Antlers

[Lefty Pa]

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I was just reading a post about bucks losing their antlers .(got me thinking)
1 Does the age of deer herd have anything to do with when they drop,if he has younger does he will breed later in season.
2 Does a buck breed after he loses his antlers.?

The more I think about this doe subject,the more questions I have.

John

[B-DUB]

Very good point. If shedding is directly related to testosterone levels and testosterone levels should be related to breeding than one would speculate the longer a buck is horny the longer he will keep his crown.... just a guess of cours. :? :D

As far as breeding after he sheds well.... as humans we have little blue pills for that! :shock: :D :lol:

[Lefty Pa]

thanks I didn"t know how to spell testosterone* :lol: I read that older does that come into heat at same time have fawns earlier and they are bigger in fall so they have a better chance of survive.
* * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *About little blue pill ----I"m to young for that Heeeee

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Lefty

[pinshooter]

I have read that big bucks loose their horns later and start growing them earlier than small bucks. As far as breeding goes I don't know.

[SageCreek]

I think big bucks loose them earilier, mainly because they are heavier and know that they need to come off, they try harder to knock them off.

In late season, you have to be careful not to shoot a big bruiser for a doe. It's hard to see the holes in their forehead.

[TexHunter]

From my experience of living where I hunt I can offer that I have seen various sized bucks dropping their headgear with no pattern at all. Have seen large ones drop them early and late and the same with younger bucks.

Jerry has a good question on the does. Correct me if I'm wrong but if a doe isn't bred during her intial estrous cycle she will come in again in a little while (can't remember how many weeks). If she isn't bred the second time then she can come into cycle a third time. This is one reason for primary rut and secondary ruts. I have read this many times about does from various sources. The number of unbred does will depend on the population size. With this in mind, if a large buck is around does that come into these cycles through out the season one year and not the next will his headgear fall at a different time? Good questions.

[CHAMPION2]

From my observation and being in the woods I have typically seen the bigger racked bucks shed their antlers first. I think stress on the deer plays a big part in how long they hold onto their horns. During hard winters here in North Dakota they typically shed earlier. I have found fresh sheds as early as late December.

Champion2
Full Draw Outdoors
Richwood/CSS

[TexHunter]

Jerry has a good question on the does.

Sorry John, not sure how I got Jerry.

In late season, you have to be careful not to shoot a big bruiser for a doe.

I remember one year in the Texas Hill Country my brother shot a deer he though was a big doe. It was a buck that had shed already. This was late December. This was not an unusual occurrence for that area of the state. They don't do it as early where I'm at.

[Lefty Pa]

Call me anything except,late for dinner ha ha
* * * * * * * * *I have seen large bucks with antlers in March&April (No small ones)in PA.
* * * * * * * * * Our deer don"t get real old on average and I thought that was the reason.
* * * * * * * * *I wonder if anybody ever saw a buck breed a doe that already lost his antlers.?????
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * lots of questions hu
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *John

[pinshooter]

Jerry has a good question on the does. Correct me if I'm wrong but if a doe isn't bred during her intial estrous cycle she will come in again in a little while (can't remember how many weeks). If she isn't bred the second time then she can come into cycle a third time. This is one reason for primary rut and secondary ruts. I have read this many times about does from various sources. The number of unbred does will depend on the population size. With this in mind, if a large buck is around does that come into these cycles through out the season one year and not the next will his headgear fall at a different time? Good questions.


You are correct. A doe comes in about every 28-30 days and will go through multiple cycles until she is bred or time has run out.

[skip]

I have a book by deer researcher Leonard Lee Rue III "The Deer of North America" describes the process like this. "One day the antlers may be so strong you could hit them with a pipe and not budge them; then overnight they granulate, stopping growth beyond the pedicles on the deer’s head. These antlers may fall off the next day. "It is likely that deer are unaware of when they will lose their antlers."

I also believe that decreased testosterone levels, caused by stress early in the winter, lack of nutritious food or fatigue from the rut contributes to the antlers granulating and falling off. That may be why you are seeing the larger-racked bucks lose their antlers first; these animals have spent a lot of energy and used up much nutrition while mating.

He also said that studies done of captive deer dont show the same pattern. The big bucks that are not stressed, don’t have to fight off other bucks for a doe, and don’t have to roam widely in search of a female generally keep their antlers longer than wild, free-roaming bucks with similar antler size.

So, antlers can be shed, depending upon a deer’s nutritional intake and stress or lack of stress, anytime from mid-December through March. Even so, Hellickson adds, "The specific date when a buck will shed his antlers may be determined more by his individual antler cycle than any other factor. This cycle is independent of other bucks and is believed to be centered on each animal’s birth date."

[Lefty Pa]

Thank you skip, now I can sleep. :lol:
Lefty

[TexHunter]

I have a book by deer researcher Leonard Lee Rue III "The Deer of North America"

I have that book too skip and read it cover to cover several years ago. Good book.

I wonder if anybody ever saw a buck breed a doe that already lost his antlers.?????

Good question. I wouldn't think so but I sure don't know the answer to that.