Deer Shedding Antlers Already????

[jbell_64]

I saw a big bodied "doe" today until I saw a red spot on its head. Can't believe they are shedding already! Saw him a few minutes after a nice looking 8 pointer was thumbing his nose at me from 20 yards.

 

[phylodog]

Guys all over the midwest have been seeing it for weeks now. Lots of discussion on hunting forums.

 

[ghuns]

It's global warming. It's George Bush's fault.

 

[GunSlinger]

I enjoy shed hunting and will be going out for the next couple of days (at least until the bitter cold sets in). With all this snow it may be a little tougher then before.

 

[ilikeguns]

Some fall pretty early. I usually wait until February before I start looking. I have certain areas I cover and I want then all dropped so I don't have to keep going back.

 

[jbell_64]

Global warming? You must not be in the stand! HAHA

 

[ghuns]

Global warming? You must not be in the stand! HAHA

Got a blind. Get 3 people in it and a Coleman lantern and it's toasty.

 

[jbell_64]

The deer may come cuddle up with ya if that's the case.

 

[ghuns]

The deer may come cuddle up with ya if that's the case.

Must be why we had 6 of them within 30 feet of the blind the other night AFTER my kid had just shot one. Here I thought they were just dumb.

 

[yote hunter]

If a buck is sick or hurt they will drop there antlers early too, but some do just drop earlier then others... It will be hard to find any in this snow, woundn't waste my time right now, but if the snow sticks around it will make them easier to find after the snow starts to melt, they would of been useing major trails in the snow and the bedding areas will be easier to find..keep in mind the south faceing banks too, great bedding areas... im wait'n till first of march then they should all be dropped by then.... good luck to all.....

 

[MRP2003]

My brother in law shot an anterless a few years back 4 days after Christmas and it turned out to be a buck that shed. It was a big bodied deer as well. I thought it was early but I guess it depends on genetics and the nutrition that they deer had for the season.

Similar was a time when my father in law wnet to help a guy drag a deer by its antlers only to have one fall off and that was in early December.

 

[Streck-Fu]

So, I take it since the regulation for Special Anterless Season does not specify gender, if a buck that has lost it's antlers is taken, there is no penalty?

 

[Hawkeye]

So, I take it since the regulation for Special Anterless Season does not specify gender, if a buck that has lost it's antlers is taken, there is no penalty?

Without looking at the regulation, I beleive that would be correct.

 

[HuntMeister]

So, I take it since the regulation for Special Anterless Season does not specify gender, if a buck that has lost it's antlers is taken, there is no penalty?

correct

 

[ghuns]

That's why it's an antlerless deer only season, not a deer lacking male reproductive organs only season. Just as in human, you sometimes must be really close to make that kind of ID.

 

[Streck-Fu]

I'm new to hunting here and other states seem to specify buck or doe...but yeah, gender ID would need a good scope without antlers...

 

[ghuns]

I'm new to hunting here and other states seem to specify buck or doe...but yeah, gender ID would need a good scope without antlers...

Wait till you see a doe with antlers. A guy shot one a few miles from here last fall. Heard of it, but that's the first one I ever saw.

BTW, thanks again for the .458 upper. It's a deer killin mo-chine.

 

[Jason R. Bruce]

They've been shedding hard for a few weeks now.

I think changein diet, weather snaps and timing/duration of the rut all come into play with antler shedding. It's been an odd couple of months for deer around here, I'm sure some antlerless bucks were gunned down in this late bonus season.

 

[42769vette]

I saw a group of 5 bucks today. All 5 had full racks.

 

[jbell_64]

I kinda wish I hadn't noticed that it was a buck now. All I've been seeing are bucks and yearlings. That antlerless buck would have topped off the freezer.
Edit: Yes, I know it would have been a legal kill, just not a kill I'd knowingly make based on my personal ethics.