I stepped in the creek to recover a large shed deer antler and wouldn’t you know it was from the buck that I have been hunting. Darn the luck… if I see him and he still has his other side then I may decide to take him but if he doesn’t then I will let him pass sine there is no pride in shooting a large antler less buck IMO.

This is a large left side antler with 6 points on it still, and 2 have been broken off. So this deer is a possible 16 pointer and already shed his antler????? What heck can anyone explain this? I realize that he may have lost it in a fight but never seen a big buck rip the whole antler off only broken tines before.

I will post a pic when I get my camera back. I am really kicking myself now since I saw this deer within 50 yards of my stand and I only had my bow with me and couldn’t squeeze an arrow through. I left my ML in the SUV that 1 day! Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!!! LOL

It isn't unusual for a small percentage of bucks to drop antlers in December here in Maryland. Usually the oldest bucks first and probably linked to changes in hormone levels following the rut. One of thedrawbacksof having an early January antlerless hunt, as we are thisyear,is the occasional killing of a buck which has dropped his antlers. Bucks willsometimes drop antlers as the result of injury as well. Hopefully not the case with your deer.

Thanks for the info man I am 90% sure this is from the same deer. But hope I am wrong. This buck was light in color since a darker 1 was with him at the time and he seemed to want to follow that one (8 pointer still a nice deer) I suspect that the 8 pointer is the dominant buck in the area but I think at least he is older.

Get that camera back ....[8D]

will do man! I will have it tonight after 9pm.

I found a shed too on Christmas day here in NY, a3 pointer. It still had a blood ring so it must have been like that day or before. I was wondering if the deer was wounded asI thought our deer drop in late Jan.
Steve

My Dad was out in the woods a few days ago and came across a blood trail in the fresh snow. So he starts following the trail and it leads him to a shed antler. First time in his life to come across one. We were suprised that they were droping all ready as well. We have had a good snow cover on the ground for quite a while some thing that's become rare for our area this early in winter. Maybe because of the snow cover they're not getting enough nutrition and that might have some thing to do with them sheding so early around here.

I live in Michigan and hunt in the UP. Some deer were droping there horns the first week of december. I have never seen the bucks drop horns that early in this area.

here are the pics. If you look close this deer has broken 2 tines off but still has 6 left.

here is another view