Most deer antlers have eight points, but in 2021 a hunter took down a 26-POINT buck west of Colorado Springs. Like the leaves of a tree, antlers grow and fall off every year, so a large and sturdy rack is a sign of years of good health.
It’s a process that uses a lot of the animal’s resources. In a bull moose, a quarter of the food it eats goes to antlers that grow a pound a day. And the body of an under-nourished bull elk will direct calcium to antlers instead of bone. Bucks and bulls use antlers to compete for mates, then shed them after the rut. But shed antlers still have a role to play in the forest. Mice, squirrels and porcupines will chew on them for protein and minerals. Since 2018 in Colorado, shed antlers themselves are still considered "wildlife." It’s illegal to collect them on public lands west of I-25 from January through April.
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
