Beginning in late December and continuing through April, white-tailed and mule deer shed their antlers for regrowth purposes in Nebraska. The only deer species that outgrow sambars are mooseand elk. These are the tips I will be sharing with you in this article as well as exploring why deer shed antlers, how and when they shed antlers. In this regard, the levels of testosterone in a deer’s body will have a direct impact on the growth of antlers. Most bucks in Virginia shed their antlers in January and/or February, but DWR frequently receives reports of deer in hard antler in March up to April. Each year in Virginia, the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) receives calls in late December about deer hunters shooting shed-antlered bucks. Big or small, I love them all, for shed antlers are as valuable to a deer hunter as a rare coin is to a coin collector. When there are several footsteps in a certain direction, you must take another path. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The weakened pedicle causes the antlers to fall off. This happens once the antler has reached its maturity. Using a pair of binoculars or optics will help you minimize the amount of time spent walking. When the mating season ends, the deer’s testosterone levels decrease because of the physical toll. The bottom line is that there is no universal answer to when do bucks lose their antlers. It happens during the first quarter of the year. Speaking of nutrition, deer that roam the Midwestern farm counties, where nutrition is good to tend to shed antlers later on in mid-January. Deer hunters may use a pair of sheds to rattle up a buck when hunting. Moreover, it also helps alleviate muscle pain and spasms. Deer are able to sleep in spaces that feel safe and offer protection to them. Some equatorial deer never shed their antlers. There are several tools that will be useful on your antler hunting trip. We need to remember these were controlled conditions and these findings won’t predict when deer will shed their antlers in wild conditions. However, if you are in an area where squirrels do not frequent wait until March when most deer have shed their antlers. Your email address will not be published. When you hunt for antlers, there are times when your trip ends up with unpleasant results. The lack of a precise answer to the question why do deer shed their antlers can be blamed on their physical conditions. In addition to that, we also hope that we have answered all your questions regarding why and when do deer shed and drop their antlers? (Female sambar, like nearly all other deer species, don’t grow antlers.) Five Factors that Affect Deer Antler Shed, Tools to Maximize Antler Shed Hunting Performance, What Happened to Red Jacket Firearms & Will Hayden, Best Night Sights for Glock 26 in 2021 That Are Super Reliable Day and Night. The deer antlers are also used by male deer for their protection. All members of the deer family – including elk and moose – drop their antlers each year and grow a new set. The antlers also have a direct correlation to the reproductive capacity of the deer. A deer that lives in the Arctic is highly likely to grow their antler quicker since the length of daylight is shorter. When I first started shed hunting, my success at finding numbers of sheds was dismal, to say the least. The best place to find a deer antler is to let your shed hunting dog barks at because they will lead you to where the best place to hunt in. If you find yourself in the midst of deer territory in the first quarter of the month, you may be surprised to find several deer antlers on the ground. However, with a true antlered doe, the growth is always minimal and rarely exceeds “spike” antler structure. Moreover, when the weather is hotter, the deer antler is likely to grow slower. In these environmental conditions the deer shed their antlers at the same time every year. This means that the larger the antler, the greater their capacity to reproduce. Older animals tend to cast and clean their antlers first. This allows you to perform better since you can see the surroundings clearer. Several months later, the animals regrow their antlers from spring through late summer. Deer that inhabit the hot Southern States have to wait until the beginning of March to lose their antlers. The hard antlers were recorded throughout the breeding season, lasting for about four to five months, generally from September to January. In addition to this, it allows the deer to wrestle without causing injury to the face of the other deer. Next, all you need to do is to apply clear acrylic on the antler to ensure that it can last longer since it will be able to seal the deer antler. Daylight is shorter a better sense of smell to guide you to the reproductive capacity of year! 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