Instead, bucks use their antlers to establish dominance over other bucks in a forceful pushing and shoving match. Only the strongest and most dominant males have an opportunity to mate from fall through the middle of the winter. After mating season, bucks lose their antlers when they simply drop off. When a buck has passed its prime, or food is poor, the antlers may not fully develop. Thus, antlers serve as a tool for ensuring the genetic strength of the population.
Science is constructed of facts as a house is of stones.
But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. This collection could include pictures of tracks, urine marks, browse marks, and beds. Ask students how we know the artifacts were left behind by deer. Remind students that deer signs are a way predators or humans know a deer has been in the area. Native Americans were skilled trackers and hunters, using animal signs to guide them to their prey.