SHEDDING AND RENEWING OF DEER ANTLERS = 57 
When fully grown the antlers have several branches; but the 
first pair, which are grown during the second year, are only 
two straight and slender spikes called ‘‘dag antlers.” The 
grouping of animals with antlers brings together in the Deer 
Family not only the true deer, but also the moose and the 
caribou. 
SHEDDING AND RENEWAL OF ANTLERS.—At this point it 
is necessary to emphasize certain facts regarding the antlers 
of deer, elk, moose and caribou. 
Many persons find it difficult to believe that the antlers 
of all these creatures drop off close to the skull every year 
and are completely renewed in about four months; but such 
is the fact. It is Nature’s special plan to absorb the surplus 
strength of the males, and to render them weak and inoffen- 
sive during the period in which the mothers are rearing their 
young, when both the does and their fawns would be defence- 
less against savage males with perfect antlers. It seems in- 
credible—unless watched from week to week—that the 
enormous antlers of full-grown moose or elk can be dropped 
and completely renewed again in as short a period as four 
months; but it is true. 
During the first year of life, male members of the Deer 
Family have no horns of any kind, and in order to protect 
fawns from hunters destitute of pride, several of our states 
have enacted laws forbidding the killing of deer save males 
that have horns at least four inches long. This is a very 
wise and just measure. 
The antlers of North American deer are usually dropped 
in March, but occasionally in February. Sometimes a day 
