Only the males have antlers, which start growing in the spring and are shed each winter. The largest antlers may be 1.2 m (4 ft) long and weigh 18 kg (40 lb).[16] Antlers are made of bone which can grow at a rate of 2.5 cm (1 inch) per day. While actively growing, the antlers are covered with and protected by a soft layer of highly vascularised skin known as velvet. The velvet is shed in the summer when the antlers have become fully developed.

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La période du rut s’étend de mi-septembre à fin octobre. Les femelles mettent bas entre fin mai et début juin, en général un seul faon. Les mâles sont agressifs à la saison des amours, et de ce fait dangereux.