Antlers Aren't Horns By Another Name

Friday, October 10, 2003
Hunting

This article was Archived on Monday, November 10, 2003

How many times have you heard a non-hunter refer to antlers as horns? Next time, think of it as an opportunity to share some of what you know and love about hunting and the species you hunt.

Here is a quick checklist to help increase a non-hunter’s appreciation for one of the differences among big game species.

Horns are:

made of a bony core covered by a thin layer of keratin, the same material as your fingernails;

slow growing and permanent; they are not shed each year;

more like daggers than branches;

usually grown by both sexes; and

usually grow in yearly “rings” that mark the animal’s age.

Species with horns are, for example, mountain goats and big horn sheep.

Antlers are:

Fast-growing bone that is shed each year

Usually grown by males only (though both sexes of caribou grow antlers); and

Often branched (but the number of points does not signify age.)

Species with antlers are, for example, deer, elk and moose.