Shed season has begun….

[Double-D-Team]

I agree and in my area add the storm Helena. It turned everything up side down. Travel corridors were changed. The weater through the rut all out of whack. Muzzleloader season was a bust. I have to say this past season was the worst I've seen in ten years.

 

[BSK]

Yeah, very warm weather through November didn't help.

 

[Double-D-Team]

Yes Sir...

 

[7mm08]

Five bucks in my yard last night in SC. None have lost antlers. Maybe I'm feeding them too much !!!! Ha!

This guy got in a clothes line or someone tried to get that drop tine!

 

[DMD]

I barely have any left with antlers at this point.


Pulled my cell cams yesterday

Left out a couple wifi cams that i can check from rd

Wow! Every buck I'm getting on camera right now is still carrying his. Really strange how different it is depending on circumstances.

 

[@fulldraw]

Quick 3 mile walk this morning. Match set in right.

 

[TNTreeman]

Quick 3 mile walk this morning. Match set in right.

View attachment 263706

Your pup is awesome.

 

[@fulldraw]

Your pup is awesome.

She just likes to take pics.

In all seriousness, she makes me look harder. She knows what she's doing but I look harder because she can still miss them in the woods and grass. Most sheds we find I see them ahead of us but always let her find them without my help. It's the sheds she finds that I don't see that really make it worthwhile but I do see most that we find. She does save me some walking. Two dogs would be better but my wife said no.

 

[@fulldraw]

This is one we found Sunday. I had just seen the tips of the tines. You can tell she's scanning and once locked in she does her job.

 

[BSK]

Love that video @fulldraw!

 

[BSK]

Wow! Every buck I'm getting on camera right now is still carrying his. Really strange how different it is depending on circumstances.

It really comes down to the local acorn crop and effects of the drought in that area.

 

[DMD]

It really comes down to the local acorn crop and effects of the drought in that area.

Makes sense. We had the most abundant acorn crop i remember in the 24 years I've lived here.

 

[knightrider]

All still holding here and in fantastic shape

 

[BSK]

Makes sense. We had the most abundant acorn crop i remember in the 24 years I've lived here.

In a year with a decent acorn crop, all our older bucks will hold antlers until late February or mid-March. This year, with a horrible drought and virtually no acorns, they had all dropped at least one antler by January 9. And some had dropped both by then. Antler drop timing is VERY closely linked to nutritional and physical (rut) stress.

And as for rut stress, during the rut month of November, we picked up 22 different older bucks using our place, which is a new record. And they beat the crap out of each other! By the end of the rut, 75% of the older bucks were limping on a front leg.

 

[@fulldraw]

It really comes down to the local acorn crop and effects of the drought in that area.

Red oaks have been plentiful where these sheds were found. Also, plenty of ag fields. What I noticed this year were numerous bucks with wounds to their leg(s) and bucks that traveled a lot. Food and water haven't been an issue.

 

[Double-D-Team]

Agree, lot of bucks with wear and tare.

 

[Andy S.]

Good thread. I had 5 bucks walk by cell cam this morning in single file line. 2 scrubs and 3 solid bucks, with the biggest most mature leading the pack. All still carrying both sides. SW TN.

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

Quick 3 mile walk this morning. Match set in right.

View attachment 263706

Does your dog find them?

 

[7mm08]

This is one we found Sunday. I had just seen the tips of the tines. You can tell she's scanning and once locked in she does her job.

Very cool. I can't imagine you guys in West TN having those fields to hunt in or shoot across.

Good looking pup!!!

 

[Shedman]

They are dropping in Humphreys County