Moose Antlers

This impressive bull (male) Moose (Alces alces) was spotted near Canoe Lake recently (January 2015) and we noticed something looked different. Eventually we observed that this Moose had just one antler! Antlers are different than horns. Antlers are comprised of solid bone, grow for only one year, and Moose antlers are grown only by males. Horns on the other hand are generally hollow, grow throughout an animal’s life, and are never shed. Antlers are the fastest type of growing bone known, adding up to 2 centimetres daily, with Moose growing “racks” of antlers weighing up to 30 kilograms. This one-antlered Moose had already shed one antler and was quietly browsing on twigs while waiting for the thin layer of bone between the skull and antler to be resorbed, causing the second antler to fall off. In the weeks ahead, this mature Moose will start growing a new set of antlers covered in “velvet”. Its antlers will continue to grow until late summer and then be used during the mating season to dominate males, court potential mates, and no doubt impress a few Algonquin Park visitors.

Related Information

• Moose Aerial Inventory
• Moose Hairloss Survey
• Wildlife Watching