Antlers are made up of a honeycombed bone-like tissue. Deer use antlers for fighting, which creates a lot of wear and tear. Hunters from all around the globe scramble after hunting season to collect the biggest set of antlers. This one here really is the million-dollar question. The majority of bucks in our area have shed both sides of their antlers. The mounting points on the heads of deer from which the antlers grow are called pedicles. We need to remember these were controlled conditions and these findings won’t predict when deer will shed their antlers in wild conditions. When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers . Every year, whitetail deer, mule deer, elk and various other hoofed mammals shed their antlers. It may surprise you to find out that the entire shedding process takes only two to three weeks to complete, and of course the re-growth phase takes place over the summer up into very early fall. In Minnesota, most bucks shed their antlers about mid-January. At times, bucks shed their antlers earlier depending on three factors: age, health, and location of the deer. In these environmental conditions the deer shed their antlers at the same time every year. Shedding happens every year in between the months of January and April. Part of the reason for this is the fact that deer use their antlers for specific reasons during the breeding season. Shed hunting is an alternative to kill hunting. When growth is complete the velvet is rubbed off and the antler is described as clean. Antlers are dropped, or cast, and grow back over a period of months while covered in a furry skin called velvet. Shed hunting can also be a scouting tool for landowners to assess the amount and quality of deer on their land. Most bucks shed their velvet between mid-August and mid-September. The animal is called an eight-point buck for its eight antlers, according to the Noble Research Institute, an agriculture research organization. This time of the year, bucks are dropping their antlers because they no longer need to use them for battles over females. The antler-growing process begins almost as soon as the antlers are dropped. Numerous whitetail deer experts have collected their fair share of antlers over the years, and they will all tell you similar things. Sometime in early spring, velvet-covered antlers begin to protrude from the pedicles. 61 Comments on When Do White-tailed Bucks Shed Their Antlers White-tailed deer shed their antlers every year prior to the re-growth of new ones. The five British deer species which carry antlers replace them every year. So, shed hunting is the perfect way to go find a beautiful set of freshly dropped antlers. Bucks shed their antlers between January and April, depending upon many factors including the animal’s age and the latitude at which it lives, after the mating season concludes. 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