When Do Moose Antlers Start to Begin Flattening?

A male moose grows a new set of antlers each winter and sheds those same antlers the following spring. Moose antlers can be more than 5 feet wide. Only male moose, called bulls, grow antlers.

  1. New Growth

    • Antler growth in moose begins in late winter with the formation of velvet, a soft, blood-filled skin that fosters development. A pair of moose antlers can grow to 50 lbs. and span more than 5 feet wide when measured from tip to tip. The largest antlers are on bulls that are 10 to 12 years of age.

    Antler Shape

    • Bull moose have what are known as palmate antlers, meaning they resemble the shape of an open hand. Yearlings grow only spikes or forks. As a moose ages, its antlers begin to flatten out and grow larger, beginning the second year and continuing until maximum growth occurs about a decade later.

    Function

    • Moose use the antlers to display dominance over other male moose and often fight by clashing antlers together. Research also shows that the shape of a moose's antlers gives them exceptional hearing.