John Plummer, age 8, of Scarborough, Me., for his question:

Do deer shed all or only part of their antlers?

The deer sheds his entire antler each fall and grows a complete new set during the spring and summer. Even a baby buck grows and sheds a pair of little spikey antlers each year.

The big deer's new antlers begin as soft bumps on his forehead, As they grow they are covered with skin and soft fur. The handsome stag is then said to be in the velvet because his antlers seem to be covered with velvet. They are very sensitive at this time for the hard antlers are covered with flesh and nerves.

When they have finished growing, the velvet dries up and the stag rubs his antlers on tree trunks to clean it away. He now carries a magnificent crown of hard antlers and he is all ready to do battle for his wives and children.