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How a deer sheds its antlers — and why some people collect them

Every year male deer naturally shed their antlers. 'Shed hunting' is the practice of scouring woodlands in search of these discarded antlers, and Chris Durocher has found over 30 so far this year.

'Shed hunting' is the practice of searching for discarded antlers

CBC News ·
A man wearing orange overalls holds up two deer antlers.
Chris Durocher has over 200 antlers in his collection. (Mike Evans/CBC)

You might not know this, but male deer — bucks — lose their antlers every winter. 

Once a deer has shed its antlers, it might have to wait until spring before it grows a new pair. This renewable process has given some people a new hobby. 

"Shed hunting" is the process of scouring woodlands in search of discarded antlers, sometimes from deer and sometimes from moose. One Windsor, Ont., -based shed hunter, Chris Durocher, has found over 30 deer antlers so far this year across the county.

"There's a chemical reaction, the calcium builds up over the pedicle and it literally happens within seconds," Durocher said. "Sometimes they drop them both right on the same spot, sometimes he'll drop one and not the other for a week."

Durocher has been shed hunting for eight years, and has found the practice is a good way to keep him busy during his varied hunting schedule. 

"I am an avid hunter, so this time of year there isn't too much going on before the turkey hunting season starts," he said. "It's nice to get out in the woods, enjoy the spring and find the odd deer antler laying on the ground."

Getting out there 

A vast collection of deer antlers
Moose, caribou and deer are amongst the animals that shed their antlers annually. (Mike Evans/CBC)

Durocher certainly has an impressive collection of antlers. But, that doesn't mean that shed hunting comes easy. 

"It's difficult, they don't just pop out at you," he said.

"There are a few tricks to the trade that I won't share due to the amount of competition out there, but there is a real thrill of coming up in the woods and knowing that that animal dropped it off his head and left it — there is a nice prize for you."

Capturing it in action

Extraordinary moment with moose caught on camera

2 years ago
Duration 1:40
Woodsman Derek Burgoyne caught this bull moose shedding its antlers while he was surveying hardwood trees near Juniper, N.B.

Antlers being shed is a startling natural process, and very rarely is it captured in real time. 

Earlier this year, a woods operation supervisor Derek Burgoyne captured a bull moose shedding its antlers on his drone 40 kilometres east of Juniper, N.B.

"Never in my wildest dreams would ever imagine catching this on film," said Burgoyne. "This is winning the lottery when it comes to wildlife photography for sure."

Using the antlers 

Discarded antlers aren't just a prize for budding hunters. 

Durocher has found that many people have different uses for them and there has definitely been a popularity surge in shed hunting.

"Antler chandeliers, maybe a jewellery holder and people do like to give them to their dogs — they're high source of calcium," he said. "Like everything, social media has blown it up."

"There's always been shed hunters out there [and] we're fortunate to have a lot of deer ... but there is a lot of competition."

With files from Afternoon Drive and New Brunswick

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