for defense, deer tend to hide more with other deer for safely in numbers.
- Reproduction – Shortly after shedding, mating seasons begin and deer shift attention to finding mates.
| Website | Reference |
|---|---|
| Texas Parks & Wildlife | General background on antler growth and shedding |
| Quality Deer Management Association | Additional details on the antler shedding timeline |
Other Facts About Deer Antlers
Annual cycle
Deer antlers go through an annual cycle of growth and shedding that is largely driven by changes in serum testosterone. In most deer species, antlers begin growing in spring when rising testosterone levels trigger growth.
The antlers are covered in soft, vascularized tissue called velvet which supplies oxygen and nutrients to support rapid growth. By late summer the antlers stop growing and the velvet is shed. In fall and early winter, due to declining testosterone levels, the bone at the base of the antlers starts to weaken until the antlers drop off.
Within a day or two of shedding, new antler growth begins for the next cycle.
Nutritional impact on antlers
The nutritional status of deer impacts the rate of antler growth and size. Deer on diets with optimal protein will grow the largest antlers over the summer months. Drought conditions leading to reduced quality and quantity of forage can result in significantly smaller antlers.
Supplemental feeding programs provide an abundance of protein and minerals to produce maximum antler growth on commercial deer ranches.
Genetic and hormonal factors
Genetics account for a large part of the variation seen in antler characteristics between individual deer and between deer species. For example, on average antlers are larger in mule deer than white-tailed deer.
Even within a deer population there can be genetic lines that tend to produce superior antlers. In addition, altered hormone levels can affect antler growth. Castration of male fawns typically results in antlers that are taller but thinner due to lower testosterone levels during development.
Shed antler uses
Shed antlers have various commercial uses and have spawned a large “shed antler hunting” hobby. They can be sold by weight for things like pet chews or cut into pieces to produce decorative items. Large, intact sheds from mature deer with impressive racks can sell for over $100 per side.
There is also interest for use in traditional Eastern medicines seen as a less destructive alternative to poaching deer for fresh velvet antler.
Conclusion
As we’ve explored, the annual cycling of antler growth and shedding is a natural process for deer. Most evidence indicates that shedding does not cause pain, thanks to the weakening of tissue and numbness at the connection points before the antlers fall off.
Understanding the antler cycle gives us a window into the biology of these magnificent animals. While humans may feel awe and fascination discovering shed antlers, for the deer it is simply part of their regular seasonal rhythms.
We hope this guide gave you a comprehensive look at how antler shedding works. Next time you find a set of antlers in the forest, you can better appreciate the incredible journey those bony protrusions have taken!
