Our biggest buck running the property lost one antler well before Christmas and my husband almost shot him yesterday thinking he was a big doe. The only thing that saved him was his split ear... Is that normal? Can we expect to have that happen every year? He looks healthy in every other way... Was is the real mild temps this year? We're in Kentucky.
this is my theory: First I believe that the bucks lose their antlers when they are done breeding. I'm sure there are different scenarios why they lose their antlers. but if my theory is correct then with the warm temps it resulted in a successful rut. by saying that I mean that there wasn't any bad weather to stress the does to cause them to skip their estrous cycle. every time a doe gets severe stress she will skip her cycle for 28 more days before she comes back in heat. and she will skip until she is successfully bred. as these does skip it prolongs the rut later into the winter. in turn I believe this is why the buck are losing the antlers a bit earlier this year. most all the does got bred in the first couple of cycles this season. but the timing of shedding this year isn't way off schedule just a little. nice because it gets me out shed hunting earlier. hope this theory helps. it makes sense to me.
Thanks TC! It sounds like a reasonable theory. I did see another buck that same same. A very respectable 130 class...still had both antlers. I'm not 100% but the big one may have been the walking boss. Not sure. I'll have to watch this as the years go by...
I am in Ky as well. I have one smaller buck on camera with one antler,but the biggest one and others still had both as of last week.
