Buck still with Rack 4/5/10

[OHbuckeye1]

Here's a Buck still with His Rack 4/5/10.

Anyone have any idea what impact, if any a Buck carrying His Rack this late will have on his Rack next Season? I have some Pictures of Bucks starting to get knobs where their Racks are starting to grow.

[mallard_drake85]

Its been my experience that when younger bucks hold antlers late into the year, the following growth season is cut short (of course). That looks like a fairly young deer to me. He'll drop his rack soon and have a short down time before beginning his new regrowth. In short, he's essentially stunting his antler development season, however he still has a relatively long time (till september-ish) before his antlers cease growth and begin mineralization before hardening off into antler. But its not uncommon for young, immature bucks to hold antlers later than your dominate, older age class bucks.

just my 3 cents

mallard_drake8

[WHISKEYSWAMP]

i have a pic from last weekend with a buck still carrying... I've also seen bucks still holding on until late April in the same area I got the pic. not sure what the deal is but it seams common over there.

[TN Bucknasty]

Here's a Buck still with His Rack 4/5/10.

Anyone have any idea what impact, if any a Buck carrying His Rack this late will have on his Rack next Season? I have some Pictures of Bucks starting to get knobs where their Racks are starting to grow.

Deer in optimum health will usually hold a rack until just before the new antlers begin to grow. Therefore, this is a good sign. You're herd is probably not overly stressed and nutrition is good. The only drawback to this is that bucks will continue to spar longer and this can occasionally lead to a deformity in next years rack because of damage to the pedicles during the early stages of development.

[col3]

That is pretty cool considering here in manitoba if you see a buck with even one antler in late january, its amazing, most likely due to the cold winters, but that is deff somthing you would never dream of seeing here, none-the less, very cool

[Diamond Archer 01]

That is very cool.

[Prairiepredator]

Ya I still see some muleys with their antlers on...but not too many whitetail are still carrying them around here. I have never been exactly sure what time is normal for whitetails or muleys to drop their antlers. I just know mule deer are usually later.

[Muleyman]

Ya I still see some muleys with their antlers on...but not too many whitetail are still carrying them around here. I have never been exactly sure what time is normal for whitetails or muleys to drop their antlers. I just know mule deer are usually later.

Most of those muleys have dropped now. Ya I seen a few whitetails carrying late. Muleys do drop later but man some of those really held a long time. O well least that means that those muleys will have velvets long into bow season and you gotta love a big ol velvet buck.

[ChrisSeb53]

living in PA and hunting in PA my whole life I have never seen a mule deer... would be pretty cool to just see one someday