bucks starting to shed!


rockefeller66

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Re: bucks starting to shed!

Same thing here. I have never seen a buck that shed before our season closes (dec. 15th) until this year. It was an early winter with snow coming early in good amounts, and very cold. We seemed to have a long rut too. I guess the combination has them shedding early. Two days ago we shot a "doe" which was a buck that shed both already, and a buddy shot one today and showed me it had one antler when he shot it, and when dragging it that one popped off.

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Re: bucks starting to shed!

Bucks should really not be shedding yet at this time of year. It is true that towards the end of the season, a bucks antlers will begin to "loosen." Therefore, when dragging a buck out of the woods in the late season, you should take special care not to put a lot of stress on the antlers. Dragging by the front legs with the head off the ground would probably be the best. I've even heard of antlers falling off a bucks head when bouncing along on the back of an ATV. I would say that any bucks you have spotted with missing antlers, would have to be a result of knocking it off, not just shedding.

There's my two cents, and maybe a little more.

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Re: bucks starting to shed!

No, the deer are actually shedding. The hard fall has them in a weakened state and they are dropping early. Today i heard of a couple more deer shot missing antlers, and the one we shot had cleanly shed both at least a week or so earlier looking at the bases. It is not normal, but if for whatever reason the bucks are in rough shape they will shed this early. Unfortunately that is an indication a lot of them are likely going to die over teh winter.

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Re: bucks starting to shed!

I posted this in the photography section too, but this looks like the REAL proper place to put it. wink.gif

This guy showed up on the wintering grounds a few days ago - right after the season was over. I guess he migrated from God knows where with the myriad other deer that show up mysteriously every year.

Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 14

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Picked up Thursday morning, Dec 15

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Thursday afternoon

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The vast majority of whitetails here seem to have lost their antlers by the end of December. Even though it has been unusually cold this December, the shedding seems to be true to form. Every year the earliest observations are right about mid December. Mule deer hang on a month or more longer than the whitetails.

The shed measures a fraction over 60".

BTW, as of late this afternoon, he was still hanging on to the remaining side.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest PSEHUNTER087

Re: bucks starting to shed!

This is wierd as far as i have encountered in my area the deer have dropped their antlert in late january and february, but this year i found two sheds fresh with blood on them a few days before christmas, we have had early low temperatures, and i wish i knew more about it so i knew for sure that explains it. Thanks guys for sharing!!

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