Free: Contests & Raffles.
that being said...........health has something to do with it.Some say larger animals shed firstSome say animals shed their antlers within the day of every given year
Whats the latest you guys have seen? Ive seen deer in April on 2 different occasions still sporting racks. One was by Spokane falls cc, he had a full rack. Then a couple years ago on beacon hill I saw one with a halfer still hanging on. It was strange.
Well in my neck of the woods they are about 2-3 weeks later than they were last year. I started finding them at food plots on the 9th of Dec last year. The earliest that I saw any shed this year was the 20th of Dec and at least half if not more are still packing.They also dont shed the same time every year. I have one buck that shed on the 7th of Jan in 2009, Dec 14th in 2010 and this year he shed on Dec 20th.I have also heard that it has alot to do with the level of testosterone in them.
Consensus in the science world is light.
So really no one has a clue
QuoteSo really no one has a clueI told you the answer. The amount of light is what influences hormones and chemicals which triggers when the antlers will fall off(its also responsible for the rut). If you think about it, light is probably influenced by the weather. I through health in there because it can make an animal shed earlier or later. I have seen both deer and elk still packing in May. Course I have also seen a bull in full velvet in February that never shed his velvet, so stranger things happen.
The new year's antlers pushing the old ones out.
I have saw a spike bull still packing antler in mid April, during turkey season. I looked at a BUNCH of elk last weekend and only saw 4 small bulls. I hope the big boys were some where els, or already dropped.
This answer is as good as others..............GRAVITY
Bone Addict nailed it. Hormonal changes brought on by the length of the day. Antler shedding is linked to decreasing testosterone levels. As testosterone levels decrease, special cells called osteoclasts form at the juncture of the skull and antler. Osteoclasts reabsorb calcium from the antler, weakening the joint between the skull and antler until the antler drops. As with anything hormonal, individual animals may release the hormone earlier or later than others. That's why you see some early on in the year that have lost their antlers and some very late in the winter that still have them. Some species hang on to them longer than others also. Part of it could be when the breeding season is, or if a "second rut" kicks in. Or even how far north the animal lives. Biologically there are reasons that packing a round a large set of antlers could be bad. Carrying that extra weight on a moose or an elk would mean that much extra energy would be expended during the winter when calories are harder to come by. Not to mention the males have already spent most of their fat reserves fighting for mates. The farther north you go and snow increases it becomes even more critical. The only use the antlers are after the rut is possibly as a weapon to fight off predation. But there could be a trade off there as far as the animal getting back into good shape.
Quote from: steen on January 09, 2012, 08:20:57 PMThe new year's antlers pushing the old ones out. :yeah:jThat's what I've always thought.