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Yesterday there were 15-20 deer out in the winter wheat fields down the road from home. One of them was a big 10+ pointer. Having spent the last 30 years 200 miles North of here, I can’t recall ever seeing a buck with antlers after late December.
The second rut was going right after the first of the year, but we are almost to February.
We live in Jackson County, about 25 miles South of Lansing,MI.
Is it normal for bucks to still have antlers at this time here in Southern Michigan?


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here in PA i see them into april.


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I'm in Indiana and I get trail cam pictures of bucks that have lost one side as soon as late Dec., get other pictures with bucks holding both sides as late as early March.

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Originally Posted by 54Woody
I'm in Indiana and I get trail cam pictures of bucks that have lost one side as soon as late Dec., get other pictures with bucks holding both sides as late as early March.


Same here in Kentucky.

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I wonder what makes the difference?
Rut stress?


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I've seen them in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa with antlers clear into Spring turkey season.


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Running about 15 cameras right now... only 1 shed antler buck showing up


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Originally Posted by BOWHUNR
I've seen them in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa with antlers clear into Spring turkey season.


Ive seen big muleys with racks the first of April in west Texas.

Last edited by jaguartx; 01/23/21.

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It's the brand of superglue a particular buck might use.

Some are just plain ole cheap and buy dollar tree schit
Some are smart and buy upper end durable brands.

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Been seeing a nice buck when I drive through coopersville on the way to work in the mornings. Same field behind the high school. SW MI.

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I often see antlers hanging on til march or so.
About 4 years or so ago I noticed a road killed small antlered buck on the eastern apron of the interstate 80 Mississippi river bridge in mid April

Saw a dandy 8 pointer just a couple of days ago, on my way to town....


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I've seen them with antlers late Feb. here in NY and shot one late Dec. that had already shed.

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With the buck to doe ratio being as screwed up as it is in Michigan some does don't get bred until December. At least that's what I've read from Dr. Ozaga (sp?) I've seen dinks carrying half-a-rack into March in Saginaw County. YMMV... grin

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About 10 years ago we a young fork horn that carried one antler into June

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There were two out in the yard last night with decent racks.

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Originally Posted by AJ300MAG
With the buck to doe ratio being as screwed up as it is in Michigan some does don't get bred until December. At least that's what I've read from Dr. Ozaga (sp?) I've seen dinks carrying half-a-rack into March in Saginaw County. YMMV... grin

Secondary rut, the doe fawns will get bred then.

Pretty common.


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Down here on the Gulf Coast the rut is just kicking in.

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Around here, most of the bucks carry them well into March.
Some will drop them in January, but I think the majority don’t shed them until early March, some even hang on till April.
I read somewhere that Whitetails will always shed their horns within a couple days of the same date every year.
It’s true as far as I can tell. My Dad raised one from a doe that was hit on the road shortly after giving birth. It came onto my cousin’s property, looking for her.
He tried to give it to a deer farm, but they won’t take a buck unless they know it’s a good one.
Long story short, they give him a bill of sale ( so it’d be legal to possess) and a paper on how to care for it. He gave it to Dad because he didn’t have enough room.
The Old Man took it into the house for two weeks, feeding it goat’s milk every 4 hours, wiping it bunghole with a wet paper towel. (The mother will lick it to stimulate bowl movement)
In the meanwhile, me and Dad built a small corral outta 7’ chain link fence. We named him “Stilts” on account of the long legs fawns all have.
We had him for 5 years, finally selling him to a ranch. He never really had a wide spread, but each year he developed a nice, high rack of 8 to 10 points. And he always dropped them the second week of March.
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As late as April here but that's rare. I think the end of February and March mostly.

I read it has to due with when the rut happens where the deer's ancestors were from originally. Unfortunately places like Alabama and Miss. where the rut is in January and the deer were restocked there from say a Northern state that the rut was pretty much over in early December with the main rut in November, it can have bad effect on the antler pedicle. The bucks are still rutting and fighting when they are trying to shed their antlers and they get damaged.


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The healthier the buck the longer they hold. Only bucks stressed are dropping already. Not unusual to see them hold into April.

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