Shedding Begins
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: sticksender
20-Dec-18
Got this pic off one of our trail cams today. Not the earliest I've seen one shed, but still pretty early for this area.And our bow season is still going for 2-1/2 more weeks. Hoping this one makes it through to grow another set of antlers next year.
From: APauls
20-Dec-18
Yup. A local here had about a 90" buck on cam with one side dropped on the 25th of November which is early for sure.
From: M.Pauls
20-Dec-18
One dropped on my property two days ago here in Manitoba. He’s about 10 though so he could very well not be the norm
From: Lee
20-Dec-18
Looks to be in good shape - odd.
Lee
From: MQQSE
20-Dec-18
I have had pics of deer on my iowa farm in April with new antler growth and others still carrying antlers on the same day.
I run 50 trail cameras and most carry for several more months. I won’t bother looking for antlers until March.
From: arlone
20-Dec-18
I have seen bucks with antlers here around the Twin Cities on March 15 and 19 on different years. Got a good look at the one and the antlers were bleached out white.
From: StickFlicker
21-Dec-18
Our deer haven't even rutted yet, and they won't begin dropping their antlers for several months. Peak of the Coues deer rut is still several weeks away.
From: JL
21-Dec-18
Some of the Maryland folks have been seeing sheds for a couple of weeks now.
From: scott7030
21-Dec-18
I shot a buck on December 7th, when i found him both antlers had dropped during his death run. He was in rough shape though. he'd been shot twice, once thru the neck and once thru his leg. I gladly put him out of his misery.
From: sticksender
21-Dec-18
Lee, I thought the same thing, and was wondering if he'd been injured. The only noticeable injuries are three wounds on his head, maybe from fighting. The worst one being a gouge in the center of his forehead. Otherwise he looks mostly plump and healthy for a post-rut buck. Prior year he didn't shed until 3/01.
From: Elkhorn
21-Dec-18
I had a young buck on cam last year drop one by nov 26, but first ones I usually find are around dec 17, with majority around New Years
From: Zbone
21-Dec-18
Thanks for sharing sticksender...
Hey Elkhorn - Any chance you can post that photo? Been keeping track of early and late shedding for years, and Nov 26 is the earliest I've heard... Before a guy over on the LeatherWall posted pix of a shed buck on December 1, 2013.... Said he had 3 or 4 bucks shed by December 18, in 2013...
Some naturally shed early, and some late, many factors can attribute to antler casting... Seems the peak period in my area is from around mid-February through mid March, although some will carry into April and the earliest I've personally seen was December 29th...
From: Elkhorn
21-Dec-18
From: Elkhorn
21-Dec-18
I was wrong on date it was nov 17, 4 picks of him at the scrape, looks shed to me.
From: Zbone
24-Dec-18
Yeah Elkhorn, looks shed to me too... See any wounds on the other trail cam pix?... Thanks for sharing...
From: Shawn
24-Dec-18
Found by a friend in the Adirondacks. He put them on a fake skull. This years sheds!!
From: Scrappy
24-Dec-18
I hunted sat and sunday in western iowa. I saw something like 35 bucks and none were shed. All bucks where 3 and younger so I can't say if any mature bucks in that area have shed. Starting to think I don't have any mature bucks to worry about anyway.
From: Shawn
24-Dec-18
Here is pic for above post! Shawn
From: Steve Leffler
24-Dec-18
This was in my buddy’s driveway yesterday morning. Exactly like he found them.
From: SD BuckBuster
24-Dec-18
That's pretty wild. What is with the sliding marks near and UNDER the antler????
From: Smtn10PT
24-Dec-18
I think this earlier than normal shedding may be caused by lack of sunlight? Any other theories?
From: 1boonr
24-Dec-18
Injuries and stress due to lack of adequate food. The deer in the forest preserves near Chicago start shedding this time of year and mine downstate don’t really start till late January with peak in March
From: EmbryOklahoma
24-Dec-18
Sticksender... how old do you think that buck is? What part of the states?
From: SD BuckBuster
24-Dec-18
Every year is the exact same.. They don't shed earlier from one year to the next. Every year there are some that drop in Novemeber/December. Here are my numbers and I'd say it's very close from region to region
December- 5% January- 15% February- 55% March- 20%
April- 5%
From: Smtn10PT
24-Dec-18
I hope your numbers are right SD Buckbuster, because that would mean A LOT of bucks. On a recent hunt in Virginia a friend and I each killed a buck that shed an antler after we shot them (one deer lost both), and I observed another buck with only one side. In addition I found a nice 5 point shed. Its crazy to think that of the 4 buck we can account for having shed an antler already there should be over 90 running around with both sides still attached. We only managed to get our eyes on a few of them.
From: Bob Hildenbrand
24-Dec-18
Here in PA lots of folks we talking about a real early drop this year. Lotta guys said they we seeing halfs and had bucks losing horns after they shot them the second second week of Dec.
From: Zbone
24-Dec-18
Yeah SD BuckBuster, I concur, good stats, would agree those are pretty accurate stats around here too you listed...
From: Elkhorn
24-Dec-18
It might be the same in moderate climates, but In Canada it seems like -30 c and or heavy snowfalls seems to coincide with an early drop. I’ve been a shed hunter for 20 years and have been serious about trail cams and winter feeding for about 7 years. That’s my observation here. Also deer with poor cover seem to drop little earlier, regionally.
From: 1boonr
24-Dec-18
In my area I would give March a higher % and I’m glad it works that way. Most guys are burnt out by then and I have found more that half my antlers after March 1st and I find 50 to 75 per year.
From: Zbone
24-Dec-18
Yeah 1boonr, if any adjustment to those stats for my area would be a little higher percentage in March... Don't really specify shed hunt until after the Ides of March... "Beware the Ides of March"...8^) As said above, peak period in my area is from around mid-February through mid March...
From: sticksender
24-Dec-18
EmbryOklahoma.....the buck lives in southern Indiana. He appeared to be a 3-1/2 last year so I presume he's a 4-1/2. Last year I was getting pics of him every single day, and therefore I know the exact date he shed last year, with both antlers dropping on the night of Feb 28th. This year we're once again getting daily pics of him. He dropped the left side last week on the night of the 18th. As of this morning he's still holding onto the right side. I've seen early shedding like this before, but usually on a sick or injured buck. This one looks healthy but I guess that's hard to say for sure.
From: EmbryOklahoma
24-Dec-18
I hope you get to catch up to him this year if he meets your level and if he makes it. He's gonna get harder to kill as you well know.
From: sticksender
24-Dec-18
Yeah he's narrow, but could be nice if his right side fills out.
