Rack Weirdness

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Last night I saw 7 Bucks running together, out behind my house. The strange part is that they all had racks, and not a sign of velvet. The biggest rack was an 18 point, and the smallest was an 8 point.

The question is: Do you think the winter was so mild, that they did not shed, or do you think that these are new racks, that they have rubbed the velvet off of this quick? I haven't noticed any rubs around the woods yet, and these racks did not have any stringers of velvet, like is normal to see on newly rubbed racks. I saw these deer at a distance of 50 yards, and watched them through my binoculars for 10 minutes or so.

Am I crazy to think that the bucks should be growing NEW racks right now?

 

[Pahoo]

Interesting

By my understanding, they grow a new rack every year. Not sure about your area but our buck, here in Iowa, are still in velvet with cinnemon colored coats. Just yesterday, I saw a very nice eight, all in velvet !! ....
I'm asking a friend who is the state's biologist as you got me thinking as well. ..

Be Safe !!!

 

[Wild Bill Bucks]

In talking to some of the guys around here, we normally don't get to plant our gardens until after Easter, but this year a lot of the guys planted in March because of the extra warm weather we had this winter. If the Bucks kicked their horns earlier than usual, then the antlers I saw could be new antlers that have just been rubbed clean, but boy it sure is early. Most of the bucks I've seen so far are all in velvet, but as weird as the weather has been this year, I guess anything is possible.

I had my camera at my cabin and did not have the ability to take a picture on anything but my cell phone, and the picture from it isn't worth much. These deer are coming in on a fairly regular basis right now so maybe I can get my camera back from the cabin and get some pictures before long. I'd really like to get a picture, as everyone but my wife thinks I'm seeing things. She probably would to, but she is the one who saw them first, and made me get off the couch and look at them.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

That's definitely not normal. It's not like they grow for 90 days and shed the velvet.
Even if they started early they should stay in velvet until the normal time.
I have heard that bucks do sometimes not lose their antlers but I don't recall now how "official" the source was or under what circumstances it can happen, if at all.
Obviously, it's rare.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

New antlers. "Mother Nature seldom changes Her ways."_ Doesn't take all that much for them to rub their velvet off when it get to bothering them. Just a social group of males all hanging out together. >For a short term.<

 

[buck460XVR]

There are several reasons a buck would not drop old antlers and not grow new, but it is rare. The chance of 7 bucks in the same group having it happen is non-existent. Antler growth is stimulated by amount of daylight, not weather. Weather and stress may affect when old antlers drop, but they will drop before new growth under most scenarios.

 

[Hunter Customs]

Wild Bill, that is strange and I have no ideal why the bucks would not be in velvet.
The bucks around here that I've been seeing are all in velvet.

The other day while out on a horse I did find one side of a rack with 4 points on it.

I was surprized at how good of condition it was in, most of the time this late in the year the mice have the sheds pretty well eaten up.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter

 

[gun nut]

The deer around me are still in velvet and getting bigger yet. That's weird that those you saw don't have velvet.

 

[Keg]

Yep..still in velvet here..and still growing....

 

[Win73]

Mine are still in velvet too.

 

[ASchul98]

As are ours:

(Ignore the 2011 timestamp, it's wrong...)

 

[Mobuck]

The velvet is drying up on some bucks I saw last week. A couple were 15-20 yards and I got a real good look at them-sure enough the velvet no longer had that full puffed look. Looked more like velour fabric stretched over the racks. I've seen a lot of bucks out in midday looking for water or better shade and some still appear to be in the growth stage.

 

[Buzzcook]

Saw a small blacktail last week, still had velvet.