WNY Bowhunter's 2014 Shed Journal:

[WNY Bowhunter]

Still a bit early according to my trailcams, but, I hit up a quickie 5 minute spot today and picked up Shed #1 for the season.  Sorry, not atl...

 

[Red]

Congrats very nice find

[dbHunterNY]

I've only ever found one shed.  don't specifically shed hunt a lot but yea.  I've found dead heads multiple times.

[wooly]

Way to scoop one up before the new year WNYB!

[phade]

I pulled a cam and got a ton of small bucks with fresh clean pedicles between 12/9 and 12/17. None of the bucks were of any size, but surprised at the number. The early cold and snow stressed them I bet.

[First-light]

Is the horn the first thing to go when the deer gets stressed late season? The horn is "dead bone" but I imagine at the pedicles there is blood being supplied so they stay attached??

[phade]

Antlers are amazing pieces of anatomy. To be honest, there's a lot of debate that goes into it.

 

I'm not into the biological reasoning, but my understanding is that stressors can cause a buck to shed early.

 

I've also seen based on my observations and also readings of people who have studied the topic that some bucks as they mature, tend to drop relatively about the same time each year, given "non-stressing conditions."

[WNY Bowhunter]

Found #2 this afternoon...

 

 

 

 

Wish I would have picked this chunker up last spring.  It was laying out in a 30 acre section of beans that didn't get harvested in 2012 and I must have walked right by it last year...

 

 

Unfortunately, half of the G3 was cut off while harvesting this past year but it still scored 60 2/8 with and additional 5 inches or so missing from the tip of the beam and the G3. 

Edited January 12, 2014 by WNY Bowhunter

[Red]

Very nice find

[Geno C]

nice finds, i might have to head out soon

[WNY Bowhunter]

The pics really don't do the antler justice...10" bladed G2, 6.5" browtine and a 5" base.  It is possibly the heaviest antler that I have found mass/weight wise. If the tines were still intact and you doubled it and added a 17-18" spread...this guy would have been a 147-148" 8-pt (not too shabby).

Edited January 13, 2014 by WNY Bowhunter

[Geno C]

Wow that's bigger then what he pic makes it look like. That's an awesome 8!

[sampotter]

Good one- I thought it looked like something had "chewed" on it...

[farmhunter]

Anything north of 60 is really really good in NY and to do it as an typical 4 point is awesome - his mass makes the beam look "short" in comparison.  In my experience most people cannot look at one side and envision how big it would appear as an intact set on a deer's head.  People tend to see a lone shed as much smaller. 

 

Really nice one - too bad you couldn't pick it up fresh!   Its in pretty good shape considering how it it could have turned up.

 

NICE!

Edited January 15, 2014 by farmhunter

[WNY Bowhunter]

I also consider "60" to be the benchmark of a really good shed for this state. I typically find a couple every season that will hit that mark.

[WNY Bowhunter]

I've been in a serious slump for the past few weeks...been checking my normal shed hunting areas...plenty of deer sign everywhere but no antlers to be found. Hopefully, my luck will change soon.

[t_barb]

Had 2 real nice bucks in one of our horse pastures on Sunday.  Both still packing.  You would think with the harsh winter they would be dropping....

 

[WNY Bowhunter]

I checked a camera yesterday and had one of the bucks who's sheds that I want still holding on to them monday night.

 

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

A friend of mine saw a 4pt yesterday that still had horns.

[WNY Bowhunter]

Here are a couple better pics of the shed I found a few weeks back...

 

 

[phade]

Slow year for sheds...still early but this winter is slow going.

[t_barb]

They are starting to drop...

[WNY Bowhunter]

I saw 7-8 different antlered bucks over the weekend.  It shouldn't me too much longer...

[growalot]

Think the big guy may have lost...but I fear I know where...mice food...or squirrel....Right now the snow is just too deep for me to do a good search...dang near had a heart attack getting back to the house after my walk yesterday knee deep and no snow shoes...

[WNY Bowhunter]

Finally broke the ice and picked up shed #3 this afternoon.