White-tailed deer shed their antlers every year prior to the re-growth of new ones. it may surprise you to find out that the entire shedding process takes only two to three weeks to complete, and of course the re-growth phase takes place over the summer up into very early fall.. Throughout this time, deer begin to lose the velvet on their antlers. it usually b egins to happen in november in north america. the biggest reason behind this is a drop in testosterone in the deer. as the testosterone drops, the antlers begin to loosen and eventually fall off.. In tropical species, antlers may be shed at any time of year, and in some species such as the sambar, antlers are shed at different times in the year depending on multiple factors. some equatorial deer never shed their antlers..
Many assume that bucks feel pain when their antlers are shed. this is likely not the case. in one study, researchers discovered that whitetails, when under extreme stress, produce naturally high levels of b-endorphin (especially in fall), which supports a high pain threshold and rapid wound healing.. Most deer will shed their antlers pretty soon after the rutting season is over. the antlers primarily serve to allow bucks to spar over females during the breeding season and serve little purpose once their task is over.. When do deer shed their antlers. rut season for deer varies as per location and species, and accordingly, the timing when deer shed their antlers varies as per rut season. experienced antler hunters are well aware that it is very difficult to try and guess when the deer will shed their antlers due to various factors at play..
