Antler Plucker

[lokidog]

Is it healthy for the deer to knock their horns off prematurely with an antler trap?
That bottom pic looks like a shed buck maybe?

Definitely looks like a shedder.  We have a feeder and no antlers last year.  Haven't been keeping feed in this year though I think I will put some out tomorrow with this yucky crusty snow.  I like the idea of a short fence they have to jump over.

[jdurham]

First of all the area where I live and the deer live is full of antler pluckers.  We call it heavy cover, brush, branches and such.  There is some real dense cover where the bucks hide here that I have a heck of a time getting through.  I do think when it is time to drop they drop.  The big set I found this year were in my field where he bedded down for a bit. The grass was matted down and the antlers were less than a foot apart.  What luck!  The feeder is where I put just a bit of alfalfa, deer pellets and a deer block.  The block I have found that works best is made by Country Acres Feed Co.  I have tried just about every block on the market and this one they devour!  Blocks, pellets, and alfalfa get ruined in a hurry with snow and rain.  As for feed I use rolled corn that I add water and molasses too.  Molasses is like heroin to the deer.  I also mix mineral with the mix.  Feed quality in eastern wa. is very poor in the winter.  My goal is to help a few breeding buck to survive just one more winter.  Check out a goat supplement made by Sweetlix.  It is called meat maker.  It matches content with Purina Deer and Elk Mineral perfect and is $17.95 for 25#.  Keep away from sheep if you happen to have any.  Copper is bad for them.  I do spend about $2000 a year on this hobby!

[buglebuster]

Wouldnt a round cattle feeder work just well 

[jdurham]

Anything works as long as they put their head under something.  I have a friend that found antlers under his kids trampoline. It kept the snow off the grass and the deer went under after it.  Mine was made from a work bench we used on a construction site. We were going to toss it so I brought it home.  Much cheaper than a cattle feeder.  I have found 3 sheds here none of which were in the feeder.  I feed under my fir trees and none plucked off by the thick branches either.  Deer won't eat soggy feed.  As for harming the animal I don't see that happening.  It is not like they get stuck in there or it grabs them and yanks the antlers off.  They put their heads in and out easily.  As you can see it is large enough for them to climb into.

[jdurham]

From the little that I have read about antler shedding the antlers go from solid as ever to falling off in a very short time ? can't see how THIS antler trap thing is harmful at all if that is true. Nice pics though 

on mine i just use an apple bin with a 2x4 across the top pretty simple...

The less you spend on a feeder the more you have for feed and minerals!  From what I have seen so far they fall when they are going to.  Have not found a shed in it yet.  The large buck didn't put his head in it until his antlers were gone.  I made sure it was wide enough to let the larger ones in for the mineral block and feed.  In fact I see larger bucks than the sheds I found.  They don't get in close with the others.  Probably why they are so big!

[jdurham]

nice i need to get mine going too its gettin about that time! i like how you put the trail cam in there!

Hey now, dont go damaging my horns!  Just joking man, any good trailcam pics this winter?

Don't worry!  I have already given thought to not using it during the velvet months!

[Maverick]

It looks good. Still no sheds here.

[nwwanderer]

JDURHAM,
The sheep have a copper requirement but about half that of cattle, goats and probably deer.  Sheep are always inventing a new way to die.  Good call on the minerals, you could probably save a little more if you get from the suppliers big dairies use.  Pea pellets from Spokane Seed are a great inexpensive protein/energy source for deer, getting the free choice mineral out with the right amount of salt mixed with it get the correct consumption of the trace things is the key.  They eat the stuff for the salt, if they get the small things as they satisfy the salt need then you have helped.  Any thing grain based is low in calcium and high in phosphorous so that is the main reason the mineral mix is important.  Selenium and the other trace things are easy and cheap to add so why not.

[jdurham]

JDURHAM,
The sheep have a copper requirement but about half that of cattle, goats and probably deer.  Sheep are always inventing a new way to die.  Good call on the minerals, you could probably save a little more if you get from the suppliers big dairies use.  Pea pellets from Spokane Seed are a great inexpensive protein/energy source for deer, getting the free choice mineral out with the right amount of salt mixed with it get the correct consumption of the trace things is the key.  They eat the stuff for the salt, if they get the small things as they satisfy the salt need then you have helped.  Any thing grain based is low in calcium and high in phosphorous so that is the main reason the mineral mix is important.  Selenium and the other trace things are easy and cheap to add so why not.

I know what you mean about sheep, grew up with 600 head of ewes on our farm.  Coyotes love them too.  Back then we could poison coyotes.  Had way more deer and especially grouse in the 60's.  The 16-8 meat maker is about a perfect match for the purina supplements for deer and elk.  I will look into the pea pellets next time I am in Spokane.  Predators are the largest problem for us.  Washington has eliminated the use of hounds and the trapping regs make it almost impossible to catch anything.  Now factor in the stupidity of those that "manage" our game animals and we are left with practially nothing.

[Maverick]

  Well put. I couldn't agree with you more!

[bow-n-head]

It is illegal here in Montana to feed the wildlife any time of the year. So really not an option here.