This one puzzles me a bit!
 

I had mentioned a couple weeks or so ago that I found 2 different bucks hit on the road where I do my hunting. Both of these bucks were easily 160lb deer and they both had at least 2 inches of new antler growth. This is where it gets a bit confusing. My dad called me up today and told me he's got a button buck from last year coming into there yard that has 2 inch growth already. There's an 8 point from last year that comes into his yard also and that 8 point which lost its rack is now growing new antlers also but there hardly coming out of its head. The button buck from last year has twice the growth already this year then the soon to be 3.5 year old has this year so far. The reason he knows these are the same deer is that they feed them in the winter months with corn in a small water bird bath 10 yards from there house. I would of guessed that the 8 point would grow faster then the button buck from last year. Puzzling to me!!

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

That is a bit weird. You also have to remember that button bucks dont shed their antlers. Essentially, they are working on their first rack for a year and a half so hes naturally going to have a bit of a head start on that 3.5yr. old. Also, that 8 pt. may have shed late and his regrowth process may have started late.

On a side note. It would be cool for your dad to document the growth of these two bucks, provided they continue to keep coming into his yard. Take photos of them both every 2-3 days of the next 3 and a half months and set them aside and compare them. It will be amazing to see that 3.5 year olds antlers take off. A buck under the right conditions can grow up to 1/4th of an inch daily.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

There done feeding them now so I'm guessing in a week or 2 they won't be coming in no more. It sure would be neat to take pics like you said every few days to see how they both grow.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Schultzy....maybe the button buck has mega genes.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Here's what puzzles me: It's almost impossible to break a deer antler off. You can pound the he11 out of it and it won't break off. Then in the winter they just fall off on their own. I understand how the biologists explain it, but it is still weird when you think about it.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

That is weird, Schultzy ....

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Leonard Lee Rue III told a story of a friend he had and his captive buck. It was well into March and maybe even April if I remember right, and he was curious as to why the buck hadnt shed yet. So he proceeded to take a steel pipe out and try to knock them off. After a heck of a blow to the bucks rack it knocked the buck off its feet and left a nasty sting in his friends hand Im sure. Still to no avail. Then a few days later he watched that bucks rack shed off easily.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

That is really interesting...amazing

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

How about antelope and others that cast (throw) their horns off!!??

That's even weirder yet........... to me.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Fawnbucks shed their buttons just likeany racked buck. While we have never found a button... we have found winter killed fawns that had shed their buttons.

Antelope sheds the sheath ( outside layerof the horn ) but not the whole horn to my knowledge.It is weird.

Tim

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

This must be a new strain of antelope!!

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

My guess would be that the button buck came through the winter in better shape than the 8 point simply because the 8 point most likely had no reserves left (because of the rut) by the time winter hit. Now come spring the button buck is in good shape, ready to go, and the 8 is still recovering. While he is recovering I would guess the body naturally puts its energy into building the body back before the antlers. I would also guess that at some point that eight catches up to and passes that button buck in growth rate as eats the new growth, replenishes his mineralsand his health improves.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Do a search on the net. Seems the only new strain of antelope is apparently theone your familar with. :D

Tim

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

I'm guessing your right on your observation but it just really surprises me being the 8 point from last year is going to be a 3.5 year old this year and the little guy will be a 1.5 this year. This 8 point had about a 105" to 110" rack last year as a 2.5 year old. I'm sure he'll fly on by the 1.5 old when he gets his body built up a bit from the very rough winter Northern Minnesota had this year.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Maybe the 8 just shed later than the button buck, giving the little guy more growing time before the 8 started sprouting up.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Their are about a dozen different scenario's that could cause this Schultzy... but I'll keep this post to a minimum.

Whitetail fawns are born at many different times throughout middle of spring and into early summer. This ensures the species to survive.

When a whitetail sheds his antler.. lets say on the 3rd of March... that same buck will generally (as long as he has health) shed his bone every year for the rest of his life within a few days of that March 3rd date... and then begin growing them right after... again about the same date for that individual.

Even more interesting... an individual buck will even shed his velvet every year about the same date... yr. in and yr. out. (although different biologists record slightly different results.)

So... it is just most likely that the young buck will always have an early shed date.. followed by a early re-growth start date... and ultimately an earlier velvet shedding date. (most likely)

The bigger buck probably has a late shed date... thus an later start to his re-growth.. and even his velvet shedding.

Neat stuff to witness... now maybe you can use this to your advantage while sheddin' next season.

Of course this is all under normal health conditions. (For you RockinChair):)

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Thanks Duke, I learned something today!;) Seriously that was some good info that I had no idea of. Good stuff!!:D

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Never heard or seen that one myself Duke but heck its the whitetails world and we just live in it. Good stuff maynard.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Well i also learned something today thanks Tim

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Are you sure about that Duke? There are several conditions that can influence when a buck will shed his antlers. For one, social status can change. Within a healthy herd, dominant bucks will have been replaced every 2-3 years generally. Dominant bucks shed far sooner than subordinate bucks because of the stresses their body endures in becoming that dominant buck. A 1.5 yr. old 6 pt. may not shed his first rack well into February or March. However, once he becomes the main man in his land, he'll shed far sooner..let's say January 10th for example. Also climate conditions play a role as well. A harsh cold snap or extended periods of snow cover or anyother weather related incident that causes stress on the body will force him to drop early.

If you can show me some documentation or research that says bucks will generally drop around the same day within a few days I will stand corrected.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

RockinChair.. that's where I stated (as long as he has health.) I thought that was self-explanatory.

As far as documentation. I've read it much more than once in my lifetime. But.. because you ask... here's an article written by Alsheimer on the subject. Although he only includes mature bucks in this article... La Rue has documented it for years with several age groups.

The Blood of Autumn.. Charles J. Alsheimer. Deer and deer hunting magazine.

Sorry no link. I just no longer do another mans searching. I've wasted too
many hours doing this over the past.

One last note.. I too notice the same occurances. And fully believe its mostly true. However mother nature doesn't follow a written book and each whitetail is different from the next. This way.. the deer survives. It would be easier to hunt deer that all behaved the same way.. wouldn't it..??

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

I misunderstood you as well dukemichaels, as even though dominance or stress may change, a buck can still be in good health. Perhaps in a changeless environment in which there are no stresses or unforseen disturbances in the basic biological cycle of the buck, then the antlers will be dropped annually around the same time. However, as Lee Rue says, "The one thing we have learned is that many different factors determine the timing of the casting of a buck's antlers."

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

Touche. While I haven't read the article yet, Alsheimer and Rue III are my biggest mentors and I study their works religiously and seeing as you study them as well I will take your word for it.

Like I said.. I havent read the article.. but I still find that hard to believe with so many variables that can come into play. Social structure being the biggest with possibility that a once dominant buck will drop his antlers at the same when he was subordinate as he will when he was dominant. I look forward to reading the article. Thanks for the info.

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

I sometimes am my own enemy. And I try to write as little as possible in my posts... and then usually have to write longer anyway since someone asks a Q back. But again.. absolutely.. whitetail casting and re-growing can be halted or lessened or whatever due to overall health of the individual. Which yes.. does include its own physical and social health. I just call it health... it saves me writing time...

RE: This one puzzles me a bit!
 

It has been a learning day for me also with button bucks and shedding. Congrats again on your recent finds and good luck bear hunting.

Tim