Little spike Blacktail buck, one of my regulars, was in the backyard this afternoon. He’s got a really white face so one glance and I knew who he was. On closer inspection, however, I noticed his little four-inch spikes were gone.

Kind of early but he didn’t have much to start with.

Anybody else seeing flat heads yet?




P

Hanging on still in CO foothills and on the central KS place.

I have bee watching bucks drop for the last 7 weeks in SC.

My part of Virginia usually starts around Christmas

Same here in GA.

Found a matching 5 and a palmated 4 so far. At my house which is only 2 air miles away the bucks still have both sides and were freshing the scrapes after the last rain.

I've not found any this year, but I really don't get out and specifically look for them. I've seen some one antlered bucks, so they're dropping them here.

Still hanging on here in NY

Dinks were dropping in mid December.

Picked up a pair yesterday from a 3 year old 8 point. Southern middle Tennessee

I shot a deer December 29 during WV’s antlerless season. Thought it was a big old doe, turned out to be a mature shed buck. I’d never seen them drop that early. I’ve had friends in NC and in WV show me trail cam pics and sheds they found as early as December 12. Strange year.

I saw a bachelor heard today in central Ohio and they all had horns still attached. I wanted to go shed hunting on Saturday but think I have a couple weeks to wait.

I had a buck in the backyard last night and still had both sides. Majority of the bucks have dropped here by my house.

Saw 2 spike bull elk that still had their antlers this week.

I took a stroll yesterday looking for his spikes and found this:




Pretty much a needle in a haystack.




He showed up later for a snack.




Kinda cool.





P

I have seen 3 1-antlered bucks in the last week.

Several “one sided” bucks showing up here as well.

I don't think its at all the 2 mile difference. its an individual animal thing.

When I used to guide turkey hunters it was not at all uncommon in west TX to see all three types on opener which was plus/minus April 1. Hard antler. Velvet nub. And no antlers.

I've found sheds as early as Dec 20 and I've seen hard antlers still on bucks appx April 15 or so.

Saw two last Sunday when hunting chukar the last day of the season.

Another 1/2 rack on the backyard cameras last week. Also 2 full racks and a spike IIRC

We watched a really nice 6x6 bull today. Know a guy that watched a one horned bull 2 days ago. Usually start looking March 15th. Be a bunch shed out come April 1st.

Just saw a whitetail buck this morning with both sides still.

the whitetail bucks in northern Minnesota next to the Canadian border many lost their horns end of December ,i was finding them then and seen 2 bigger bucks without horns that same week too.