Early Antler Shedding by Bucks in Texas


White-tailed deer hunters know that bucks in Texas usually experience antler growth during the spring and summer and then shed their antlers during mid to late winter each year. This typically ends up being sometime in January, February, or possibly even March. Although the bulk of 2010 was an outstanding year for the habitat that produced an abundance of forbs and browse, some ranches discovered that their bucks had gone through early antler shedding. And by early I mean these bucks lost their antlers in late summer. What? Yes, antler shedding during August and September.

Yes, you read that correctly. Landowners and biologists on several properties in South Texas first noticed otherwise healthy bucks shedding antlers during late summer and early autumn, often when the antlers were still in velvet. Because some of these bucks were photographed regularly at feed sites, they could be readily tracked as autumn progressed. Several of these bucks began growing antlers again, resulting in small antlers whose velvet was then shed. Continue reading Early Antler Shedding by Bucks in Texas

How Should We Manage Bucks on Our Lease?

Question: I am on a 2,000 acre property in Eastern Oklahoma with several other guys that we lease for white-tailed deer hunting. We have started doing deer surveys to estimate the number of deer on the land, but we are not sure how we should go about managing the bucks on the property? Any suggestions?

Answer: First, everyone always emphasizes the importance of providing optimum nutrition throughout the year. This is important so that the bucks in your area can reach their genetic potential. However, there is much more to whitetail management than nutrition, and there is more to whitetail hunting than just pulling the triger. It’s true that hunters make a number of important decisions with their trigger fingers, so what you shoot and what you pass up has a big affect on future hunting. Continue reading How Should We Manage Bucks on Our Lease?