Buck already shed antlers.

[180-GRAIN]

I have a buck out the window of my truck right now and the dang thing already shed. Seems early to me?

[fishnfur]

Maybe it's a doe?   



He's about three weeks early of being an early drop.  No does left to breed?

[180-GRAIN]

Uhh negative. 25 yards.

[splitshot]

   maybe he got his balls shot off. ouch.   mike w

[Jonathan_S]

Pics or it didn't happen.   

 

[Southpole]

We have periodically found fresh whitetail sheds before Christmas in the past few years up in the 3000 foot level in Curlew

[Timberstalker]

Pics or it didn't happen.   

 

LMAO!!

[fishnfur]

Time to start hunting sheds.

(Where is he?)

[180-GRAIN]

Best I could get with my phone. Blacktail Near Arlington.

[Jonathan_S]

He's in Arlington.  If you leave now, you can be there by 11 p.m.

[180-GRAIN]

He was not huge bodied but before he walked into the brush for the picture he was definitly shed.. Thinking younger buck. I could not believe he has already dropped. Shoot his neck is still swollen.

[trophyhunt]

A few years ago I killed a buck the second to last day of archery season, I thought it was a doe!  Never did find the antlers he had already shed, he was a nice size deer too, I was disappointed I killed a buck without his antlers.  If I'd had known I would have let him walk. It was Dec 30th on the westside.

[Bango skank]

We have periodically found fresh whitetail sheds before Christmas in the past few years up in the 3000 foot level in Curlew

Every year i get whitetail bucks on camera that shed a couple days or so before christmas.  Its usually the big old *censored*s, and they always drop them on neighboring property 

[kodiak 907]

C-post will do that.

[Southpole]

We have periodically found fresh whitetail sheds before Christmas in the past few years up in the 3000 foot level in Curlew

Every year i get whitetail bucks on camera that shed a couple days or so before christmas.  Its usually the big old *censored*s, and they always drop them on neighboring property 

Don't ya hate that   

[Bango skank]

We have periodically found fresh whitetail sheds before Christmas in the past few years up in the 3000 foot level in Curlew

Every year i get whitetail bucks on camera that shed a couple days or so before christmas.  Its usually the big old *censored*s, and they always drop them on neighboring property 

Don't ya hate that   

Yes, i certainly do.  Been feeding the bucks on a chunk of private property last few years, its surrounded by private land that doesnt get hunted, kind of a sanctuary where a good number of bucks reach a very respectable age.  Every year the big guys drop around christmas, and i never get their antlers.  Theres a mainframe 6x5 there that ive been feeding for a few years now, and i never get the horns.  I give up.  No more feeding these ungrateful freeloaders who dont even have the common courtesy to give me the antlers theyre no longer using.  Jerks.

[JJB11B]

We have a buck where I work that never sheds, he keeps his velvet year round as well

[benhuntin]

We have a buck where I work that never sheds, he keeps his velvet year round as well

sounds like a "coastal blacktail" to me.

[BENCHLEG]

 

[kodiak 907]

I once shot a huge blacktail 2 hours drive from mount Vernon. In Winthrop. Pure "Columbian blacktail". 

[Bango skank]

I once shot a huge blacktail 2 hours drive from mount Vernon. In Winthrop. Pure "Columbian blacktail". 

Oh yeah?  Ive got a wall full of b&c couse bucks taken just a few hours flight from arizona

[kodiak 907]

It's not a whitetail, it's not a Muley, it's not an elephant, it's not a squatch, it a Columbian blacktail shot on the coast(aka east of the cascades).

Western extreme!!!!

[jkononen]

Go to bed Kodiak.

[buckcanyonlodge]

Check out the date on the pic. This buck shed the other two days later.. The next year he shed on Dec.18th.

[Skyvalhunter]

It was a doe

[boneaddict]

Almost everything was one to two weeks early this year through the whole cycle.  Even stuff that is often due to photo period.  I guess this would just be wrapping up the cycle.

[180-GRAIN]

It was a doe

Not a doe. He was 25 yards out my window for 10 minutes. I seen pedicles. Definitely buck. If not I'm going to quit hunting because I have no idea what a buck is lol.

[JDHasty]

I once shot a huge blacktail 2 hours drive from mount Vernon. In Winthrop. Pure "Columbian blacktail". 

The proof is in the smell.  If'n you are endowed with a Twisted Horn Western Extreme Deer Sniffer that will be the determining factor whether it is a pure Columbian blacktail or not.  Be forewarned, it takes years of hunting blacktails in Tillamook Oregon to properly calibrate a Twisted Horn Western Extreme Deer Sniffer. 

[blackveltbowhunter]

I dont remember the exact date, but several years ago I found a fresh 2 point in vail around thanksgiving. Also f a small fresh fork, around this time in december. Have heard plenty of stories of "antlerless" bucks shot in mid to late december. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

The earliest I've seen mule deer shed antlers in Chelan County was December 23.  When I worked in Wyoming, I had a hunter show me ATL pics of his Black Hills whitetail buck shot Thanksgiving weekend - the antlers popped off when the buck hit the ground, bloody bases and pedicels.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

What causes deer to lose their antlers is hormones that are released/regulated by the amount of daylight. The shortest day of the year is Dec 22, and as each deer is affected a little differently, there can be a wide range in when their antlers drop. It can also chance from year to year. I also suspect it can have something to do with how much sex the buck is getting as this will also affect hormones.  Here's a good article about antlers dropping.

https://www.qdma.com/articles/causes-of-early-antler-casting

[singleshot12]

You suspect it can have something to do with how much sex the buck is getting? now that's funny sitka bt I still say it's got something to do with global warming and always will

[blackveltbowhunter]

While I dont think its the main factor, I certainly think it plays a role. IMO, the only constant is photoperiod in the deers life cycle. Which is why in any given region you will have certain times when things will be happening affecting animals in that particualr region. November always has rutting bucks, september always has rutting bulls.  A couple weeks this way or that way, can be swayed by so many factors it makes my head spin, but is alot of fun to think about.

[muleracks]

Following a big burn in the Entiat Valley we did a lot of feeding and those bucks that frequented the feed did not drop their antlers until February.
Normally we expect the shed to begin in late December and end by late January.  Nutrition may have something to do with shed timing.

[boneaddict]

Seen one that had dropped both sides and one that had dropped one this weekend.  Mule deer, up north

[bowtechian]

Island blacktail shed still had a lil blood on the base

[JBar]

Did someone say sheds  I guess I better start looking.