Chapter 2: Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Identification

• Developing wildlife identification skills is a basic requirement for hunters. Mistakes can lead to illegal harvest of game or non-game animals. To identify game properly, you must learn to recognize key characteristics of the animal you’re hunting.
• Identifying animals accurately can be a challenge. Sometimes the difference between animals in the same species is subtle, such as the size of their ears or distinctive coloring. Recognizing tracks, scat, food sources, and habitat types also can help you identify animals.
• Some species are protected from hunting because their numbers are low and they produce no surplus to harvest.

Antlers vs. Horns

Members of the deer family (which includes caribou, deer, elk, and moose) have antlers. Antlers are solid bone and are shed annually. They are one of the fastest growing natural materials in the world. Antlers grow from the tip while horns grow from the base. Except for caribou, only male deer have antlers.

Horns are found on bison, sheep, and goats. Unlike antlers, horns are hollow, are never shed, and grow continuously. If broken, they do not grow back. They consist of a keratin sheath surrounding a core of bone. Females have horns with half-moon curves, while males have larger horns that curve around each side of the head.

Wildlife Glossary

The wildlife glossary which follows describes many animals that are commonly bowhunted. Be sure to check with your state or provincial regulations for species that are legal for bowhunting.