Antler Development in White-tailed Deer: Implications for
Management Robert A. Pierce II Fisheries and Wildlife State
Specialist School of Natural Resources Missouri Department of
Conservation Missouri Department of Conservation Antlers are
among the most identifiable characteristics of species of the
deer family, Cervidae, which comprises caribou, elk, moose, mule
deer and white-tailed deer (Figure 1). Antlers have been prized
and pursued by hunters for many centuries. Their rapid growth
and deciduous (regrown each year) nature has made them
fascinating for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Within
the past decade, many Missouri landowners have refocused their
white-tailed deer management objectives to allow more male deer
in the population the opportunity to reach older age classes
and, thus, the potential to produce larger antlers. An
understanding of the factors that control antler growth and
implications on managing white-tailed deer populations is
important to achieve these quality deer management