Submitted by Patricia Skibko, Wildlife Apprentice
If you want to see elk with their antlers, come now to the Elk & Bison Prairie. Each year bull elk lose their antlers in the early spring.
Antlers typically fall off independently of each other. Usually both shed within about one week. They take a lot of punishment through fights with other bulls during the mating season.
When elk lose their antlers, new ones start growing almost immediately. Throughout a bull’s lifetime each new set of antlers grown are larger than the last. Elaborate antlers are an indicator that an elk bull is a strong and desirable mate.
Throughout this natural process, elk replace their damaged or broken antlers. Remember that even though the animal is done with his antlers, it is still illegal to collect any shed antlers found in the Elk & Bison Prairie.
