Buck lost his horn's already ! !

[sportfish]

A friend and I sat in a ground blind tonight had 11 deer come out before dark . The first was a fawn to come out, than a rough looking big necked deer . I looked at him through the binos at 40-50 yards and he looked like a 3 1/2 year old but his fur must have covered the spots on his head already ! Of course he gave great shot operations but I said he gets a pass . There was a spike by him for a while and he looked like a skinny doe compared to the big necked buck ! The cold weather must be stressing them some . I shot a 10 point with the muzzloader in 2010 that's horn fell of when he crashed . Then my friend shot and missed a doe to end the night and most Likely the season

[FISHINGURU]

A buddy told me his brother just shot a buck that already dropped one side.

[slimngrizzly]

Thats a sign that the deer are already in rough shape! Ive heard of a shed being picked already. Its not unheard of... but its too early for that to be happening. Should be after x-mas anyway....

[leech~~]

I've seen deer with "antlers" on at late as Feb-March. But those may have been warmer winters?

[tracker x-2]

I've seen deer with "antlers"

I was hoping someone was gonna say that

I have seen a fair amount of deer while driving home in the evenings and at work and not one a had any antlers.

[Bear55]

This happens a lot up north, with this cold and snowy start to the winter I think some deer might drop earlier than normal to adapt.

[DonBo]

I've always heard a cold stretch will cause some to drop early. I shot a big doe years ago in December that turned out to be a buck that had already dropped.

A friend had an antler come off in his hand as he tried to drag it, also in December. It happens.

The latest I've ever seen them still carrying was April 20. Two BIG bucks running together, both full racks.

[triggertrav]

Saw a bruiser this morning, carrying full rack. He was in the middle of a field. He must have know muzzle loader season ended on sunday.

[Musky Buck]

And bear55 in places in east central MN as well just think when rifle and muzzy get pushed back we can get some 200 pound does then! Where I hunt it's late February early March before shedding and weather has 0 to do with it as my trailcams now prove to me year after year at least in farm country in western MN. I have neighbors where I live that at Christmas time they are already shed hunting in east central MN and have taken at least 3 shed bucks muzzleloading over the years and had other antlers fall off while dragging them out. Not sure about your areas but in a 2.8 mile drive home from work last night at 4:30PM every cornfield I drove past had deer feeding in it, pheasants were thick, turkeys everywhere, that full moon get em riled up or something ?

[Musky Buck]

You know I've heard also once the hormones subside in a buck the shedding can occur much sooner maybe ? IDK, I have 0 plan to shed hunt until mid-march as my cameras will still regardless of the winter have bucks with racks in March. Has been that way since trailcams hit the market, but other areas of the state may be different. Even individual deer may be a touch different also, the harder they rut maybe or fat reserves/food availability in others. So here Jan 1st I could go searching and in OT county have to wait until March.

[slimngrizzly]

Ive shed hunted Kansas to Saskatchewan and I will guarantee you theres whitetail bucks in both in December that have lost their antlers, and there will be bucks in both still packing in April! Every buck is different and I assure you weather most certainly has an influence. Cold and snow stresses deer, and stressed bucks drop antlers.

I do think everyone should just wait till at least late March though, its a waste of time before that!

[lungdeflator]

A family friend shot one with one side early dec, knocked it down and the other side fell off. Bemidji MN

[Musky Buck]

IDK slim, since the evolution of trailcams and whatever weather throws at us it's the same thing year after year where I live, with now thousands of trailcam pictures not just me but everyone in that area several uncles as well, the weather matters 0 slim actually the worst winter for snow depth and temps the 12-15 bucks I consistently had on camera all carried into March that year so what does that mean, they carry them longer in bad winters ? I have a spring fed water hole that never freezes so I get darn near every deer on it at some point in the swamp and it never varies much, the earliest is Valentines day and into early April, it's been that way for 30 years so the weather in some farmland locations means nothing is what we all have learned. Even the blizzard year of 1996-1997 when the DNR worked with us to feed them in March we sat back and counted the antlered bucks that were coming into eat. That was the worst winter I have ever seen, 14 school day closings that year. The metro bucks are often late shedders every year also and certain pockets of the state not sure if it's mineral related/solid food sources throughout the winter or what really. Other places in the state are way different, I would think the deer that rarely see farmland definitely shed sooner yet there's places even with good feed they just shed sooner, I've never noticed the weather playing a role, in my 40th year of shed hunting now there's a pretty reliable pattern where I do this at regardless of the weather, I mean of course they have to shed so the big ? is why don't they hang onto their horns longer in mild winters in those same places ?

[fr0sty]

I have read articles deer and deer hunting that lower testosterone levels control antler shedding.

[FISHINGURU]

I just swapped out 2 of my memory cards on my cams and have pics of bucks with their antlers but I also have pics of bucks that have already shed them.

[Lunker]

Family member found a shed this week on a turnip plot on our property in north central mn

[WalleyeBIZ]

A guy I know has a trail cam pic from last night of a big buck with only one antler, so he went out and found the shed today, that was in rodchester

[InTheNorthwoods]

Some bucks just shed early. We picked up sheds off of one particular buck that dropped in mid-December right in front of our trail camera (which, from trail cams, appeared to be his normal shedding period). Those sheds scored near 130" without a spread. The next year he was every bit of 170"+ on the hoof (I missed him with my bow, and a neighbor shot him with a gun).

At the same time, a co-worker picked up a giant main framed 4x4 set that were shed before Christmas last December. That buck that was even bigger this year (and is believed to have already shed this December based solid history and observation of that deer - i.e. a giant buck that had shed its antlers has been showing up in his core area).

Bottom line is that it is not uncommon.

[Odonata]

We use to shed hunt during Christmas break in college, have found many "presents" after Dec. 25 and before new years eve. Conditions play a huge part in the head-gear staying on. I am not surprised antlers are dropping now, hunted yesterday iin thigh deep snow, it's rough in the bush.

[Big Country]

My sister showed me a fresh shed from a young six pointer she found in her yard the other day. Still had blood on it. That was a first for me. Seems early. BC

[certified jumbo]

The neighbor has already found 4 so far. All from 2 year olds or bigger. They seem to really be dropping. I'll have to make a couple walks through the corn rows after new years before it snows.

[FISHINGURU]

I've been seeing a couple dozen deer almost every sit and none of them have antlers. You can tell some of them are bucks though.