Bull moose drop their antlers every winter

Bull moose lose their antlers in the middle of winter. Moose biologist Bill Samuel puts it between mid-December and the end of January for most bulls, and Grand Teton National Park notes that young bulls can hang on to theirs as late as March.

The trigger is the end of the fall breeding season. As testosterone drops, the bone at the base of each antler breaks down until the antler simply falls off.

New antlers start growing in spring, around April or May, and keep growing through the summer. By late summer the new set is full size, just in time for the next rut.

So the wreath on our moose is on a short lease. Come January, it's going to need somewhere else to hang.

Wear the Moose Christmas

A big bull moose plows through fresh snow across a frozen northwoods lake at sunset, a lopsided Christmas wreath hooked on one antler and a chickadee riding along on top.

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