Bucks starting to shed antlers?

[Florida Cracker 971]

Geezer, Thanks for having my back. It's getting old with all the rude & smart comments that have been showing up here lately. I guess just because my status is only a "spike" & I have not posted much some might think that I'm new to hunting and this site, wrong. I have monitered this site & hunted for years & only recently joined. Like you said it was only a question. I asked because I have not been in the woods since the 15th & any info. would help me decide if I would try & get a couple more hunts in before the season ends. Thanks again & Merry X-Mas. FC22

 

[BACKWOODS BOY]

I have one buck on camera that has lost one side already...

 

[geezer]

Geezer, Thanks for having my back. It's getting old with all the rude & smart comments that have been showing up here lately. I guess just because my status is only a "spike" & I have not posted much some might think that I'm new to hunting and this site, wrong. I have monitered this site & hunted for years & only recently joined. Like you said it was only a question. I asked because I have not been in the woods since the 15th & any info. would help me decide if I would try & get a couple more hunts in before the season ends. Thanks again & Merry X-Mas. FC22

Not a problem at all FC22. I thought about my reply and was wondering if I might have taken it the wrong way but it just rubbed me the wrong way. If they had been dropping like crazy than I would imagine a good explanation would follow and not "better hurry up and get to woods". Oh well theres one in every bunch. When they do start dropping around here (im in Williamson) You will be the first to know.

 

[Shed Hunter]

I was in Henderson county driving toward Natchez Trace and saw a real nice buck acting frisky toward a nice doe. They were in a pasture only about 15 feet off the highway, and he still had all his antlers.

Yep, we are still seeing rutting activity on the park and surrounding areas.

 

[BSK]

Very few (if any) bucks in TN "naturally" drop antlers in December (are genetically programmed to do so). In fact, almost all healthy bucks will hold antlers until just before the new ones start to grow in spring (in the Southeast--the North is a different story).

Almost without exception, bucks in the Southeast dropping antlers in December is a bad sign, especially if it is more than just a few bucks. It is a sign of extreme stress. Normally that stess comes from the rut, but nutritional stress can also play a role. Even in herds with access to good nutrition, rut stress can be extremely hard on individual bucks, especially those that were the most aggressive chasers, breeders, and intimidators of other bucks. A few of the most aggressive bucks, usually 3 1/2 and 4 1/2s, losing antlers in January wouldn't be that out of line, but seeing a substantial percentage of bucks (especially young bucks) dropping antlers in mid to late December would be a very bad sign.

 

[Da_Claw29]

"Better hurry up and get in the woods"... Do I need to say more? Any other explanation needed? Sorry if my reply hurt anyone feelings.. Don't ask a question if you're not prepared for the answer.

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

I wouldn't find it "unusual" to find a shed rabbit hunting in January. Find several in February.

I should be keeping a log I guess but I'd say the highest percentage of fresh sheds I find are mid-February until mid March.

Seems to vary from year to year and property to property.

One year, I found a bunch of them. Started picking up fresh sheds in mid-January on my property and found the last one in mid April. I know they are fresh because I check plots weekly. I found a matching pair a few years ago. He dropped his first one early February. My last trail cam pic of him with the other side was early March. Found the shed the day I pulled that card. That was very unusual I think. Most seem to drop both within a week at the most.

I found three two years ago side by side from three different bucks about the 15th of January. I had pics of them fighting a few nights before so I figured they knocked them off sparring.