Breechplug

Well Tuesday was the end of our Late MLer Season here in N.Y. I had a Good Season, took the 9pt a Big Doe and on the last day at 4:30 I shot what I thought was another Big Doe.
I walked up to the Deer, looked at it and right away got My Tags out and decided to fill it out first befor it started to get dark.
I filled out My remaining MLer Season Antlerless Tag and proceded to filed dress the Deer. Right away I knew something was'nt right as the Big Doe only had 1 hole (the rectum) I thought to Myself No Way is this a Button Buck, I grabbed the Deers Head and I was right it was'nt a Button Buck but a Buck that had recently dropped his rack, Dang!
Crap, I just filled out My Tag saying it was a (Female) I cant alter it.....good I had 1 remaming Deer Mamagement Permit left so I filled out that one saying it was a Male. You can Legally Tag a Buck on a Deer Mamagement Tag or a Antlerless Tag as long as it has a Antler that is 3" or shorter or is a Button Buck.
What bothered me is earlier in the Week My Buddy Jim also shot what he thought was a Big Doe and it also was a Buck that had just dropped his rack. I have never seen this befor ever during our Late Season MLer. We had a Bad Early start to Winter here, it started to Snow here a few days into out Shotgun Season in Mid November and never stopped. The Cold and Snow was relentless. Im thinking this was a reason for the Bucks to drop there racks so early, usually this does'nt happen around here untill late January or even February.
Since then I've heard of many Bucks taken around our area that also had dropped there racks early and were mistaken for Big Does. This wont be good for next year having all these Bucks Harvested that would'nt normally have been taken. Has anyone else in the North East experienced this also?
So all in all our Late Season Mler Season was good for me, in the 9 days of the Season I took a 9pt Buck a Big Doe and a Buck that had dropped his rack. And that were all Harvested with that dang 240gr XTP Bullet.
I'll see if Sabotloader will post a few Pics for me......
(BP)

Roger46982

Heard it is happening here in Indiana also.

bronko22000

Breech, no sense beating yourself up on that. It happens and I am sure that if you knew it was a buck you wouldn't have shot.
I'm worried too because we have a monster buck in one area we hunt the me and my friend saw during archery season. And no one got him during rifle. We will be checking heads out with binos before tripping the trigger.

Grouse45

That should be done all the time. Pretty easy to shoot a spike if not looking as well.

smokey92

In northern Michigan, I've seen guy's dragging their bucks by the horns the 2nd and 3rd week of December, and pull the horns off. Last year the trail camera showed 2 mature bucks had lost theirs by Christmas day.

Colorado Cajun

It's still a "Anterless deer". Congrats on the harvest.

Breechplug

I did Scope the Deer befor I shot, I also tried to tell if it had testicles, it looked good so I shot. I also only had minutes left untill the end of the Season and I was offered a shot so I took it. Believe Me If I had known, I'd have let Him Walk. There was also 2 other Deer with Him, some just a little smaller wich I know must have been adult Doe's (But Not 100% Sure Now) so I took the Bigger of the three.
(BP)

sabotloader

Breechplug

Here are your pics....

Breechplug

The first pic is My Buck that dropped his rack, I took him on the last day of Late ML Season with just 10 minutes of the Season to go. The next pic shows the massive blood trail from the 240gr XTP. Pic 3 shows where the Buck dropped his horns. Pic 4 is what looks like all Does, actually there's 2 Bucks in there, 1 mine and another a Friends that also dropped his rack early. 2 Deer are His, 2 are mine and the other is another Friends. last Pic is me with all the good eatin Late Season Venesion.
Three of us took 8 Deer during the 9 Day Late ML Season.
Thank's for Posting the Pics Mike!
(BP)

Grouse45

Breechplug,
That looks like a button buck to me (Young Deer). The face and everything looks small to be a mature Buck in the picture. Looks like a early born 2010 Buck to me????