ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK - As the seasons turn, so do the signs from nature signaling the changes. While we are still in the throes of winter, some of the signs of the shift toward spring are just now beginning.  

One of the biggest clues is found with our neighbors in the deer family, as they have begun their annual shed of last year’s antlers to make way for the new. I have written extensively in the past about antler growth, so it’s only fair to cover the other side of the coin as we start to see our male mule deer, elk, and moose strutting around “topless.”  

As spring approaches and daylight lengthens, the additional light triggers a hormone reaction within each bull signaling the time of “letting go.” 

As the body prepares to begin the growth of new antlers, the first step is to lose the old growth. Thus, beginning as early as mid-January and continuing into April, the antlers begin to fall off like a baby tooth being pushed out of its socket to make way for the newer, bigger one. 

When the antler is “dropped,” it often leaves the bloodied socket of the pedicle (the “node” where antlers grow from) to scab over and heal before the next growth begins to emerge, in a few weeks to a month or so, as a fuzzy nub.

The time of shedding varies greatly across the spectrum of species, as well as with individual members of each species. I have seen some bull elk in a bachelor herd lose their antlers in late February, while other members of the same herd hold on until early April before the drop. 

Adolescent spike males will tend to keep their antlers longer than adults, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month or so. This trait of the younger individuals also holds true when it comes to the shedding of velvet in the late summer.  

While shed antlers can be hard to find (in all my years of traipsing about the wilds in the winter, I have yet to find anything freshly dropped), it helps to know that they are often discovered in areas of winter bedding and foraging game trails. 

Heavily sheltered areas in the forest near ample food sources tend to produce some of the best results, as these places are where the animals spend a lot of their time out of the winds and potentially deeper snow.

It does bear noting that Colorado is quite strict when it comes to shed hunting. While it is legal to gather sheds found on private land (as long as one is not trespassing), the hunting and gathering of antler sheds on any public land is illegal west of I-25 from January 1 through April 30 (and later in some areas). 

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife website notes: “Violators of these regulations may now face a $137 fine per violation. The act of shed antler hunting, as well as the illegal possession of each shed antler, are now viewed as separate offenses subject to individual fines. In addition to fines, each violation carries five license suspension points that are assessed against the violator's privilege to apply for, purchase, or exercise the benefits conferred by any licenses issued by CPW.”

This prohibition is in place to help protect the animals from being stressed and pressured out of their seasonal habitats when they are the most vulnerable. 

Sheds are also a natural source of calcium and other minerals for many creatures. Quite a popular seasonal treat for rodents, an antler can be devoured quite rapidly, providing much needed nutritional benefits at the end of a long season of dwindling food sources.  

In the case of the young bull seen in the photograph, he was found happily grazing with a few herd brothers in the beginning of March. All of them had already lost their racks within the several weeks prior to this encounter. Just down the road, a few other bulls were found still proudly sporting the previous year’s trophies. 

As you can see, this bull’s pedicle had healed nicely, and it was likely only a matter of weeks before he began the process anew.  He seemed to be sporting a gentle smile, as though happy to be unburdened of the weight, at least for a little while, before his weighty new crown emerged.

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