Deer antlers are an incredibly fascinating biological phenomenon. The shape of the antlers varies from very small sharp “barbs” to typical and atypical fantastic racks. To better understand the parts of a deer antler, we’ll first examine basic deer antler terminology, the difference between antlers and antlers, and then move on to the correct name for each deer antler part.

Antler Terms

Spot: a projection on an antler that is at least one inch long.

Shelf: refers to the set of antlers of a particular deer. All racks fall into two classifications; typical or not typical.

Typical: Typical ribs are those horns that look like a classic or “normal” rib. On a 10-point dollar (a dollar with a shelf that has a total of ten points), the dollar would show five matching points on each side, and the placement of these points would be in typical locations.

Atypical: Atypical racks, by definition, are racks that don’t look normal. They may exhibit non-matching points (for example, 3 points on one side and 5 on the other), they may have points that grow out of other points, or the points themselves may be abnormally shaped.

antlers vs. horns

Horns are found on ibex, bighorn sheep, bison, and other game animals. Horns, unlike antlers, grow throughout an animal’s life. If they are lost or damaged for any reason, they cannot be replaced. The surface of the horns is made of keratin, much like human fingernails. They are alive, in the sense that they receive nutrients from the blood vessels inside the horn.

Deer, like moose and moose, have antlers, not horns. Antlers are not made of keratin, they are dead bone that grows out of the animal’s skull. The antlers tend to be much longer than the horns and have numerous branches. Deer grow annually and shed their antlers annually. Antler tissue is said to be the fastest growing mammalian tissue known to man. Even the largest rack of a mature deer grows in about three to four months!

Parts of a deer antler

Pedicle: The base of the deer’s antler, where the antler bone meets the deer’s head.

beam: The central stem of the antlers, from which all other points arise.

eyebrows: The first split or point off the beam.

bay pole: The second division (or point above the brow tooth).

royal horn: The third division at the antlers (or point above the bay antler).

surreal horn: The fourth division or point above the royal horn.

Forks: The end of the deer antlers, where the central beam splits in two.

Palm: The end of a deer’s antlers where the central beam splits into several points, resembling the human hand.

crown tin: A tooth that grows out of the end of a deer’s antler, the tips on the fork or palm.

These terms should help you correctly identify and discuss the different parts of a deer antler.