Day 43-45: Deer and Antlers

People who know me well know my fascination with Whitetail Deer. I never cared about deer or antlers until I moved to the Midwest, where my obsession with deer began. During the winter months, beginning in December and lasting until late March, male deer shed their antlers as testosterone levels drop and they become less territorial. The antlers' base just dissolves and they fall off. During this time of year I do a lot of trail running, and often find antlers while I'm running through ravines and across cut cornfields. Here's some photos of my finds this year so far:

A chewed-up antler from last year (rodents chew on the bone for the calcium)

Southern Illinois sure has a lot of deer!

I've found all of these while running, so I don't have pictures of them "as they lay"

Curious does