Just saw 2 eight pointers both were probably 2 1/2 year olds. It's been a warm winter here in Wis. Above normal temps and very little snow. The deer have it made this winter. The bucks aren't stressed so they'll be carrying there racks a little longer this year.
Any body else seeing bucks with there horns yet?
I haven't seen any this year. Saw one on April 10th at Kingsbury FW area in LaPorte, IN back in the early 1980's.
Here is one still with horns 10 days ago.
(http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg520/Joeabowhunter/PICT0162.jpg)
Got one up with both sides on Friday. All my pics still show all with two.
already finding a few sheds down here. guess maybe it works the opposite down south
All the ones on my lease have already shed their antlers. They started dropping them in late Dec. for whatever reason they drop early there.
Kinda been keeping notes for years on this sort of thing and not uncommon for whitetails to carry racks into March, some even into April. Do a search and you'll see late shedding threads here annually.
Several factors as to the cycle of antlers - genetics, nutrition, age, injury, stress, sexual activity, etc., but drop in testosterone levels is the main factor for shedding. Recently read in a magazine that the testosterone drops causing the skull to reabsorb calcium from the antlers weakening the bone at the pedicle to where they break off.
I've seen some with full head gear, some with none and some with only half. All within the last week.
My buddy hasen't found a shed horn this year and he's been looking almost every day since Dec. His best year i think he found 13 sheds.
We still are seeing bucks with antlers
here in Central Texas!
Ernie
Drop dates for the deer family are not really dates, more of a period.
It's kind of like a bell curve, starts slow, gets to a peak and then ends slow.
LRK - "It's kind of like a bell curve, starts slow, gets to a peak and then ends slow."
Yeah, tend to agree. Peak period in my area seems to about this time of year from mid/late February through early March annually, regardless of the weather.
Had a young buck cast one side in my back yard the other day. Seen him fully crowned on Sunday the 19th, and found his right antler Tuesday morning of the 21st.
i have been trying to shed hunt but still seeing quite a few bucks with headgear on here in NJ. actually seen active scrapes last week! i think this global warming has got the deer all screwed up!
Went into town last night and saw two groups of mule deer and all the bucks (five) still had both sides. Mild weather here as well . Maxx
We saw 4 bucks together with full racks and one with only one side. They may take a little longer this year to drop because of low stress and warmer weather. Mike
Found just a couple so far this year. Saw several bucks yesterday still with head gear two of them where real nice.
I just saw two seperate bucks here in central jersey still with their racks, one was a dandy! I can't ever recall seeing racks this late in the year.
2 young 6 points with their both antlers on my place on a trail camera from last wednesday.
I've went shed hunting twice in the past week and both times I jumped deer with rather nice full racked bucks bring up the rear as they bounded off! :dunno:
Found a decent one 2 weeks ago but most are still carrying even up here!
The weather has been so warm here that all still have their head gear.I've seen more deer driving at night than I saw all during the season,the rut her is in full swing it's crazy.
I saw a group of 5 deer beside the road yesterday at noon. 3 of the were wearing their racks.
The 3rd week in March is the latest I can vividly recall seeing bucks with racks.
Had to stop this evening to permit a tall tined 2 1/2 yr old to pass just in front of the truck.
I hunt in central Texas and our rancher said last week he has seen some nice bucks still with headgear. They figured out that the season was over so the bucks he has been seeing are next to our cabin.
Read recently that the controlling factor for deer dropping antlers is, as mentioned above, controlled by hormones. Once all or nearly all does have successfully bred, bucks will drop antlers. If does are still coming into estrus do to not breeding during the rut, buck hormones remain high and they do not drop antlers. Don't know if this is true. If so, bucks in areas with a low buck to doe ratio would retain antlers longer on average.
Here in southeast Texas, we've still got bucks with antlers. It's quite common to still see bucks with antlers into the month of March.
Just saw a little three point here still carrying.
I was out Monday and saw 4 bucks, and only one had dropped his antlers on one side.
Yeah I have 2 bucks on the trailcam sporting racks while hog hunting I saw 3 bucks w/ the bumps showing
Last weekend I saw two together and each had just one side left.
A buddy of mine saw several bucks a few weeks ago with full racks and then the next day he saw one with a half rack. Must be the mild winter. :dunno:
Down here in SC I have seen them well into March with antlers still.