Looking for them can be a good way to spend late winter days in the field. Usually only one side of the rack can be located at a time, because both sides of the antlers do not drop simultaneously. They are difficult to find after late winter because small mammals, mice and squirrels, eat the antlers for the calcium in them. A yearling buck can support a six to eight point rack by fall. This dispels the misconception that the age can be determined by the number of points.
Age is determined by the replacement and wear of the teeth.
Another misconception is that antlers are horns. Horns are not shed annually. They continue to grow through the year. Cattle and goats have horns. The deer family's bony structures are antlers because they are shed annually.