I still hunted this morning working towards a friend who was on post. After 3 hours of working towards his position I was about 175 yards away and stopped when I herd a shot that was unmistakable knowing exactly where he was standing.
I waited about then continued still hunting until I got on the other side of a hemlock stand and came out 50 yard or so from buddy's stand. I asked him what he got and he replied a large doe. Walking up to the deer I said to him it was indeed big, downright huge as does go. But the minute I saw the snout I said I don't think it's a doe. I grabbed hold of the ear and pulled the head around out of the snow and sure enough it was a buck that already had shead it's antlers. Upon further examination the right front foot from what I'd call for lack or a better term was swollen some. I figured maybe what ever the injury was the body had shed early to direct it's energy into healing the ankle. Outside of that the deer was in real good shape with plenty of fat laid on and field dressed 166 lbs and was about 4 1/2 -5 years old. To bad he didn't get a crack at him before he had shed.

my friend shot a 3 pt half rack...his dad grabbed it by the rack to move its head into position to take a pic and it popped right out..i think it shed the other one.....maybe the dry summer? i duno..i know its a bit early for antlers to be shed...

yep a infected wound will cause early antler loss