Why do deer grow antlers?
Amazingly, as much as the whitetail deer has been studied by experts, there is still a lot of argument as to the reason whitetail deer grow antlers. One theory is that antlers serve as a secondary sexual characteristic. Some believe antlers play an important role in the breeding process and allow the more dominant buck to pass on those genes to the herd. Some argue, however, that the largest and strongest males sometimes dont have the largest set of antlers, thus poorer genes are often passed on by this process. They also argue that since antlers serve no real purpose for whitetail deer, why would it be important to pass on the genes of large antlers? Would it not be more important to pass on the genes of superior strength or speed, or the ability to smell? Others believe antlers are a defense against predators. Many experts scoff at that saying whitetail deer have no predators other than man and automobiles. Coyote you say? When is the last time you saw a whitetail buck stay and fight
