Is It Too Early to Shed Hunt?

Jeff Harrison found this pair of sheds in a suburban neighborhood near Washington, DC, and returned the following year to take one of his 10 P&Y bucks from the Maryland suburbs.  This week, the US will be hit with a Polar vortex, resulting in some of the winter’s coldest temperatures.  Will this cause deer to lose their antlers early?

Same Time Each Year

The 8-point buck shown above lost its antlers each year on the first day of spring.  Since that date changes, the biological change is evidence that just as light triggers when velvet stops growing on a deer’s antlers, it may also cause the pedicle to release the antler, causing a shed.   The deer was contained, which allowed the farmer to make this observation.

Other Shed Factors