Antler Sheds From Yosemite DeerIn the late fall and the early winter you will see the antler sheds from the Yosemite National Park Mule Deer. Deer antler sheds happen every year. Each year the deer antlers grow back bigger than the last. Some animals (like moose, sheep and elk) have horns, but deer have antlers. A horn is made of a substance (just like our fingernails!) called keratin and is hollow. Deer antlers are made of bone and are solid. A fast growing living tissue. The antler grows and grows and then it falls off of the deer (called shedding). Each year new a new pair of antlers grows back. After mating season (late fall and early winter), the deers body will absorb the "cement" that holds the antlers onto their head. When this happens, the awesome antlers fall off. Why do they shed them? Just so that they can grow new ones! Once the shedding starts, it takes two to three weeks for them to fall off. If you see a deer with antlers, it is a boy deer. Only the males have antlers. The antlers impress the female deer for the mating season. When the antlers fall off of the deer, it does not hurt the deer. No scar is left on the top of the head. The spot on the head that held the antlers on is quickly covered with a soft hairy velvet. The deer will often rub up against a tree to knock the antlers off. Every spring, new velvet deer antlers grow! Each year, they grow longer and bigger than the last set. Each year the horn branches off and adds a horn. Count the horns and that will tell you how old the deer is. It takes two to four months to grow new antlers. When they are growing, they are velvet antlers. If you find a set of shed antlers while in Yosemite, please leave them alone. You can tell a ranger if you want. The squirrels, raccoons and other small animals like to eat them! They are rich in calcium and good for bone growth in other animals.
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