Are bucks still holding their racks on your land?

[scoot52]

I went out Saturday and frost seeded some clover and checked my cams. I had 5 bucks still holding and this nice buck has been working this mock scrape quite a bit this last week. Does it have anything to do with the mild winter, too many does, or some other reason? Just wondering and thanks for any input. Scoot

 

[bueller]

I only ran a camera or two after gun season and had maybe 4 pics of antlered deer since then :(, none of them recent.

 

[scoot52]

Bueller, Its crazy i have 2 3 year olds that are moving during the day all over my land the last week. I havent checked cams in a month. I know these deer are hitting my winter rye since snow has melted. Scoot

 

[bueller]

I had no food on my place over the winter so the lack of buck photos was not surprising. My winter rye plot started to open up about 10 days ago and was immediately getting hit. I put a camera back over it so time will tell if I have any late droppers. That would be cool because maybe just maybe they will leave a shed for me to find.

 

[scoot52]

This guys is another buck that made it that is heading for my rye. I passed him up with a bow. Usually by now buck have dropped around me.

 

[bueller]

Nice March bucks! I think I remember reading that when bucks drop their antlers early it is usually nutrition related. Soooo maybe this means your deer are in really good shape this year. Makes sense with the "soft" winter we had.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

Some of antler shedding is based on each buck's tendencies. Year to year, some just naturally drop earlier than others, some later. You can see it in the specific bucks I'm referring to year after year. For example, one I'm referring to wouldn't shed until late march, early april no matter what the winter was like.

That said, for most 3.5 yr old + bucks, their physical condition plays a big role. On harsh winters with limited food, they drop earlier than on mild winters with a surplus of food, as that has a big impact on their physical conditions.

Long way of saying, your deer are in great shape.

 

[scoot52]

Thanks for the reply Steve, I was told holding their racks had something to do with to many does around or maybe a late doe in estrous but I always thought the less stressed they where over the winter the better.

 

[ruskbucks]

My friend was just up to my land last weekend. He found 1 big spike shed in the raddish plot. While up there driving around he saw 3 bucks with at least one side still on. I'm heading up this weekend and sill have my cameras out. It does seem like they are holding on late this year.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

Scoot, I don't believe a late doe has anything to do with it...At least I've never noticed a correlation. That said, bucks tend to shed early when ratios are really tight because the rut is sooooooooooooooo stressful on them, competing and fighting with each other at artificially inflated rates. I guess you could say that more out of whack ratios allow them to hold on longer, as it's less fighting/competing stress. However, it's still their physical condition that's causing it (far worse physical condition because of that stress), if that makes any sense.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

P.S. nice bucks

 

[Catscratch]

I saw two bucks with both sides still holding this weekend. Of course I'm a long ways from most of ya so it probably doesn't help much what I'm seeing at the moment...

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

I was in South Dakota on the 15th of March by Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge LAST year and there were quite a few bucks still holding onto their headgear. Most of the bucks I saw were 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 year old ones that still had them. Didn't see any small bucks at all with racks. It was quite east to pick out the bucks to since they were out in the middle of a field at 125 yds max in great light. Also saw several collared deer which I have never seen before anywear. I guess they have deer come from so far away just to winter that they try to monitor that.

 

[shawnv]

I've heard plenty of reports of bucks still holding in Western WI this year too.

 

[dipper]

Is a buck still capable of the deed if he looses his antlers. I get testosterones association with breeding, and there isn't a blue pill for deer. But people don't need a pill for baby juice? Doesn't the blue pill just..,give an erection?
I'm convinced winter severity is the biggest factor in shedding, at least in my area. If a buck can still get it done without antlers, that might straighten my shedding theory.
I found 2 sheds, one yearling and one 3 year old. I really haven't been looking.

 

[Bill]

I still have a few holding on.

Most have dropped though. Some year small antlers hang on into may.

Not qualified to say what really causes some to fall later than others.


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[Bowsnbucks]

Going in the other direction with this - the oddest thing I think I ever saw concerning a buck's rack was around 1980. It was the last week of April and spring turkey was about to open. While driving some mountain roads listening for gobblers, a nice 8 point in velvet crossed the road in front of us. It wasn't a tiny rack by any means and I'm glad I had another guy with me to vouch for the sighting !! No telling how big he eventually got.

 

[Bill]

Going in the other direction with this - the oddest thing I think I ever saw concerning a buck's rack was around 1980. It was the last week of April and spring turkey was about to open. While driving some mountain roads listening for gobblers, a nice 8 point in velvet crossed the road in front of us. It wasn't a tiny rack by any means and I'm glad I had another guy with me to vouch for the sighting !! No telling how big he eventually got.

I remember hearing once that if a buck somehow castrated itself. "Like on a fence." It's antler growth would stop where it was and he would keep those antlers for life.

If true, that could be what happened with the velvet deer.


Here's on from yesterday still clinging on.

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[Bowsnbucks]

I have no idea about the castration theory. We just thought we were seeing things for a minute. Didn't think to ask him to " cough " after he crossed the road !!:eek:o_O

 

[WTNUT]

Yes they are. I believe the healthier your backs are the longer they keep their antlers. I almost always see one buck with antlers the first week of April.