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

Whitetail Hunting in Montague County

Question: I go whitetail deer hunting at our place in Montague County, Texas. This past year it has been difficult to see whitetail deer. I had not been there, other than to feed my cows in about a month. We have a total of 3 feeders that we keep running throughout the year. Although very few deer have been spotted over the season, yesterday was calm and cool, and there was no corn on the ground.

The deer feeders go off in the morning and evening and no deer come in before dark. It seems they are eating at night. I guess I’m going to have to put my cameras back out and see what’s going on out there. We have only a handful of oak trees (Live oak and Texas oak) on our 600 acre ranch. I know the deer are there because we see their tracks everywhere, but it has been a very odd year. Any thoughts on why whitetail hunting has been tough in Montague County? Continue reading Whitetail Hunting in Montague County

Deer Hunting, Deer Lease in Coleman County

Question: Do any hunters out there have any information they could offer me about the Coleman County and Ballinger, Texas, area. I am wondering because I enjoy whitetail hunting an am interested in finding a deer lease in that area. I was wondering what the whitetail deer population is like up there? I’ve heard good things, but was wanting to get some other hunters insight who deer hunt in that area.

Answer: Well, I have never hunted are Ballinger or Coleman County in general, but I know this area produces a lot of whitetail deer. I have a friend that knows a guy who has a deer lease of about 2000 acres southeast of Ballinger. They are a low fence property and manage the deer herd and have had good results. I have heard that they plant many food plots and feed a good amount of protein to get the most out of the bucks. Continue reading Deer Hunting, Deer Lease in Coleman County

How to Make a Deer Antler Trap

Question: I have several whitetail bucks that I have not been able to see during daylight hours this whitetail hunting season. I know they are out there because I have them on camera, but I have been thinking about building an antler trap so that at least I will have their sheds. Has anyone tried this before, and what type of antler trap worked best? I know I can get these bucks to come to corn because they have been here all season, at night. Also, when do bucks begin to shed their antlers?

Answer: Antler traps are a great way to get your hands on some easy deer sheds. A lot of deer hunters will refer to these devices as antler traps or shed antler traps, but they are talking about the same thing. The most common type of rack trap consists of bait, usually corn, and either netwire or some type of elastic cord that a buck gets his antlers caught in while feeding. Continue reading How to Make a Deer Antler Trap

Fighting Bucks Lock Antlers

Deer hunters typically think that it’s pretty cool to see a couple of whitetail bucks fighting during the breeding season, but not when the fight causes one or both of them to end up dead. The photos today show fighting buck with locked antlers, but there are not just two bucks locked together today — there are three! These pictures were taken by some saddened Ohio hunter that found these giant whitetail bucks dead on his property.

When bucks who have not established an order of dominance meet in the fall, visual cues often occur that result in dominance being established by the big buck. The meeting is usually initiated by one of the bucks initiating an aggressive posture toward the other, which is characterized by laying back the ears, erecting hair, and lowering the head. Though many meetings between bucks result in little to no contact, a fight can break out if the threatened buck also assumes a similar “bring-it-on” posture. Though most skirmishes end rather quickly, bucks can fight to the death. Continue reading Fighting Bucks Lock Antlers

Whitetail Rut Slow in Central Texas

The whitetail deer hunting season in Texas has started off so-so after a better than average year for rainfall and natural forage. In fact, I think the good habitat conditions across much of the Lone Star State are making the deer hunting this fall downright difficult. October was pretty cool, but November for the most part was much warmer. I hunt in Mason County and have seen very little rutting activity to date. The deer I do see appear healthy, but it seems like there has not been a true-to-form deer rut yet even though I have seen some sporadic chasing by bucks.

I’m not sure what is going on, but the deer hunting has been tough. In fact, my buddy in Lampasas County agrees with the the “half-ass” deer rut. It has been strange that hunters across Central Texas have not seen the heavy rut observed during 2008 and 2009 even though bucks have been chasing does here-and-there throughout the entire month of November. Continue reading Whitetail Rut Slow in Central Texas

Michigan Non-Typical Record Buck

The state of Michigan is known for great whitetail hunting as well as being home to some huge whitetail bucks, both typical and non-typical. And no one knows that better than hunter Ron Waldron of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He may have been a whitetail deer hunter most of his life, but the biggest one he has after put his hands on is one he didn’t even shoot. And by big, I mean this Lenawee County is a BIG BUCK! It is the highest-scoring non-typical buck on record for the state of Michigan.

Michigan Non-Typical Record Buck - Biggest Buck Ever!

Continue reading Michigan Non-Typical Record Buck

Whitetail Hunting Trip in Texas

I moved back to Texas earlier this year, found a deer lease, and have been pumped up about whitetail hunting ever since. It really helped that my game camera captured a big mature buck on the SD card, so I’ve been daydreaming about bagging this buck since late August. So after coming up short on the opening weekend of the general deer hunting season, I headed back down to try my luck.

The big buck I was hunting had been on my game camera for some time, but then he disappeared for 2 weeks prior to the opener and I was deflated. At this point in the season, I was chalking up the missing buck to some other lucky deer hunter. But I remained diligent because, like my grandfather always said, “You just never know what will step out of the woods at any moment and turn a boring hunt into the hunt of a lifetime.” He’s gone now, but I take that to heart. Continue reading Whitetail Hunting Trip in Texas