Half Racks

[Easy3actual]

I checked my cameras today after a hunt and saw at least two half racks on camera. Could they be shedding this early?

 

[Shed Hunter]

I checked my cameras today after a hunt and saw at least two half racks on camera. Could they be shedding this early?

Yes, it's not actually uncommon for them to shed in December in certain regions and not surprising anywhere I've hunted in TN

 

[Tom Collins]

One of my late season targets shed one side at my last pull. Dropped it about 2 weeks ago.

 

[TNTreeman]

Found a nice shed yesterday in a food plot. It was from the last 3 days

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

I have seen alot of broken rack bucks. If you are seeing shed bucks right now, that is not good. You have a stressed herd.

 

[BSK]

If you have bucks shedding racks now, that's a SERIOUS problem. Very healthy bucks will not shed antlers until March or even early April. Shedding early is a sign of severe nutritional and physical stress.

Now broken racks? I've seen a ton of those this year, including some that broke very early in the year (September/October). I've also been seeing a fair number of "spike on one side" bucks this year, far more than normal.

 

[Easy3actual]

I'll go back through my pics and post them later on to see what you all think.

 

[megalomaniac]

A significant drop in testosterone is the cause of antler shedding. That doesn't occur until after March normally in healthy deer.

Extremely stressed deer will drop testosterone levels, causing abnormally early antler shedding. Basically they have gone into survival mode and have abandoned any hopes of breeding that year.

 

[BSK]

A significant drop in testosterone is the cause of antler shedding. That doesn't occur until after March normally in healthy deer.

Extremely stressed deer will drop testosterone levels, causing abnormally early antler shedding. Basically they have gone into survival mode and have abandoned any hopes of breeding that year.

Exactly. And I should add that "odd" or stress induced early antler shedding only occurs in the South. It can be normal for bucks to shed early in areas where winter snow-cover is normal. It can actually be a survival advantage NOT to be carrying around antlers where deer have to deal with deep snow, hence early antler drop is normal.

 

[flankston]

I had 1 on my camera pull that dropped one side. A friend of mine is also seeing quite a few with one side on his property. All in the middle tn area

 

[bloodtrailing]

Low T

 

[THE DUKE]

If you have bucks shedding racks now, that's a SERIOUS problem. Very healthy bucks will not shed antlers until March or even early April. Shedding early is a sign of severe nutritional and physical stress.

Now broken racks? I've seen a ton of those this year, including some that broke very early in the year (September/October). I've also been seeing a fair number of "spike on one side" bucks this year, far more than normal.

I've noticed a ton more where I hunt and even normal on one side the other is dagger with a fork or something no apparent injuries that I can tell. Any cause or has your research showed anything?

 

[BSK]

I've noticed a ton more where I hunt and even normal on one side the other is dagger with a fork or something no apparent injuries that I can tell. Any cause or has your research showed anything?

Yes. The dagger spike or funky fork on one side is almost always caused by a buck losing an antler before it is ready to fall off. This tears the core of the pedicle out, sort of like pulling a scab off before it is fully healed tearing out fresh flesh in the center. Once the core of the pedicle has been damaged like that, it only gets worse with age. Each year, more of the pedicle gets torn out when the antler falls off, making the abnormal antler growth worse.

One of mine this year below:

 

[THE DUKE]

Thanks for the information bsk. I thought they would have normal rack next year but Iooks like not

 

[BSK]

Thanks for the information bsk. I thought they would have normal rack next year but Iooks like not

If the problem is pedicle damage, no they will not grow a normal rack next year. And "big blade spike" on one side is usually pedicle damage.

 

[huvrman]

I've got at least 4 with a blade on one side and normal on the other. And at least 2 that have lost an antler on one side.

 

[utvolsfan77]

Guys, I'm in Greene County in upper northeast Tennessee. My brother and I have been seem far more than normal broken rack bucks, but we've been seeing them since late October though. We've also had more than our share of normal racks - normal beam and tines on one side but freaky beam & tines on the other side. Here are some pics of one example - check out the buck on the right of the frame.

 

[BSK]

The "freaky beam & tines" buck looks more like the reaction to a physical injury. An injury to the body can produce a deformed antler. These type of antler deformities can disappear with age. Sometimes the antler is normal the very next year, and sometimes it takes a couple of years.