I saw two bucks on the way home Friday that were each missing one side.  Also saw two others that were complete.  The ones missing an antler were smaller bucks than the others.

Yep everything was early this season around here

I don't think it's out of the norm. I've heard of or seen bucks that drop every Dec. I shot one by mistake afew seasons back. I think once there testosterone levels drop "It's over Johnny" that's when the come off. Young buck don't get much breeding in so they tend to hold them a bit longer. Seems like the big boys grow first and drop first.

The antlers are not dropping here where I live in the state of Texas.

Not here- our rut is going on right now. New data shows it peaks between Christmas and New Year's day in my area.

I was at Cade's Cove in the Great Smokey Mts with my wife a few years ago in March. All of the bucks had dropped their antlers except for 2 dominant bucks and they were still chasing a few does and had all their head gear. We had been watching these deer all season and it was obvious which ones were the dominant bucks. My wife got photos of these two bucks fighting early on in the season from about 15 yards away. It was pretty cool!

Some pics we have and some other sightings are showing the big boys still have their racks. The good bucks and smaller ones are the ones we have been seeing falling off. My nephews was a real good one that fell off. It's been extremely cold around these parts this time of year. Food is getting scarce as well for these deer. I'm not certain we'll ever really know what causes them to drop early or late. Our deer eat real good with all the food around our woods.Acorns,corn,soy beans,etc. So nutrition is not an issue here. Our doe to buck ratio is really good too. So, who knows.

I've been seeing alot of bucks over my way that have shed at least one side. I guess It's time to start shed hunting.

Well my Lab found one (left side) tonite. (He's amazing!) Its very fresh. Its from a Buck that will really be something in another 2 yrs and one I hoped to find. About a 130" class 5x5 3 yr. old.
Here is a pix of him a month ago.
 

Saw two nice bucks on the 18th and one had 1/2 a rack!

I picked up my first fresh shed of the season on December 14th this year. Last year it was December 16th. I watched a half rack shed one side with five points two years ago while shaking his head in February. I couldn't believe how far he threw it. It landed more than 30 feet from where he was standing!

most may already do this but come mid december we don't drag them by the horns anymore because they have pulled off on a few friends,, we put a thick stick sideways in their mouth and then tie the jaws shut to drag them.

Hope the gentleman Mr. Roe doesn't mind, but I saved the following great anology from last year since it's an anual topic.


Posted by Certified Wildlife Biologist Chris Roe:

"
There is actually a lot of science out there on this. ...I could RE-write a book on this, but in brief:

Antler growth and "drop" is related to testosterone levels in the body, and THAT is related to the amount of daylight vs. darkness AND breeding activity. Those that say that animals can/do drop antlers within a couple of days the same time each year are seeing this fact in action; cycles of day vs. night are consistent year to year, and thus the primary driver of testosterone levels, and thus cycles of antler development. Also, most deer/elk farms/research facilities/populations have fairly stable sex ratios so breeding activity and "intensity" is often fairly consistent year in and year out (excluding changes in age and dominance of course) meaning that breeding affects are fairly consistent.

How does breeding fit in? It depends on age and sex ratios of the population. Animals don't "use up" their testosterone, but testosterone levels can be affected by external stimuli. So - in populations where males nearly equal females, all females typically get bred within their very first estrous cycle. Because of that, "breeding stimulus" (i.e. the scent and pheromones of estrous females) comes and goes fairly quickly - females come in to estrous, they get bred, and that's it. Without external stimulus to keep testosterone high, levels settle back fairly quickly and follow circadian rhythms (day vs. dark). Because the animal's body "metabolizes" hormones "out" of its system at pretty much a fixed rate, the sooner testosterone drops after breeding, the sooner the animal's testosterone levels fall enough to allow the next cycle to begin and drop his antlers.

In populations where there a lot more females than males, then some females miss getting bred the first go-round, and come into estrous a second or even third time. The longer females stay in estrous, the longer males have external stimuli keeping their testosterone levels high. The longer they are high, the longer they - ultimately - keep their antlers (within reason).

Age plays into it as well. Younger males are like teenage boys, with hormones raging; they can stay "stimulated" and excited to breed longer than mature animals. Mature animals know what the "actual" breeding cycle is, and breeding "realities" are, and can - depending on the animal, and - for lack of a better way of putting it - "bow out" of the breeding excitement as soon as females aren't receptive any more. ...young males can keep trying, and thus their testosterone levels might not fall as rapidly as more mature animals. Hence, in these type of populations, mature animals can drop before immature animals.

Antler size and weight also plays in on the equation, but not - in my opinion - significantly.

Body condition plays into it as well. If the winter puts the animal in a net "negative" body condition, then the animal will need to get its body condition into a net "positive" condition before any significant (if any) antler growth occurs. If an animal isn't placed in a net "negative" body condition over the winter (or if the negative condition is very brief), and body condition stays in the "positive" territory, then antler growth can start as soon as hormone levels allow. Hence why food plots in northern areas can help with antler development, and why winter severity/annual moisture can have an impact from year to year.

"

Just shot an antlerless buck w/small pedicles (mistaken doe) here 12/23/10 in southern WI.  He was aged at 2 ½  and was fat and healthy.

Kris