One Down, One to Go: The Awkward Phase of Antler Drop. It’s that time of year again—bull elk are shedding their antlers. I just watched a bull with both antlers intact, and then, in an instant, one popped off. You could almost see the moment of confusion as he trotted up the hill and started shaking his head, trying to get rid of the other one. Can you imagine? Carrying around a massive set of antlers for months, sometimes weighing up to 20 pounds, and then suddenly losing one? Talk about lopsid