Shed hunting question....????

[Can Hahaka]

I spent a few hours in the Wisconsin woods today hunting sheds and shooting clumps and stumps. I saw something that I've not seen before.

In at least 3 areas of blowdowns I saw agressive rubbing and branch breaking (on top of the snow)! Is this done when it comes time to drop the antlers? Anyone....?

[kbaknife]

I think it's built-up agression from going without for three months.

[Izzy]

You sure it aint deer stripping bark to eat?Or moose even?

[Pat B]

If any does are still in heat(unbred) the domanent bucks will retain their antlers and continue to go through their rutting rituals. I have seen bucks in Cades Cove, in the Great Smokey Mountain Park in March chasing does. All of the subordinate bucks had lost their antlers but the two big boys still had theirs and were still hot for the remaining hot does.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

I do think that a buck wil rub trees and do other things to try to get the shedding antlers to drop.  I'm not sure of this but I thought that I heard it somewhere before.

[leatherneck]

Sounds more like deer eating bark. This time of year they are very hungry and they aggressively eat the bark from trees.

[adeeden]

I agree it sounds like they are eating the bark. They have been doing it here alot this year due to having no acorns and alot of snow this year! Bark and honey locust pods seem to be the main food source right now.

They shed because they actually start dissolving the calcium in the antler at the pedestal. When you find a real fresh one you can see the waxy looking area where it is disolving. I have never heard of deer rubbing on anything to actually knock them off. here's a picture of one I picked up this evening where you can see the waxy look and the small amount of blood.

 

[Can Hahaka]

Interesting commentary! Most of the activity occured very near standing corn - so I don't think they were eating the bark. The branch they knocked off were the size of my thumb - and this from a dead blown-down.
I guess I get frustrated too, after a while.

[crossstickspro]

I whitnessed a small (basket6) mountinous white tail rubbung his head on a short oak tree and I thought that he was trying to shed, asked my wildlife mgmnt prof. and he said they do that from time to time but they are just winding down the rut in our region. I dont know what surprised me more that they assist the shed or they are still rutting some.....
food for thought i guess
Larry

[crossstickspro]

In the mean time im gonna keep my eye out for the bucks that hang around campus to drop em  
Larry

[ron w]

I have seen fawns dropped as late as August. So she must have bred well after Nov., like Jan. or Early Feb. So maybe he is looking for some action.

[crossstickspro]

A good possability ron, the night i posted this i saw a 14 point i have never seen before chasin 2 does in a group of about 10 with that basket6 in tow but not to close....They let me watch em chase till I got the camera up then they moved the does out
Larry

[Pat B]

Bucks loose their antlers when their testosterone stops flowing. As long as there are does in heat their testosterone will continue to flow and their antlers will hold strong. Does in heat after Nov or Dec is a good sign of unbalanced buck/doe ratio and an unhealthy herd.  
   Fawns should drop in May or June under normal circumstances. Fawns born in Aug or Sept or later are at risk of not surviving the winter in areas with harsh long winters.

[jonsimoneau]

Yes, it could have been sign of deer eating bark, but it could have also been rubbing.  I too found a rub last week that had been rubbed fresh with shavings on top of the snow.  Rubbing action...I always wanted to say that...can continue until they have actually lost their antlers. Here in my part of Illinos, some have dropped but most are still carying.  I'll be out scouting this weekend, but I'll be keeping an eye out.  I normally don't get too serious about shed hunting until late Feb. early March.

[Roy Steele]

A doe has came into heat late.And your bucks found out theres a bigger buck in town.So he takes his agression out on the limbs.Agressive bucks like bushs[limbs[ reather than they do single trees.I've came across the same thing in late Jan.in WVa.