PA bucks sheding the horns yet?

Bowtech9 · 12-25-2004, 06:12 AM

has anyone seen any bucks that have dropped their horns already or are most of the bucks still donning their racks? I still have a buck tag (like so many other guys, THANKS TO MR ALT) and would give the late bow season a shot. If most of the bucks have dropped their horns than I'm staying home.

cardeer · 12-25-2004, 06:35 AM

Very few I heard of, I seen a buck this morning. But mine fell off this morning in the shower

BTBowhunter · 12-27-2004, 06:37 PM

Had a 4 point half rack under my toes this evening. If the other half was similar he'll be a good one next year!

BTBowhunter · 12-31-2004, 09:50 PM

Yesterday, we did a drive for a buddy that has an essentially dead leg from the thigh down in area 2B. We put three out to him. One was a high wide 10 pt. The second was a very high spike and the third had no horns. He shot the third, thinking it was a doe and it turned out to be a 1.5 shed buck. Based on the pedicels it didnt appear that he had much of a rack (at least not much mass)

Never like to see a shed buck get killed for a doe but was glad to help my buddy get the first deer he's gotten in a few years

Looks like they're starting to drop.

bowhunt05 · 01-02-2005, 07:23 AM

i say poop ive been goin in late archyry hope the one that has my name on it hasnt lost it horns yet
ty alt worst sesone i have ever seen in 3c

bearklr · 01-03-2005, 12:14 PM

I've seen the same thing. My uncle took what he thought was a doe last week and it turns out it was a small buck that had dropped his horns already.

BTBowhunter · 01-03-2005, 12:18 PM

The good news is that the big guys seem to still be packin horns

Obviously, its a hormonal thing. I've read and heard that as long as there are does coming into estrous, bucks will have horns. I also believe I saw where the dominant bucks are often the last to shed.

moosehornhunter · 01-03-2005, 12:40 PM

BT....The dominant bucks are the FIRST to shed, not the last.

BTBowhunter · 01-03-2005, 01:03 PM

Do you have a source to back that up? Not disputing you but it is the opposite of what I've heard. Id argue if I was sure of my source but I'm not. I will say that most of the shed bucks I've seen early on were young ones but I'm sure nutrition and genetics come into play here.

wvdeer4u · 01-03-2005, 04:48 PM

BT
Some mature bucks shed early some late and some yearlings shed in dec and some in april. The deers health and hormones have a lot to do with when they shed but the older bucks are more likely to shed earlier.
Jan 15th was my first last year. from a 2 1/2 yr old