When do moose shed their antlers

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If someone says moose horns instead of antlers, they are using the wrong term. Only cows, goats, sheep and other animals in the bovine family grow horns. Horns contain keratin, which is not bone, but is instead the same material that makes up hair and fingernails.

Female moose do not have antlers, as they do not engage in fighting during the mating season. As antlers grow, a form of velvety growth covers the bone until the moose rubs it off just prior to the mating season.

Once the rutting season — the mating season — completes, antlers fall from the mooses' heads, usually at the same time, but sometimes one side drops before the other. All animals in the Cervidae family shed their antlers yearly. Moose are the largest members of the Cervidae family. As a hoofed animal — ungulate — these creatures grow quite large. Instead they sit on something called a pedicle.

The antler grows out of this pedicle, but when testosterone levels drop following the rut as a result of the photoperiod shrinking the pedicle weakens. This stops antler growth altogether. The low hormone level activates the osteoclast cells. Osteoclasts eat away at the pedicle and cause the antlers to just fall off. The shedding process does not hurt the animals at all—as long as the pedicle is completely prepared for the separation.

As I have researched, I have seen pretty wide ranges of when people think moose shed their antlers. Some sites say that as early as late October basically as soon as the rut is over. Other researchers point out that moose start sheding their antlers in December. Younger bulls will hold onto their antlers maybe as late as the end of February. My guess is that it depends on where the moose live. If they live farther north, the animals may need to ditch the antlers sooner to beat the heavy snows of winter.

In addition to where they live and age, the following factors will also influence when moose lose their antlers:. This can delay the timing of antler drop. Shed hunting is a growing hobby in the United States. It seems like more and more people are heading into the hills to find sheds of deer and elk sheds.

Finding a moose shed is a great treat for anyone that is of a mind to find them. Yes, you can hunt for moose sheds just like you would hunt for any other shed antlers in the spring or summer months. If you are interested in looking for moose sheds, but have no idea where to start, check out my article on 21 Awesome Tips for Shed Hunting.

All you need to start shed hunting is a place where moose hang out in the winter months think January and February , a good pair of hiking boots, some binoculars, and a pack of goodies when you need a snack. I also think it is a good idea to take a dog along for the walk.

Even if you have never taught your dog to look for sheds, he might pick it up. A high moose population, combined with milder winters, created ideal conditions for the tick to thrive. High numbers of ticks sometimes in the tens of thousands feeding on a moose cause the animal to lose a lot of blood, and as the winter progresses, the affected moose will rub off a lot of hair. Despite the devastation wrought by the winter tick, moose populations still persist.

Early reports from New Hampshire say that calf survival is higher this year. In the northern parts of the state, snow fell and stayed earlier than recent years. Once snow falls, the ticks stop attaching to moose.

The longer it takes for snow to arrive, the longer time the ticks have to attach to a host moose. Earlier snowfalls give the moose more of a chance. And as moose numbers decline, tick numbers should decline as well. Central and southern New England is at the southern end of moose range; since winters are milder the further south you go, the more susceptible moose will be to ticks. But even as far south as Massachusetts, moose are still holding on.

My parents recently had a moose in their backyard in north central Massachusetts, and from the pictures they showed me, it looked fairly healthy. Like all wildlife, moose populations will continue to respond to habitat conditions, predation, parasites, and diseases.