How do you identify that a buck has dropped his antlers?

[Rockspek]

I'm super new to this but would love to know when certain bucks that I have been trying to learn about (through trail cams) drop their antlers.  I have a really cool little buck that my son named Forklift on camera that we would like to find his antlers together.  They are really tall spikes with a fork on top.  

 

Can someone give some insight and pictures on learning to identify individual deer and what to look for after they drop the antlers.  Pretty easy before they drop but after they drop I'm struggling with a little.  Thanks!

 

These pictures may be button bucks but one of the pictures looks like a larger deer.

 

I don't know why all my pictures post differently than in the actual file.  Some upside down, some sideways.  I switch it in the file and it is even something different yet..  Oh well   sorry

 

 

 

[Lawdwaz]

Pretty tough I'd guess but some posters here seem to be able to do it.

 

Good luck.............................

[WNY Bowhunter]

Both does. Second one is a fawn.

Edited January 3, 2016 by WNY Bowhunter

[G-Man]

You need good quality color photos ,or extremely close ir ones.. look for a tear in an ear, a off color spot, a blind eye,a hump on the nose, an over bite,or underbite, a 1.5 year old deer is a tough track to follow to 2.5 ,by 2.5 antler caricatures are apparent and can be flooded to 3.5 and older...

Spikes and 4 pts are very hard to track as they grow as they can become anything at 2.5 while 6 pts , 8's and sm 10s may be 1.5 and will carry the same rack shape in following years...

It's why if a guy wants a buck for meat I'd rather him shoot a spike than the perfect basket 8 thats the same age ,I know the 8 pt will be at least an 8 the next year or bigger , the spike my be a 10 or a spike again.. to many questions with them...

[skully]

It is sometimes hard to tell after a week of dropping horns.  The sores heal very quick and then you need a good close picture to see the white spot.

[Larry]

hate to tell you this those are does

[Rockspek]

alright alright so I'm really new to this.  I have only been able to recognize deer in pics so far from there antlers or a couple that have had wounds.  

 

Does anybody have any pics of say a deer with antlers and then without?  Before and after pics of the same deer?

[chrisw]

Lay your camera on the ground pointing up... That should let you know.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

[Rockspek]

Thats a good one.  This must be a hard thing to figure out.

[WNY Bowhunter]

[WNY Bowhunter]

[WNY Bowhunter]

[Renegade Hunter]

You can tell that one from WNY is the same deer due to the line on the nose. Goes narrow and to a point. Your second deer up top has a distinguished little curvature in the line on its nose. That would be a good way to tell I guess.

[dbHunterNY]

distinctive physical stuff like you point out in WNY trail cam pics.  it helps though to have a cam that takes better night time pics.  some of my cams do and others i have don't.  IR makes it tough vs flash (color) photos.  to be honest i don't run cams much after the season.

[Rockspek]

So what I'm gathering is that you may only see the spot that the antler was attached for a short while.  So I should be looking at everything else other than the antlers to try to identify something unique.  I looked back at some pics of mine and noticed a couple deer with wounds.  One looks like something took a chunk out of its back.  Wonder if that hair will stay messed up or heal over completely.

 

I appreciate some pictures of potential before and afters.  looking online didn't give me a ton of before and after photos.  Thanks WNY Bowhunter

 

Anybody else have some?

[Rockspek]

I guess this is one way to tell.  I know this is no great set of antlers but it means game on for me.