Buck or doe

The deer on the back left, buck or doe? Have they started to drop head gear already? Looks like a buck that has dropped to me. And since it is hanging with 2 other bucks this time of year I lean even further to it being a buck. Your thoughts?

I suppose this early cold snap could have accelerated the process.

There have been multiple confirmed fresh sheds in SE MN. As of last week, I had 1 half rack on camera. The cold spell next week will really loosen them up! I can’t wait!!!

I was checking my fisher traps last week and jumped a big deer. It was laying in a tree top and with the fresh snow I was right on top of it when it got up. I swear it had fresh blood on top of it’s head. I looked in it’s bed and there were no antlers. I followed its tracks a 100 yards or so before I lost it on a well used trail. I can’t confirm, but it sure looked to me like it was a buck. I will be out this weekend walking fence lines.

If you have the ability with the original picture file to zoom in and not get severely pixelated (I tried saving and zooming in on the piture and i couldn’t get a descent zoom) you should be able to see the bases fairly clearly. Had on shot on my cameras last week that I’m 90% sure is a shed but. IR flash (in my picture) didn’t help for a good image but if it wasn’t the antler base he had something else on his head in the perfect place to look like one.

I tried and it pixilates too much. I have a video too, but it keeps it’s head below the snow bank. They have been hitting the apples off these trees hard the last week so I am hoping for a better shot. I put an 8mp cam in that spot now.

i have a buck that shed on Dec 20-21. However, he is injured on his back right leg and i think that has everything to do with it.

I also have heard from another buddy that half of the bucks on his cam have shed. Not sure why but i’m guessing like others have said that it has to do with the below zero cold fronts that have been hitting us for the last month or so.

I had a spike coming into my yard that dropped both sides a couple days before Christmas and Christmas Eve. Found both laying on the packed snow where I feed them. I thought it seemed early. We are set for a horrid winter up here. If this weather holds up, next season will be really slim pickins.