horns

[coxy]

why do some deer still have them this time of year

[pabst79]

Better health ( had a good source of food thru winter), also genetics, We feed on average 15-25 deer behind the house every year. The little spikes and forks usually fall off by Christmas but when we get a bruiser in sometimes they make it to March before dropping there horns, depends greatly on the severity of the winter though. Last year all the bucks we seen were bald before the new year.

[E fan]

most or our deer will have them till march  8)

I still have till the end of February to bow hunt

[redprospector]

Deer and Elk will be dropping their antlers probably late February, early March here. I'll be out hunting antlers in March.

[coxy]

well my bucks are now does  they must have lost them yesterday or today ill have to look for them in the spring

[SwampDonkey]

I find more moose antlers than deer. But both are quickly found by porkies and such and chewed up to.  ;D

[red oaks lumber]

actually, larger bucks will keep their horns until the last rut is over around feb or early march. food supply and animal health play into that also. spring fawns are the last one's heat cycling

[drobertson]

I was thinking it was due to the T level of the buck, some still breeding will keep a high level while others lose it, then the horns fall off.

[Bibbyman]

I've already checked my hot spots and not found any.  But I've not seen any bucks with antlers either.  I do see scrapes that look attended so they are still trying to run down does.

[Farmerjw]

I would imagine the larger antlers mean larger blood supply (longer dry down time) and also pure mass attaching to the head means it may stay on longer. 

[farmer9]

I found two nice ones this week. My trail cams showed the buck still had his antlers on Sat 2-21-15, and i found them laying in a soybean field on Tue 2-24-15. Im in central Illinois.
Im still getting recent cam photos with bucks still have on antlers,tho

[E fan]

SwampDonkey what would it cost me to get a couple three moose antlers????? I have a project I've wanted to do and it takes a couple of them to do it

[SwampDonkey]

First off I don't have an inventory of moose antlers.  ;D Second, by the time I come across any the animals have had a good chew on them. Then there is probably a permit required to even attempt to send them across international borders. I have moose stay on my land all year long. There are two, maybe four (but can only assume 2) that bed down up there this winter but be darned if I have ever found a set on my land. The barrel is dry on that venture.  Kinda like the mythical elephant's grave yard. I have not found it yet. ;)