Deer Antler Shedding

During winter in Iowa male whitetail deer shed their antlers. Male deer use their antlers as a tool to fight each other during mating season. After mating season, the testosterone levels in the male deer drop. This causes osteoclasts cells to form, which separates the antler from the deer skull causing it to fall off. 

• How might the shedding of deer antlers help support their own survival, growth, behavior and/or reproduction?

• Do you think all deer have antlers?
• What do you think deer use their antlers for?
• Why might deer shed their antlers in the winter?

• Students could:
  • Use this as part of the engagement phase before beginning a unit about different organisms' structures and the functions of them. Students can begin to understand how these structures help the animal out in nature. They could be given the pictures of the antler sheddings and then asked to make predictions about why deer shed their antlers and what happens to them. Then they could use the resources listed below to understand and watch videos of the process. 
  • Create a claim about how deer lose their antlers and the importance of it. Identify and state evidence to support your claim.
  • Develop a claim on why some deer have larger antlers than others and what they use their antlers for. Identify and state evidence to support your claims. They can observe and reflect on different examples of deer using their antlers to fight each other for the female they want to mate. They can explain how this contributes to the antlers’ function of growth, survival, and/or reproduction. 

• BowHunters United | Deer Science: How Antlers Grow: Explains the life cycle of antlers and how deer shed them.
• University of Missouri | Antler Development in White-tailed Deer: Implications for Management: This teacher-focused article explains the purpose of antlers and how they grow.