Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Antlers

Yesterday afternoon, I saw a nice six-point wth its rack intact. Isn't February 23rd rather late for a Missouri whitetail to still have its antlers? Most shed in early January.

Apparently not

Antler growth, hardening, retention and shedding are governed by the levels of circulating hormones (primarily testosterone) in an individual animal's blood. These changes are triggered by photoperiod--changes in day length during course of the year. In a deer population, most bucks do all of these within a fairly well-defined window. However, there always seem to be some bucks that are "early" and/or "late" due to their own peculiar physiological makeup.

I have observed a few marked whitetail bucks which kept hard antlers into April and even May before shedding them. These same bucks had new hard antlers about the same time as everyone else in the fall.

Mudhen is right

April 1 give or take has been our spring turkey season opener depending on what areas, can vary a few weeks one way or the other.

On opener I"ve seen all 3 bucks in a group, hard, velvet, and nothing...

I've seen bucks in Missouri with headgear still on in early April.


X-VERMINATOR

An 8-pt buck got hit by my step-dad's cabinet shop last year in mid-March. It was a big deer with a big rack. It got hit and the antlers still stayed on. I think there are probably a lot of factors that make them hang on. Typically up here, anytime from late November to January is when they fall.

My spring turkey season in early May in central WI, usually has the bucks sprouting 6" or more of velvet.

Just got back from south-central KS and most of the bucks were still carrying their headgear.

Dad's getting pictures on trail cam with antlers still attached in southeast Kansas. Have seen into April around here with antlers still attached.

I've seen two bucks over the past three weeks in Missouri still with their antlers. Both were mature 8 pointers.

Did I mention I shot a antlerless deer on our lease first week if January. Meaning it had lost both antlers already. It was previously a 3 point that needed to go anyway. Was just amazed when it walked out with both gone....

I have head shot quite a few small bucks end of season that the impact blows them loose, but I"ve also shot some where the antlers come off attached to frags of skull...

Hell, deer season is still going in Florida.

I killed a buck on Dec. 9 here in NY a few years ago that had already lost it's antlers. I've also seen them with antlers in mid Feb.

I probably have seen over 500 deer in the last week driving and have not seen either muley or whitetails with horns. I did some driving in the same area at the end of January and saw tons of good bucks of both types.

Still have several bucks on our place in East Texas with antlers. Saw 2 old bucks this year that had shed in late December.

A week ago I saw a buck that still had one horn(4 points) on the right side near the house here. I am in the Appalachian Mountains.