|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 29,909 Likes: 10
Campfire Ranger
|
OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 29,909 Likes: 10 |
SE Oregon here and mule deer. Returning from a dental run and passed 4 smallish to medium bucks just before hitting the driveway. Three of them were packing single antlers. Seems to be about a month early for the drop, but this was a poor year nutritionally with little to no fall green up either.
1Minute
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 250
Campfire Member
|
Campfire Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 250 |
Ok, this is Wisconsin and I'm referring to whitetails. Several years ago, in the middle of December, I shot a nice 8 pointer (eastern count). By the time I followed the blood trail to its conclusion, he'd lost both antlers. Knocked 'em off on his death run. Fortunately, I retraced his route and found them both. I talked to the local DNR game manager who told me that rutting stress was the culprit. The deer that are most active will lose their antlers first. Can't say if it's the same for mulies, but they are deer.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,326
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,326 |
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects
I have a shotgun so I have no need for a 30-06.....
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,331
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,331 |
Shot a nice 8 point December 30 several years ago in the UP bow hunting there was 2' of snow on the ground....buck went 100 yards running when I got to him buried in the snow grabbed a horn and it came off.....now it was bald walked back and found the other side.... Then the dilemma how do I tag the buck punch the tag 4 points on each side because I had the horns from the buck or punch buck no points.... Ended up punch buck no points and butchered the deer the next day....
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,368
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,368 |
The first whitetail I ever took 28 years ago was on December 26th......thought I hand shot a doe, but actually a buck that had recently lost both horns.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 26,550 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 26,550 Likes: 3 |
Neighbor shot a Virginia whitetail last week, grabbed it by the antlers and one came off in his hand. Very early for that to happen here.
FJB & FJT
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,833 Likes: 20
Campfire Savant
|
Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 151,833 Likes: 20 |
Usually late February down here
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 22
New Member
|
New Member
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 22 |
We have almost a month of season left
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,859
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,859 |
There’s been a couple bull elk on the national elk refuge in Jackson that have shed their antlers already.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,507
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,507 |
i have seen it happen several times around this time of the year virginia/west virginia
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,564
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,564 |
Shot a small buck in Pa yesterday with the flintlock. Still had both antlers and they stayed on until I took the saw to them.
Dale
This space for rent
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 32
Campfire Greenhorn
|
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 32 |
I've had big bucks with horns thru late February some years. I think it depends on their food supply.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,368 Likes: 3
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,368 Likes: 3 |
Neighbor shot a Virginia whitetail last week, grabbed it by the antlers and one came off in his hand. Very early for that to happen here. Hunted Saturday and saw a small 6 pt that is just a 3 pt now. Seems early.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,358
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,358 |
I have cellular cameras out and the bucks on camera dropped 1 or both within 24hrs of our season ending (12/11) this year. In the past years they went well into February. As of 12/14 no antlers seen on them, just bald spots.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,016 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,016 Likes: 1 |
I have had more than one old timer in PENN tell me that the larger bucks that breed a lot will lose their antlers a lot earlier than the other bucks will. Which would explain why some large bucks "disappear" during hunting season
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 3,544 Likes: 3
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 3,544 Likes: 3 |
The only antler shed I ever found did not endear me to my "boss"! (also my b-i-l!) Went to work and a tire guy was at the barn putting a new back tire on the tractor. I serviced the tractor and swather while the guy finished putting the tire on. The field was across the road. Before the tire guy got packed up, the new tire was flat. There was a shed antler embedded deeply in the new tire.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,518
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,518 |
I’m noticing a few one-siders here too.
If we live long enough, we all have regrets. But the ones that nag at us the most are the ones in which we know we had a choice.
Doug
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 952
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 952 |
I killed a late archery season 7 point yesterday evening and the buck knocked both antlers off when he crashed and died after a short run.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,745
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,745 |
Camp is where you make it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,165
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,165 |
Probably 35 years ago I shot the biggest doe in a group of two. I thought it was odd in the manner in which they passed by. Ended up being a buck that had shed both sides and it was Jan 1. Back then I was disappointed because the Buck didn’t have antlers and any antlers were awesome to me. This was Georgia.
Normally I see deer hold their antlers here until February and sometimes even early March! I have one so far that dropped one side this year…but I’m not seeing many deer on cameras either.
Regards, Nick- Georgia
|
|
|
|
360 members (16gage, 17CalFan, 10gaugemag, 16penny, 12savage, 1936M71, 48 invisible),
2,082
guests, and
1,135
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,859
Posts18,497,148
Members73,979
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|