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Horns dropping early #5574677 01/31/15 03:46 PM
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Cavemanwildlife Offline OP
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I live in the Lakeway area and we have ranches is different parts of the State. Our native bucks in Lakeway, Round Mountain, Mills County and Cotulla started dropping their horns about 3 weeks ago, especially in the Lakeway area. This is early...anyone else seeing this?


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574679 01/31/15 03:48 PM
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Good sign imo. But yeah they have been dropping a bit early.. we use to have some shot in Houston co. that would fall off when the buck hit the ground this time of year lol

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574686 01/31/15 03:52 PM
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My game camera pics show them with antlers as of two days ago. I'm waiting to see when it happens, but in Smith County, it hasn't happened yet

Eddie

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574689 01/31/15 03:53 PM
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Some think its bad because of stress and CC but I cant see it being so with as mild of weather we are having.. Im not to sure of were your talking about also. I see it more of daylight that has been present

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574692 01/31/15 03:54 PM
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It seems early for the Round Mountain area, Cotulla(La Salle County)area and Mills County areas for native bucks to be dropping horns this early. Way early for Cotulla native bucks. Not a good sign for overall herd health for bucks to start this early in any area.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574700 01/31/15 03:58 PM
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Cavemanwildlife Offline OP
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I only saw 1 buck in Cotulla last week, 2 in Mills and several in the Round Mountain/Lakeway area...all are fatter and healthier looking going into Spring than I've seen in years.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574705 01/31/15 04:02 PM
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When I was managing a ranch in Eastern La Salle County a lot of the does were not bred yet the first week of the year in Jan. when I was shooting does. Our bucks did not drop any antlers till mid Feb at the earliest and that was a very small number. Most did not start to mid March with most not dropping any till after the first of April. 100% native bucks. If they are dropping in early Jan I would be very concerned.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574707 01/31/15 04:02 PM
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Also, 2 bucks on the Golf Course near Lake Brownwood had dropped and another had dropped 1 side this past week.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574711 01/31/15 04:04 PM
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What if it means they have already taken care of the whole doe herd and there are very few left open? I guess that can also show signs of high numbers on a low CC land...

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574714 01/31/15 04:06 PM
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What do the bucks look like as far as body condition your seeing dropped?

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574717 01/31/15 04:07 PM
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If deer are shedding horns 1.5-3 months early I would be concerned.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574721 01/31/15 04:11 PM
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We found 5 (2 sets and 1 single) fresh yesterday in the panhandle. Found a fresh set last weekend also. I found this big one.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574733 01/31/15 04:18 PM
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Again, bucks are all fat and healthy looking...I don't see any real reason for the State or Counties to be concerned as it has to be something with the weather or mother nature that can't be controlled. I grew up near Brownwood and would see this periodically, just not this evident. Maybe it's just more to do with a good Spring like rainfall in Jan in this area that we haven't seen in a while. Wonder if you folks in West Texas are seeing anything since y'all have had good rains as well.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574735 01/31/15 04:21 PM
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I have only found one side of what looked to be a young 6 point. The rest still have theirs from what I have seen. I have 3 Bucks that have jumped in with my Ibex a 6,8 and 9 and they are still carrying theirs.

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574742 01/31/15 04:23 PM
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Heres the buck that we found last weeks sheds from.

Season:


Shed:


Sheds (bottom set):


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574746 01/31/15 04:25 PM
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Generally, the further north you go in the state the earlier you will find sheds. Also some areas int the Coastal Prairies or with Avery Island deer that rut early tend shed earlier than others. Just the way it always has been and is normal. When I was in Kendall County I might see one or two bucks in late Jan into Feb that had just shed. The vast majority shed in the first 2 weeks of March. Our rut started in mid Oct also. High numbers of bucks shedding the first part of Jan in La Salle County is not normal.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Bulldog4949] #5574750 01/31/15 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bulldog4949
We found 5 (2 sets and 1 single) fresh yesterday in the panhandle. Found a fresh set last weekend also. I found this big one.

Your area it will be normal to find large numbers of sheds now. You find them every year at the same time.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574774 01/31/15 04:38 PM
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Yea some of the big big bucks still had them earlier this week. Last year I found 23 on Feb 23. So I will wait for a couple of weeks before I really start putting on the miles looking hard. Found 2 new prime properties I got permission to walk. Looking forward to it.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5574781 01/31/15 04:44 PM
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also, 1 buck in Hebbronville and 2 bucks on Norias Division of the King Ranch while hunting Nilgia. But most had their horns there.

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5575460 01/31/15 11:56 PM
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Several bucks had already shed as of 2 weeks ago on my coke county lease. It's by far the earliest I have seen on this lease in the 4 years I have been out there.

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5576189 02/01/15 02:57 PM
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So stx, what do you think is causing them to shed so early?

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5583280 02/05/15 03:56 AM
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I've had several of my buddies with S.Tx Ranches tell me the same thing as of late from Pearsall down to Freer...just a little early this year. Several more this week in the Austin/Georgetown area.


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Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5593312 02/11/15 03:07 AM
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I have had a couple drop their horns already, younger bucks. I would attribute the wet weather we have had throughout the winter and onto the soon to be spring. Our deer are as healthy as they have ever been. I still have bucks attending to some early born doe fawns which are now coming into heat. My bucks seem to have been a little more aggressive this past season due to the number of broken points, but my ratio still remains the same at 1/1.5 buck to doe. My better bucks have lost a good deal of body weight due to the pressure of breeding everything in sight but still maintain their horns. They are hitting the mineral pretty hard that we put out as well as the free choice protein that we started back up last month.

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5593433 02/11/15 04:09 AM
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The bucks still have their horns on our place in frio county. I saw a buck this morning just south of kerrville that looked like he was missing one side.

Re: Horns dropping early [Re: Cavemanwildlife] #5593455 02/11/15 04:25 AM
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Found several already here in the panhandle. Lots of bucks still carrying though, and some with one side.


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