Bucks shedding antlers

[wapitimike1]

Are the bucks in your area dropping horns already. I took what I thought was at truck of a doe yesterday. Turns out it was a 154# buck with shed horns. I saw the spot on it's head from the tree I was in. At first I thought it was just dirt or something then I thought it was giant mutant button buck. I was shocked when I saw it had lost it's rack. I've been doing some asking and I'm not the only one. How about you folks?

[bbassi]

that happens every year. Shame too. around here some dropped early, but I've seen a couple in the last week that still have both sides.

[elkbow]

thats a real shame,mike.theres a few people around here finding some sheds,thats why i carry bino's this time of year.

[Gatekeeper]

As of last Saturday the bucks that I saw still had the headgear

[joe c.]

while hunting in s.ohio on dec 17,my buddy found both side"s of what appears to be an older buck"s antlers. It was a decent 10 ptr,he"s found 2 more since, younger healthy deer?

[DeerSpotter]

Some have got their antlers around here, but then if you go farther north there still carrying them.  I think it was because we had a spell of really warm weather,

PC

[Drew]

While trapping I found a few fresh sheds on the public land where they tend to have a lot of pressure and not as good of nutrition.

I've seen several bucks on private land still wearing their racks..of course we've had a snap of really warm weather.

[Jerry Jeffer]

I've seen the shed as early as December, but have seen many bucks with antlers in February.

[Ray Hammond]

I see bucks with horns as late as Mid March in SC..some do shed much earlier.

In GA its a mixed bag as well....optics will help you avoid this error.

[PhilFloyd]

In the part of TN I hunt, we noticed bucks shedding their horns a week or so ago.  This is earlier than normal.  Perhaps it is related to higher than normal stress on the herd brought on by the extended drought, lack of acorns, and the EHD outbreak.

[longarrow]

Here in part of Texas most willnot drop until mid March. The older bucks seem to drop first.

"The good Lord only gave me so many sunrises, I don't intend to miss one.

[Buckhammer]

I talked to a buddy this a.m. and he said he saw 5 bucks yesterday in west central IL where I hunt and one of them had dropped one side, the rest were still intact.

[bowfiend]

A buddy picked up a matched pair of 5x5 2 weeks ago!/? I was pretty surprised by that. He said they were still bloody. I saw a few whities on monday and all were still intact.

[Bob B.]

South west Wisconsin has had deer shed antlers by mid December.  That being said, whe have had a rough December, only 3 day with no snow and temps at or below zero most mornings.  Man, very early to see the antlers drop.  I guess they have been stressed by this weather.

[Dirty Bill]

They are dropping now. I shot one a buddy pushed to me in ohio one year. It was running past my stand,it looked like a bigdoe.

Made a perfect bilateral pneumothorax,only to walk up to a nice buck that had dropped it's antlers. Kind of sad really.  

[Migra Bill]

Last saturday I had a managed shotgun hunt in maryland. 2 bucks were taken with full headgear. 5 bucks were taked with one antler. 3 bucks were taken with no headgear.

[Izzy]

I saw a 150" buck and a spike buck here in NY during the last week.I will be keeping tabs on the big feller in the next few weeks.He lives on unhuntable land.            Guess Id be pretty happy to pick up his sheds.

[Dirty Bill]

Originally posted by herkimerhunter:
I saw a 150" buck and a spike buck here in NY during the last week.I will be keeping tabs on the big feller in the next few weeks.He lives on unhuntable land.                 Guess Id be pretty happy to pick up his sheds.

he doesn't always stay on the unhuntable land.Now's a good time to scout and find out where he spends time on huntable land. Those sheds would be a trophy
even with out getting the buck. Good luck.

[Eastern fisher]

There is a gentleman that always post picture on "novascotihunting.com.  He tolk several pics of bucks in a field near his area and they all still had thier antlers.  These pics were taken this morning.

[Otto]

....I've been watching a young (1.5 year old) buck in the back yard that dropped his the day after Christmas.