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Antler/Horn?

2K views 37 replies 27 participants last post by  CT... 
#1 ·
Hey everyone. Ok, antlers are shed right? Horns arent right? So you shoot a buck, normally his he would have shed his "antlers" but wont since you shot him so are they considered horns now? Just poped into my head. Let me know what you think!

Ricky
 
#3 ·
Shed???????????



I know this is picky but Pronghorn Antelope have horns that they shed every year. Maybe your buck deer that you shot just has new non shedding antlers LOL
 
#5 ·
I guess i know what I mean..lol. Normaly they are antlers because they are shed. If I shoot him, they wont shed anymore making them horns right? Or once an antler always an antler? Its late, im tired, ha :confused:.

Ricky
 
#7 ·
Antlers

Ok I may be wrong here but. Aren't antlers made of bone and horns are made of hair grown around a bone core??????
 
#11 ·
#13 ·
Funny this came up today. I was watching a hunting show tonight where the exec producer was the hunter on Elk. He referred to the elk's horns. I think they are antlers. Which are they on an elk? As an aside, I sometimes hear hunters call deer antlers "horns" on these shows. If he's a Pro or a host, it irks me that they can't refer to the bone mass on their game's head correctly.
 
#16 ·
I think I understand where you got confused;

You thought that while a deer was wearing his headgear it's known as horns, and that once he drops them they become known as antlers.
Well...NO.

Deer(cervidae) have antlers, antlers are made of calcium carbonate, and they shed each year after a regrowing period during in which they are richly vascularized to supply the nutrients need to grow. This is the velvet period. Antlers do have blood vessels but they become dried up and the circulation is cut off once they are ready to drop.
Typically only the male of any species has antlers, with the exception of caribou. The only deer that do not grow antlers are the Chinese water deer.

Now horns are an entirely different thing. They are found on Bovines, which encompasses cattle, caprines(goats) ovines(sheep) and antelopea.
Horns have a 2 part structure. An interal piece of bone that is part of the animals skull which is covered by the external sheath made from keratin, like fingernails. Horns can not be shed, and continue to grow throughout the animals' life.

Pronghorn antelope are a trerrible example to throw in here because they are the are the only animal that sheds it's horns. However they do it differently to a deer. They only shed a sheath, and don't regrow the horn under velvet, it stays in place. They are also the only horns that branch out into separate points or tines.

So put simply:

HORNS = NOT DEER

ANTLERS = DEER

COWS = HORNS

DEER = ANTLERS
 
#18 ·
Antlers are certainly shed. Typically horns are not, but sometimes they are, depends on the species.

An Antler is solid mass. Horns are basically hollow (hence the term "horn", and indeed many animal horns were used as "horns" by our anscestors.)

Antlers are made out of a substance similar to bone. Horns are more like fingernails.

So, it answer the Q, if you shoot an antlered deer, the headgear is still known as antlers.
 
#24 ·
So, it answer the Q, if you shoot an antlered deer, the headgear is still known as antlers.
Finally, thas what i was wondering. I was thinking that since they couldnt shed them they might be called horns. Thanks!

The animal is also no longer living, so it is no longer growing. The antlers will not shed with out the new ones growing in. Antlers bro, nice try though.

:darkbeer:
Ok! Again this is what I was looking for!

Ricky
 
#21 ·
WRONG ANSWER !!

Deer do not and never have had HORNS.They have antlers either on or off the head.Sheep,goats,bovine,and african game has horns .Hornd are a sheath that is not regrown every year .Antlers are shead and grown ever year ,they are fastes growing tissue in the animal kingdom at up to an inch a day.So in fact calling any antler on or off on any deer speicies is total wrong as they are not GOATS OR SHEEP!!!:)
 
#29 ·
Hey, it makes sense to me. If they area antlers when they shed, hey cant shed anymore so they might be horns! Just a simple statement everyone no need to get all crazy.

Ricky
 
#35 ·
Ok, so my pickup has a horn...but if I get in a wreck and it falls off (sheds), do I go to the autoparts store and tell them that I need a new car antler, since the vehicle shed the last one?

So many new things to worry about every day...
 
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