I ARROWED A DOE LAST WEEK(OR THOUGHT IT WAS A DOE). THE DEER WAS A BUCK THAT HAD DROPPED ITS ANTLERS. IS THIS EARLY FOR ANTLERS TO BE DROPPING? IM THINGING IT WAS A SPIKE OR SMALL RACK DEER AND THE ANTLERS WOULD DROP SOONER. ANY INFO?
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I ARROWED A DOE LAST WEEK(OR THOUGHT IT WAS A DOE). THE DEER WAS A BUCK THAT HAD DROPPED ITS ANTLERS. IS THIS EARLY FOR ANTLERS TO BE DROPPING? IM THINGING IT WAS A SPIKE OR SMALL RACK DEER AND THE ANTLERS WOULD DROP SOONER. ANY INFO?
No actually its not, it says they start droping them in late december and they really drop them in february.
saw a little eight point today that still had both antlers
It's very unusual for a buck of any size to shed his rack this early. I shed hunt alot and have a fairly large collection and about the earliest I can ever remember finding one was at the end of Jan. However anything is possible, and usually the first racks to come off are the bigger deer with large headgear, small ones tend to carry theirs much longer.
In '97 I found the shed to a 12 pointer, both sides, within 2 feet of each other and this was the last day of late muzzleloader season. The sheds even had specs of blood at the base. This would have been around the 15th-20th of December. So i guess it just depends on the deer.
I was thinking about fabricating a feeding station filled with corn that would have two metal post. When the deer stick their head through the post it would knock the antlers off. Got the idea from a buddy who doea this in Kansas every year with good results. Has anyone ever done this?
The antler loss is due mainly because of the tetosterone levels dropping in the bucks. If almost all the does have been bred and the rut is over the levels drop . Thus the deer's body goes thru a change . The amount of daylight in the day has a little effect on it but not much. I know a guy who got drawn for one of the Jan. quota hunts ,he shot a buck in one of the trophy areas that had to have a 15 inch spread. After shooting this deer while he was feild dressing it one of the antlers fell off. He took it to the check station where the law officer promptly wrote him a ticket. He said the deer couldn't have a spread with only one horn attached .
My father talked to a guy that had the photos of the biggest
sized sheds he has ever seen.The guy said that his biggest
sheds always come in late December. Hope this helps
Saw four bucks sat. all with attached headgear. Biggest appeared to be a 2 1/2 year old 10pt and a spike was bringing up the rear . These deer were with a large group of does. All bucks were traveling together and not the least bit interested in does. The does did not seem to be nervous around the bucks at all. I'm thinking they had already been bred and the "herd" has started to settle down, horns should start dropping soon (warren, co). Who knows for sure? I for one will be very disappointed to see this deer season come to an end. It has been very memorable and like the seasons before I feel as though I have learned a great deal from my quarry.
May all of your arrows fly straight and true.
bluegilln
I was out looking around on Saturday and found a rub with wood shavings on top of the snow. It was a very large tree, about as big around as your leg. The buck was still hitting that rub as it had snowed on Thursday.
MY BROTHER GOT A NICE 8PT. THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER. WHEN WE WENT TO MOVE HIM TO A GOOD DRESSING SPOT, BOTH ANTLERS POPPED OFF. ON JANUARY 10, THE LUCKY DOG GOT A BIG 10PT OUT OF THE SAME STAND. WHEN WE GOT TO THE DEER THE LEFT ANTLER WAS LAYING BESIDE HIS HEAD. WE HAD DONE PLAYED THIS GAME TWO WEEKS BEFORE, AND THIS WAS A WALL HANGER! WE CARFULLY DRESSED, LOADED AND TRANSPORTED THE BUCK HOME WITH THE RIGHT ANTLER STILL INTACT. WHEN I RECEIVED THE DEER FROM THE PROCESSER TO MOUNT,(I AM A TAXIDERMIST)THE RIGHT ANTLER HAD TAKEN THE SAME FATE AS THE LEFT.