cinch314 Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 The bucks are still holding on to the antlers, fighting vigourously and seem to be in another rut right now? Is it because they never really had a full rut in November and December? Or is it that the weather are throwing them off too? IF that is the case, hunting is going to be difficult in the years to come if the weather keeps doing what its done for the last two years and throwing the ruts off. Would Oklahoma change there season to allow bowhunting till March or will they choose to keep it like it is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Global warming, it is all George Bush's fault.:eek: LOL. Dont know Miranda. Think bucks here have pretty well all dropped their antlers by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinch314 Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 My buddy and I compared the pics of our game cams and her place is like 30 to 45 miles from me and we both had a bunch of different bucks with the racks on still and pics of them fighting and such, especially when there was a doe close by. Its weird, because when I was out hunting, the rut never really happened but it really seems to be going now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Bucks will fight year around......Still have to keep the pecking order in place I would doubt the rut is still going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinch314 Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 But why do they still have their antlers????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philray Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 I was talking to a couple of friends that have property in Central Oklahoma and they have seen bucks with antlers still on as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 But why do they still have their antlers????? That's a very good question. I imagine deer lose their antlers at different times in different areas? I take it from your remarks that OK deer normally shed by now. I know in IL I generally stop seeing antlered deer in February. I wouldn't be too surprised to see antlered deer in late Feb. I would be suprised to see them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Most of ours are still holding on too, and every single scrape is worked. To be honest, every year it seems like the scrapes are worked later and later into the year.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinch314 Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Yea our scrapes are getting worked hard here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtech_archer07 Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Here in IL, it's not uncommon for deer to hold onto their antlers into late Feb, and even early March, but this late would get me to thinking. Don't know why bucks are still holding onto them. As for scrapes, we were shed hunting and say some scrapes that were being worked and most of the deer around here have shed. I think it would be like Todd said, they still have to keep the pecking order and that's 1 way to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuster11 Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 It's not uncommon for antlers to be on this time of year. Up here they drop anywhere from December-April. The hormones and nutritional level on each individual deer is a big factor on when bucks lose their antlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Deer drop their antlers when their testosterone level drops. Testosterone levels drop after the rut, when breeding activity slows or stops. Supposedly mild winters may have an effect. Nutrition is another factor. According to some reading I have done in different parts of the country deer have been noted still carrying antlers in the beginning of May. Does can and will continue to come in until they are bred, it is not a once a year cycle if they do not successfully breed. Possible you have does around that missed the primary and secondary ruts and it has been just enough to keep the bucks continuing breeding I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotman Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Bucks will fight year around......Still have to keep the pecking order in place I would doubt the rut is still going on. Yea I would have to agree. Deer do makes scrapes out of season aswell here is a quoted text from One of the many books I own on whitetail deer. "Whitetail Country by Daniel J. Cox photographer and John Ozoga text" Scrapes, made by white-tailed bucks primarily during the courtship and breeding period(although I've found some made in May, and others suggest that summertime scraping does occur),appear to serve two distinct purposes, one being to attract breeding females, and the other to intimidate rival males Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Quote: Originally Posted by toddyboman Bucks will fight year around......Still have to keep the pecking order in place I would doubt the rut is still going on. Yea I would have to agree. Deer do makes scrapes out of season aswell here is a quoted text from One of the many books I own on whitetail deer. Quote: "Whitetail Country by Daniel J. Cox photographer and John Ozoga text" Scrapes, made by white-tailed bucks primarily during the courtship and breeding period(although I've found some made in May, and others suggest that summertime scraping does occur),appear to serve two distinct purposes, one being to attract breeding females, and the other to intimidate rival males Deer, does included will use some scrapes year round. Those are called community scrapes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nywhitetail9339 Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 oklahoma had Rain this year the deer do not see that much rain usually could be something to do with that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 My daughter and I saw a good buck last night that still had both sides, actually she seen it was a buck before me!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 it's rare for me to find a shed in March here in Oklahoma--most of my sheds start showing up the first of April. I just checked my cams this last weekend and had several bucks still carrying their antlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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