UMaine Student Talks with Bill Green About Why Deer, Moose Lose Antlers
Kirk Michaud, a junior wildlife biology major at the University of Maine, spoke with Bill Green for a segment on WLBZ (Channel 2) about what causes deer and moose to lose their antlers. Michaud, who recently wrote a paper on the topic for his vertebrate biology class, said shorter days and colder weather triggers the loss of antlers. In his paper, he explains antlers are bone which grow from the skull of deer and moose and they are used primarily for sparring in the fall. As the days get shorter and it gets colder, it triggers testosterone levels to drop, which causes the bone that holds the antlers to deteriorate.