First shed of the year.
01-17-2017, 09:22 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Lots of factors can have an effect on testosterone levels.
early January is on the early end here as well but not really rare.
Ive been hearing other people have also been finding them early this year around here.
early January is on the early end here as well but not really rare.
Ive been hearing other people have also been finding them early this year around here.
01-17-2017, 09:26 AM
#12
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: MS
Posts: 343
FYI information the growth and dropping of antlers is dependent on the testosterone level of the individual buck and why they all don't drop at the same time. He's in MS and they have a lot later rut than up north and consequently the bucks are several months later dropping their antlers.
01-17-2017, 12:15 PM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
I used to think testosterone levels and such too, but when your in one area private land for yrs and yrs and well cared for land and see some bucks dogging does and others NOT, and then a out of control buck to doe ratio(about 7-8 to one)
I cannot see that working as the reason a buck drops it antlers, as typically if you read things by many so called experts, bucks don't run out till all doe are bred more or less, they will keep at it(if possible LOL)
I know many doe in my area DON"T get bred due to just too many
so when some bucks drop antlers in early dec(I found some on dec first, actually walking into a treestand for gun season a few times and seen buck day before ) and then seeing a bunch of other bucks of like size/age still holding antlers till march in
and then seeing same buck in a 3 yr cycle, go from shedding early to holding late and then early drop again<
it just doesn't add up
16+ acres of prime food plots on the land, so ALL bucks tend to eat same foods, or can if wanted ??
weather yr to yr being about the same, yr they came off early one yr was 20 degree,(normal cold winter) next yr came off early was in the 50's when they came off, and yr they held till march was in a COLD winter (more normal one)
had 17+ yrs of running a ton of cam's on this property and thousands of hrs there in person, knew deer heard very very well, and found 25-30+ shed a yr, so kept good tabs on things
I just again gave up trying to say THIS is why they come off, when half would fall off early or so and other half hold late, from BIG to small you young to old bucks>> NO rhyme or reason I could single out??
I cannot see that working as the reason a buck drops it antlers, as typically if you read things by many so called experts, bucks don't run out till all doe are bred more or less, they will keep at it(if possible LOL)
I know many doe in my area DON"T get bred due to just too many
so when some bucks drop antlers in early dec(I found some on dec first, actually walking into a treestand for gun season a few times and seen buck day before ) and then seeing a bunch of other bucks of like size/age still holding antlers till march in
and then seeing same buck in a 3 yr cycle, go from shedding early to holding late and then early drop again<
it just doesn't add up
16+ acres of prime food plots on the land, so ALL bucks tend to eat same foods, or can if wanted ??
weather yr to yr being about the same, yr they came off early one yr was 20 degree,(normal cold winter) next yr came off early was in the 50's when they came off, and yr they held till march was in a COLD winter (more normal one)
had 17+ yrs of running a ton of cam's on this property and thousands of hrs there in person, knew deer heard very very well, and found 25-30+ shed a yr, so kept good tabs on things
I just again gave up trying to say THIS is why they come off, when half would fall off early or so and other half hold late, from BIG to small you young to old bucks>> NO rhyme or reason I could single out??
01-17-2017, 12:23 PM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I used to think testosterone levels and such too, but when your in one area private land for yrs and yrs and well cared for land and see some bucks dogging does and others NOT, and then a out of control buck to doe ratio(about 7-8 to one)
I cannot see that working as the reason a buck drops it antlers, as typically if you read things by many so called experts, bucks don't run out till all doe are bred more or less, they will keep at it(if possible LOL)
I know many doe in my area DON"T get bred due to just too many
so when some bucks drop antlers in early dec(I found some on dec first, actually walking into a treestand for gun season a few times and seen buck day before ) and then seeing a bunch of other bucks of like size/age still holding antlers till march in
and then seeing same buck in a 3 yr cycle, go from shedding early to holding late and then early drop again<
it just doesn't add up
16+ acres of prime food plots on the land, so ALL bucks tend to eat same foods, or can if wanted ??
weather yr to yr being about the same, yr they came off early one yr was 20 degree,(normal cold winter) next yr came off early was in the 50's when they came off, and yr they held till march was in a COLD winter (more normal one)
had 17+ yrs of running a ton of cam's on this property and thousands of hrs there in person, knew deer heard very very well, and found 25-30+ shed a yr, so kept good tabs on things
I just again gave up trying to say THIS is why they come off, when half would fall off early or so and other half hold late, from BIG to small you young to old bucks>> NO rhyme or reason I could single out??
I cannot see that working as the reason a buck drops it antlers, as typically if you read things by many so called experts, bucks don't run out till all doe are bred more or less, they will keep at it(if possible LOL)
I know many doe in my area DON"T get bred due to just too many
so when some bucks drop antlers in early dec(I found some on dec first, actually walking into a treestand for gun season a few times and seen buck day before ) and then seeing a bunch of other bucks of like size/age still holding antlers till march in
and then seeing same buck in a 3 yr cycle, go from shedding early to holding late and then early drop again<
it just doesn't add up
16+ acres of prime food plots on the land, so ALL bucks tend to eat same foods, or can if wanted ??
weather yr to yr being about the same, yr they came off early one yr was 20 degree,(normal cold winter) next yr came off early was in the 50's when they came off, and yr they held till march was in a COLD winter (more normal one)
had 17+ yrs of running a ton of cam's on this property and thousands of hrs there in person, knew deer heard very very well, and found 25-30+ shed a yr, so kept good tabs on things
I just again gave up trying to say THIS is why they come off, when half would fall off early or so and other half hold late, from BIG to small you young to old bucks>> NO rhyme or reason I could single out??
You're doing way too much thinking and not nearly enough reading about biology. The only thing that controls the growing and shedding of the antlers is the testosterone level of each animal as it rises and falls. That time frame can change from one year to the next because there are a lot of things that affect it and, therefore, cause an individual buck to vary.
01-17-2017, 01:36 PM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
Yep, it's all related to testosterone levels in the buck. But the reason you are seeing so many variances mrbb is there are a LOT of factors contributing to the testosterone levels. And every Buck is different. Some factors, but not even close to ALL are, weather patterns, number of Does in the area disseminating their hormones, actual rut activity (number of Does bred), mineral content in the food coming up to rut, and literally tons more stuff that contribute to them dropping and when.
