Still have headgear?

[TS_13]

I just watched a good 8 and a 6 run does out of my front yard this evening. Why have they not dropped yet? and I found a good scrape last week. I dont get it.

 

[mike243]

Don't sound like they did either :) be gone in a week or so probably all are different just like we are, good health makes them stay longer I have read

 

[Shed Hunter]

I found a shed last week that had bark on it from rubbing. The base was also bloody and there were a couple of fresh scrapes and a rub nearby. I've seen some other rubs that looked pretty fresh here recently.

Here's one I found yesterday. It looks fairly recent to me. Barely hit but on a very large tree. (the shed was not actually found like that lol)

 

[pass-thru]

Sometimes they will hold up until april. I pulled pics a coupe of weeks ago and saw no headgear on any pics since early feb, except what looked to be a nutless yearling cactus buck. We had Zero acorns this year....worst I've ever seen....and I think the lack of good fat reserves led to early drops in my area this year.

However, I did not find a single fresh shed on a quick search of green fields.

 

[BSK]

I just watched a good 8 and a 6 run does out of my front yard this evening. Why have they not dropped yet? and I found a good scrape last week. I dont get it.

Your deer are healthy. Healthy bucks will hold their antlers until growth of the new set pops the old set off from underneath.

 

[BSK]

And if you want to know when this occurs locally, watch for traditional scrapes to be reworked in spring. A buck's body will produce a surge of testosterone which will start the antler growth process. However, that surge of testosterone will also cause the bucks to suddenly act "rutty," influencing them to work scrapes and chase does.

Right around mid-April every year, I will get a ton of calls and emails from worried hunters that are seeing fresh scrapes during turkey season. They are worried their rut has stretched all the way to April. That isn't the case. They are just seeing a part of the natural antler growth process.

 

[Winchester]

Most yrs the majority of our bucks here will hold until late March but not this yr. Most have already shed with many shedding well over a month ago.

 

[BSK]

Most yrs the majority of our bucks here will hold until late March but not this yr. Most have already shed with many shedding well over a month ago.

As you already know, that's most likely due to your acorn failure last fall.

 

[skilletcreek]

Good info, I was very confused yesterday. Did some bush - hogging, saw 3 bucks still with head gear in the AM, found a fresh scrape at mid-day and saw a small buck chasing 4 does on the hill side as I was leaving the farm in the afternoon.

 

[Winchester]

Most yrs the majority of our bucks here will hold until late March but not this yr. Most have already shed with many shedding well over a month ago.

As you already know, that's most likely due to your acorn failure last fall.

Yes sir, matter of fact im tickled to finally see some things turning green this Spring, as its been a long hard winter for our deer here as they went in with very little resources compared to many years!

 

[TheRealSpurhunter]

I saw a big 8 on my place last week, also had a small 6 on camera.