Bulls shedding at feed pit!!

[klickriverchromer]

You can see his partner off his rt. side our left has already shed his horns.  The game department picked them up last weekend.

[Timberstalker]

I think that is a little early, but I guess there is always a few that drop early.

[fishunt247]

If that is at Oak Creek, I've noticed a few of those bulls start dropping about 3 weeks earlier than any of the bulls that aren't living in the feeding stations, traditionally. Thats just my observations though. Anybody notice the same, or know why bulls in the feeding stations might drop a little earlier? Sorry if I 

[ICEMAN]

Stress?

[blindpig]

Maybe they are getting loose and get knocked off   

[runamuk]

Stress?

could be that

 might also be the artificial diet consists of feedstuff treated chemically and contains substances that interfere with normal hormone fluctuations ...... which I believe combined with number of hours of daylight contribute to antler growth cycles.....

[klickriverchromer]

Stress?

my thoughts exactly

[270Shooter]

I saw this guy on sunday

[ICEMAN]

From the bulls perspective, that has to be a great relief to finally drop them things...ahhhhhhhhh......

[Red Dawg]

they probably feel like they can jump to the moon

[robb92]

Cool pics!!!

[shoot-em-dead]

Doesn't look like anything artificial in the straw they are eating. Must be the game dept. pulling them off with ropes. JK I'd have to agree that stress is about the only logical explanation.

[luvtohnt]

The annual antler cycle is ultimately controlled by day length or photoperiod. The brain contains a kind of clock that measures the periods of light and dark and uses this information to ultimately control the secretion of the reproductive hormone testosterone in males. Testosterone controls the antler cycle. In tests, bucks kept in constant 12 hours of light and dark were unable to shed their antlers and grow new ones, and bucks kept in constant light grew and lost three sets of antlers in two years.

http://www.iwla-rh.org/html/DGIF_articles/deer_antlers.html

I included the link in case anyone wants to read the whole article.

Brandon

[elkaholic]

great pics, thanks for posting. yep must feeli like a monkey off the back losing that weight for awhile.