Out and About: Deer sheds antler

The Morrissette family in rural Garfield watched a buck shed an antler in their cornfield last week.

“I was watching it and it started rolling its head and walking around agitated,” said Alicia Morrissette. “I kept taking pictures because I was so curious if he was trying to drop his horn.”

Later, after the deer left, Alicia and her sons, Cole and Jack, searched the cornfield and found the antler.

“What a fun experience,” Alicia said. “So glad I got pictures of it all.” Male deer shed their antlers every year shortly after the fall mating season and grow back new ones. They use the antlers to fight other deer and predators such as dogs, coyotes and wolves.

Mice and squirrels often eat the fallen antlers, called “sheds,” for the nutritious minerals, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Tags: local news, news, photo, deer, antler