How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Discussion about shed antlers, etc
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Dhurtubise
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How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Dhurtubise » Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:52 am

I have a cell cam out and have been baiting to see how long the bucks are keeping their antlers.


I had my last one shed three days ago (March 1st). I'm pretty sure I had one coming around until mid-march 3 or 4 years ago.

What is the latest you have seen them shed?

When was the last one this year?

Around here, the last ones I see are always big. Does this correlate to your area?

I live just across the MN-ON border.


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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby P&YBuck1 » Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:32 pm

I live in SE Wisconsin and have seen nice big bucks still with horns going into late March, early April in the past.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Wlog » Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:44 pm

I've found fresh sheds as early as December and seen bucks holding antlers as late as April. I think there are a lot of variables involved; nutrition, stress, injuries. I don't think there is a consensus even among biologist on all the factors that go into the timing of antler cast. At least not that I'm aware of.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby stash59 » Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:51 pm

I've read it has to do with how much testosterone they use during the rut. With all of the above having a factor in it.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:37 pm

April 15th
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby IkemanTx » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:21 am

The top 3 at my dad's place are still holding as of Thursday...
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby headgear » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:29 am

I've seen them shed in Dec and still carrying a set in March/April. Kind of like asking the question how tall is a ten year old, lots of answers.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:02 am

I'm surprised with Dhurtubise's findings in the Northwoods.

I've never seen a mature Buck in the Northwoods with antlers after mid January....with my own eyes or trail camera. I run cams late into spring, most over some bait when legal.

I have heard of some bucks around here carrying longer but are/were "feeder" bucks at cabins or homes.

Earliest I've seen she'd is December 6th (120-125 ten point) with most dropping around Christmas week.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Dhurtubise » Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:40 pm

Hodag Hunter wrote:I'm surprised with Dhurtubise's findings in the Northwoods.

I've never seen a mature Buck in the Northwoods with antlers after mid January....with my own eyes or trail camera. I run cams late into spring, most over some bait when legal.

I have heard of some bucks around here carrying longer but are/were "feeder" bucks at cabins or homes.

Earliest I've seen she'd is December 6th (120-125 ten point) with most dropping around Christmas week.


To be honest, I've not really kept cameras in the big woods much past our season and still noticed big antlered bucks. I live about 500 yards from what I consider the start of our big woods (basically the first mile away from Lake Superior is relatively sparsely inhabited but you would never consider this big woods). A lot of people feed deer during the winter (I do too). The deer I see with antlers come around my feeder so maybe this is more in line with what you have observed. It is unusual for them to lose their antlers before Christmas though. I remember one of Dan's threads that followed his gun season and he was seeing quite a few shed bucks. I rarely see them on camera or otherwise during our season which ends on December 15th.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby ihookem » Sun Mar 12, 2017 12:28 pm

I found a big shed on Dec. 18, 2016 40 yds from my house. I have seen 2.5 yr old bucks holding on April 17. Both are in S.E. WIs. The big shed I found was after a cold spell od around -14F , wind and an 8" snow storm. ( I know 8" isn't a storm though" ) but it was a rough 3 days. I had lots of deer on my little acreage cause I cut down about 80 40' high poplars. They came in hard when it was cold.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:32 am

I have seen a few bucks still holding the last couple of days. :think:
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:34 am

I've heard 3 reports from co workers that saw bucks last week still with both antlers as of last week.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:40 pm

northern NJ has been dropping them since beginning of December. lack of acorns two years in a row and low doe population is the problem I'm guessing.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:46 pm

Here most bucks are shed out my mid January. Many shed around 1st of January. My #1 target buck shed his antlers between 12.30 and 1.1. He is 6 or 7. Others I have seen shed out 12.20 and he looked haggard and beat.

Normally when the first bucks start to shed, I pull most of my cams and call it good. This year I left them a little later.
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Re: How late do Big Mature Whitetail bucks shed?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:53 pm

Has anyone else noticed a trend of the shedding getting earlier? I know some of u have found sheds already, but I'm under the impression that happens in some parts of the country every year. I have seen one shed buck already, and have heard cases of 2 local bucks shot and horns popped off during drag out. That never happens here, late February/March was always standard. I also saw a buck the first part of sept that already broke one side of his rack off. Don't know what the heck is going on around here this year :think:
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