bucks still havent shed antlers?

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:14 pm

has anyone seen any bucks in the past few days with antlers still? Im having hell finding sheds this year but I havent seen any deer to tell if they still have their racks or not. Last year I found 15 and I have only find 2 sheds this year(small ones at that). Just checking to see if anyone has seen any with their headgear still on as of today

GREY OWL · Post by **GREY OWL** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:31 pm

Our Whitetails here Crazyfarmer, have pretty well all lost their head gear, but the Mule Deer generally keep the head sets for a little longer. I'm watching a fairly big Muley not far from my Moms farm. He's in with another smaller buck and about 6 does, in a small bluff. But there's still 2 1/2 feet of snow here still, makes it hard walking in that stuff.

Wing us a picture of all your sheds when your done looking.

Grey Owl

Fishn-Hunter · Post by **Fishn-Hunter** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:43 pm

Way too much snow here for shed hunting. I have not seen a deer since mid january, they are yarded up somewhere secluded in this neck of the woods. I am usually shed hunting in full swing around this time but not this year, maybe by april or may the way this winter is going

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:29 pm

CF,

I looked in Yorktown Battlefields yesterday and didn't find any, not sure if they dropped yet or not.

Rich

Sopchoppy · Post by **Sopchoppy** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:56 pm

Just checked my game camera; a small one still with antlers on 3/5. The gobblers are getting frisky; watched 2 long beards have a heck of a fight over 5 or 6 hens. They didn't seem to mind the 2 jakes; later saw one of the gobblers by himself; guess he was the loser.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:44 pm

CF,

We have regular scheduled hunts for sheds over a four week period and we know the times that most bucks cast their antlers here from past experience.

We also are still running our cuddybacks so we have a good idea as to who still has headgear and who does not.

We are absolutely astounded by how many bucks still have not cast their antlers. Never seen anything like this in the past ten years.

This is by far the latest we have gone with bucks still retaining their antlers and we have no idea why. The nutrition our bucks receive may have a lot to do with it, but I have no data to prove that.

We usually find the first week of march as being our best week of the hunt and we didn't pick up diddly this past week!

Doe Master · Post by **Doe Master** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:50 pm

Mike P do you think it has anything to do with this being the most snow on record ? It is just a question but you would think this would have stressed them and they would have dropped them sooner.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:11 pm

I have no idea Doe Master, not a clue. I don't see how the snow could affect the retention of antlers, but at this stage of the game, I'm willing to buy into any theory!

I talked to some of our neighbors on surrounding farms as I know they also keep meticulous records regarding the bucks and they are seeing the same thing we are.

My one partner the doc says he thinks it is strictly a "hormonal thing" that starts the casting process.

I told him I would let him know if we see any bucks experiencing hot flashes.

Excalibur Crossbow Forum

bucks still havent shed antlers?

bucks still havent shed antlers?

Sheds