Sheds 2020-2021
Whitetail Deer
Time for the annual shed thread... This one showed on December 12, 2020, earliest I've every seen...
Found a couple this fall, from last years bucks though.
Have a couple of one-horns walking around here on the farm, but they're not shed, they're broke-off at the hair-line. Had an older buck last year that shed both sides on Dec 12th, but he didn't made it through the winter.
Broke off at hairline is what I first thought with this one, but that photo is a frame off a trail cam video and see no stub at all from video, so think its actually shed and I think he looks pretty healthy too...
Friend shot a huge “doe” last week in PA. Got up and pulled it’s legs apart and it was a buck, went about 165lb-175lb. Horns had freshly fallen off. Still bloody and moist on top. This was the 3rd year in a row we shot a hornless buck. They’ve been dropping early early for some reason.
In true 2020 fashion...
I've seen 2 bucks fully shed, and 1 half shed in the last week.
Including the buck I've been hunting for 4 years (pictured as they lay). He has shed in december 2 years in a row now, before I could kill him. Last year between Dec 1st and 15th, this year on either the 9/10th.
I'd been all over this deer in the last 2 weeks. 3 encounters in 24hrs. Had to pass up a 'shot opportunity' shortly after 7am a week ago because NY doesn't allow shooting 1/2 before sunrise. Now possibly the worst part... I thought he was a shed out 3.5yr old I'd been seeing when he entered the field last friday evening during legal. But as he approached me I started to realize it wasn't who I'd initially thought it was. I was so bummed/ in disbelief that it happened again, that I didn't shoot him.
Went out the next morning to check cameras to confirm if it was truly him (it was but I just didn't want to believe it), and found them in minutes after a quick walk through a brushy area.
Now I really want to end the story, but I need to encounter him before season closes on the 22nd. Possibly the last year I will be hunting the property, and he's geriatric anyways so I'm not worried about "letting him grow".
Thats always a problem in Kansas during Jan antlerless season but if people use common sense you can usually tell.Unless the does just started get to be 175 lbs instead of 130, and got a big ole square head
Found this poor guy. He got hung up on the fence in possibly September as he still had a bit of velvet
Any trail cam pics of that buck, saddlereaper? Looks like a dandy!
Troy
Yes, hundreds of pictures, videos, and summer time footage from 3 of 4 years I've been after him. He was MIA all of 2018 despite my best efforts to locate him. Have archived velvet rubbing footage to scrape footage and everything in between. This is actually the first picture I've ever "publicly" shared, which likely doesn't matter here, but locally I had to be careful.
Always added enjoyment when you’re after a buck you’ve got a history with.Hope you get him!!
Nothing better, and as a bonus 2 sets of his sheds now. Even if I don't get him I will always have a tremendous appreciation for what he drove me to learn over the years. Thanks Troy!
Hans and Tom, in both cases I was thinking maybe Iowa or Illinois before I checked to see where you are...NY in both cases! Crikey, those are both awesome bucks for NY. Great sets, those sheds must be special and that deadhead is incredibly unique.
i found a pretty good size deadhead, thought it was big until I saw yours.
Good luck SaddleReaper! Hope you have success chasing him next year.
Do deer shed that early or did the one in the OP just lose an antler? I've seen them broken off at the pedicle before.
Our deer rut in late Sept. and usually drop in January.
Matt - It varies, do a search here...
Around here the earliest I see above is Dec 12th, and latest I seen was April 21st and he was still carrying both sides, but peak shedding in my area seems to be mid-February through mid-March...
Had this surprise waiting for me inside the pit when I open it . Wasn’t much fun trying to get it up and out .
Found this little one on the walk over
Hunting northern Oklahoma right now and just had a buck come in that had already shed both sides. Not broken.
That 3x showed up on trail cam yesterday still carrying that right side...
Hammer, that looks to be a smelly goose hunt!
Hammer, that looks to be a smelly goose hunt!
Lol ...“ ahawkeye” you’re not kidding! Have to give that pit some time to air out before hunting out of it for sure .. it was brutal
The 3x basketrack still carrying one side...
I live in a river valley. A wise hunter told me that the deer on the south face will generally shed before the deer on the north face. It’s holding true here. Anybody else experience this?
If that 3 pt is still carrying one side, I doubt the other shed naturally.
I’m not following your reasoning, Matt.
Yeah Matt, am kinda incline to believe the same, and would luv to know... Am sure this buck is only 1-1/2, but if ya look at his body, he looks in great health, he's a burly dude for his age and would luv to see him reach maturity...
t-roy - See original post picture, he lost one side sometime before Dec 12th, it's been 3-weeks...
I found a shed last year and saw the buck several times over the next couple weeks and he carried the other side for two weeks after dropping the first. Eventually found the other side. Some shed both together others will be awhile between
That makes more sense, zbone. Thanks. I have seen bucks hang on to one side for quite some time, occasionally, as much as a month or longer. Pretty unusual, but not unheard of.
Found this one a week or so back sneaking thru some cedars.
One of my two target bucks already shed a side here in OK the other day
^dang...that's a large rack. Any cam pics with both sides??
Dang Longshot, for some reason that buck's body looks out of proportion to his rack, either a small body with short legs, or a HUGE rack... I assume an Oklahoma buck?
Found the left side last week and the right side a couple days ago. Scores 158 as a basic mainframe 8. Was watching this buck since mid December.
Nice Pat... Was that your #1 buck?
No. This was not in Ohio.
Awesome that you found both sides Pat. That’s a brute. JL, yes I have some pics of him with both sides. I’ll post if I have one handy on my phone. Zbone, yes this is in Oklahoma.
Awesome that you found both sides Pat. That’s a brute. JL, yes I have some pics of him with both sides. I’ll post if I have one handy on my phone. Zbone, yes this is in Oklahoma.
Earliest I’ve seen in southern Kansas, December 8
Bentstick54 - That's a cool pic, thanks for sharing... Yeah, that's the earliest I'd ever heard of too... Being that early, you happen the catch him again later still carrying one side? Curious how long he carried the one side...
My first Ohio shed. I have a bunch of pics of this buck and he dropped on 12/20. Pretty early!
Not from this year, but a big Ohio buck from 3 years ago that shed in early December
"Hello, I shed my antlers between Jan 6 and Jan 11 annually"...8^)
