# Rack hunters are DOOMED!!!



## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

I hold out for mature bucks every year and sometimes go 2-3 years in between kills.I havent had a chance at one this year and im beginning to beleive im doomed.I have 3 game cams out and I have a good bit of pics of bucks that have shed.About 4:30pm me and dad grabbed the binoculars and road around to some of the fields we usually see deer in.We counted 43 deer between 6 fields and not one had a rack.Ive been at this a long time and this is the first time i remember so many being shed.Ive seen a buck shed here or there during december gun and seen some shed during muzzleloader but not so many so early.Curious to hear what others have seen around the state.My setup is in Vinton County.Im thinking since we had an early acorn drop the food is kind of dried up in the big woods and from a lack of nourishment they are dropping early.Whats your take?

Randall


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

My take is that the big boys are still out there. I personally feel you are worrying about nothing. Best of luck the rest of the season!


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Perfectly normal.


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## The Water Stalker (Apr 17, 2009)

I haven't seen many shed in Coschocton or Muskingum out of the normal thus far. On a side note, what type of camera are you using? I have a Moultrie I-40 but I am torn as to whether or not I should go with something different.


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## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

I have a moultrie gamecam from walmart that i think was version 4.0.The flash hasnt worked on this model in two years.So I only get daylight shots.

I have two wildview cameras I bought at ohio outdoors that work pretty good.They were on sale for $40.They had an LED model that was sold out for $90 but I plan on trying one of them out.


Ive been using the cam's for about 5 years.This is the first time that ive seen so many bucks that have shed.We will see what happens next week.Im used to seeing numerous bucks on the family property and this year might be some cycle but I know I havent seen it this way in my 23 years of hunting.


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## player4x4life (Aug 21, 2006)

i shot a nice 10 pt on dec 23 . drug it out by the antlers. two days later my lil sister arrowed what she thot was a big do. turns out it was an old buck that shed his horns. it stinks ive seen a couple realy nice deer this season and am affraid she just killed the big one. oh well what can i say , it was her first bow kill. and she is happy is all that matters .


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## Bulldawg (Dec 3, 2007)

I just saw a BIG 9 pt . on sunday . I was looking for sheds but instead found the buck to connected to them . I cant hunt in the area I was in but am hoping to return in the next month or so and try to get his horns when they drop.


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

Sunday morning I watched a big 8 walk out of a corn field and bed down...
I think they are still out there but I think bad nutrition could speed up the dropsies.


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

None of the bucks in my neck of the woods have shed yet. Last year I had some shedding the second week of Jan.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Had a lil 7 point roaming the yard last week.
When I looked out an hour later, he was a 4 point!
Couldn't find the antler though.....


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## fireline (Jun 14, 2007)

I have hear that bucks lose their horns after there are no does to breed


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Nutrition has nothing to do with bucks dropping their antlers. It is tied into their level of testosterone. As it drops since breeding season is over or ending in most areas as most or all the doe have gotten bred then they will drop the antlers. There's plenty of bucks out there still carrying.


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

crittergitter said:


> Nutrition has nothing to do with bucks dropping their antlers. It is tied into their level of testosterone.


I would say that nutrition would play a part in testosterone levels though. If you were starving your sex drive would be on the back burner, or even if you are hungry for that matter.


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## ChilliFisherman (Apr 14, 2004)

speak for yourself bassnpro ! haha


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

This is why I'm completely against the muzzle loader season being so late in the season. There will be many bucks tagged antlerless this season. I know it happens in december as well but it has to be much worse in Jan.


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## tcba1987 (Jun 22, 2004)

My dad feeds a herd of about 20 deer in is yard every night ............he HAD 3 nice bucks coming in every night (one of which has a bad back leg).........over the past week or two he hasnt seen a single buck with a rack at his feeder...........well last night he realized that the one with the bum leg has shed its antlers...........it came limping into the yard with no rack and when it turned around he could clearly see its "package" so he knows it it the same deer. 

Id say the bucks are definitely shedding their racks.........the bad part of that is HOW MANY BUCKS WILL GET TAGGED IN AS ANTERLESS ?? and there will be no way of telling it by the numbers at the checking stations.........seems like a waste to me !!


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I saw three walking in to a thicket on my place Saturday and they all still had their head gear so there are still some out there for those shopping for a buck. One was a shooter 8 point and the other two were smaller.

Yes several will have already dropped the racks but there are still a lot around at least in my area with them still on.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

tcba1987 said:


> Id say the bucks are definitely shedding their racks.........the bad part of that is HOW MANY BUCKS WILL GET TAGGED IN AS ANTERLESS ?? and there will be no way of telling it by the numbers at the checking stations.........seems like a waste to me !!


Sure they will get counted as bucks at the checking station. You can tag them with an antlerless tag because they have no antlers but they still get counted and kept track of as a buck for kill stats.

Remember when you kill that button buck and put the antlerless tag on it but at the checking station they still mark it down as a buck not a doe. It goes into the antlerless harvest numbers, no antlers, but the ODNR knows how many buttons get killed each year


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

Can't eat the racks anyhow! Seriously I doubt many guys are going to go out there to shoot a doe (assuming they got a buck) and score another buck. And the impact that will have on our population is minimal.


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## meatwagon (Aug 13, 2007)

There's still hope!


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2010)

There are still some around 20 yards on two different days.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Bassnpro1 said:


> I would say that nutrition would play a part in testosterone levels though. If you were starving your sex drive would be on the back burner, or even if you are hungry for that matter.


Nutrition would play a very minimal part....not substantial enough to be measurable. Mostly, you are rationalizing. Animals don't do that....they simply react to their environment. A starving buck will leave food in a red hot second for a hot doe.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

tubuzz2 said:


> There are still some around 20 yards on two different days.


Thanks! This was just the motivation I needed to get out there in that cold tomorrow. I would love to see a sight like this!


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Arrived in Athens today. Checked the cameras and called Josh with the good and bad news. The buck he wanted to shoot, the wide 8, is still coming in every day. The bad news he has dropped one side.


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

Lundy said:


> Arrived in Athens today. Checked the cameras and called Josh with the good and bad news. The buck he wanted to shoot, the wide 8, is still coming in every day. The bad news he has dropped one side.


Hey man just wondering how long you have had ur feeder there this was my first yr.all does in day light is it just cuz its new to them?


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

meatwagon said:


> There's still hope!
> View attachment 27922


How long has ur feeder been there? How many bucks do you see in the daylight?


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## meatwagon (Aug 13, 2007)

My feeder has been out only the last 3 wks.I've seen 6 different bucks .I wait till everyone is out of the woods and bowhunt the last month and a half of the season.I always fill my tag.I've had a nice 8pt.come as soon as my feeder goes off set at 4:30 pm.Of course,I work afternoons and have only seen him on the camera.I'll give it a try this weekend.


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

meatwagon said:


> My feeder has been out only the last 3 wks.I've seen 6 different bucks .I wait till everyone is out of the woods and bowhunt the last month and a half of the season.I always fill my tag.I've had a nice 8pt.come as soon as my feeder goes off set at 4:30 pm.Of course,I work afternoons and have only seen him on the camera.I'll give it a try this weekend.


Thanx man im putting in a half acre plot for next yr rite now and have 250lb feeder but no camera yet.Let me know if you wack one.


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

meatwagon said:


> My feeder has been out only the last 3 wks.I've seen 6 different bucks .I wait till everyone is out of the woods and bowhunt the last month and a half of the season.I always fill my tag.I've had a nice 8pt.come as soon as my feeder goes off set at 4:30 pm.Of course,I work afternoons and have only seen him on the camera.I'll give it a try this weekend.


Do you get alot of daylight pictures?


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## meatwagon (Aug 13, 2007)

I also have a million turkeys that eat all the corn before the deer come to feed.But remember when you have a feeder you are feeding everything.More doe pics then bucks in the day.


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

meatwagon said:


> I also have a million turkeys that eat all the corn before the deer come to feed.But remember when you have a feeder you are feeding everything.More doe pics then bucks in the day.


Hey do you put anything besides corn in ur feeder?Was looking for something for nutrients and horn growth.How close do you hunt to your feeder? I hunt abot 150 yds before the deer get to the feeding area.


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

Putn in a food plot no room for machinery,but need to till any ideas?


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

flwboy try record rack golden deer nuggets. It's ok for use in feeders and is about 3 times as healthy for deer than corn. chock full of vitamins and nutrients. The pellets won't clog together and will fall through the feeder the proper way.

A walk behind rototiller? 

Putting in a food plot is more hard work then what people would make it out to be. Especially if you don't have or plan on using any machinery. A local farmer would probably gladly plow in a field for a monetary exchange. IF you go that route you need to make sure all the prep work is done before he gets there. A location must be chosen that will give you plot enough sunlight to grow. A size of plot to. I wouldn't recomend anything less than an acre. Will you have to clear cut? Is there an access area for farming equipment? Bedding grounds in relation to the plot should be taken into consideration. soil test also need to be done to make sure the acidity is good for the crop you plan on growing. You also need to decide what you want to plant. Are you doing this for deer management, or to hunt on? if it's for management than you will want to evaluate your property, and herd, to find out what will benefit the herd the most. There are a ridiculous amount of different companies and plants that one may plant in a food plot. This requires research. It's a personal decision on what seed company you go with. I like whitetail institute, and have heard good things about mossy oak biologics. Your local seed store to may also have some basic seeds like clover, beans & corn. Fertilizer's, insect repellents, herbacides, are you planning on using any of these? Once all that's done and the plot is seeded, now comes the fun part. Keeping those hungry deer off the new vegetation so that it can mature and grow. early feeding pressure will kill young beans and legumes. You can fence it off till it's ready to go, use spray repellents, or I have seen a new product that is an orange tape with a repellent scent on it. when the plot is ready, the tape is removed, and the deer move in. I've also heard of people using urine, and other tactics to keep them off. I personally would not do that. Deer will wipe out amazing amounts of new growth/vegetation and can undermine you food plot before you know it. so some thought should be considered. During these growing months you will have to be there from time to time to fertilize, spray any herbicide you may need and just to check on the overall progress. A real food plot is alot of work, but it is well worth it if you can achieve your management goals.There are other routes as well. many seed manufactures offer a no-plow product that doesn't require any farming to plant. I am skeptical as to the quality and vigor of the vegetation that these produce so have not tried any. I also saw a "roll matt" that was pre-seeded and all you would do is roll it out and place it in the sun. IMO these are to small to do any good. deer can eat an amazing amount of food and the "micro plot" and roll plots seem like they would be eaten far to quick for you, or the heard, to benefit from them. If I were you, I would do some long hard reading at places like quality deer management, www.qdma.com this is a great resource, and probably has an answer to all your questions. There are plenty of resources about this on the internet, all you have to do is use the search bar.

If you plan to use this as a lure for hunting, than I would just skip the plot idea and hang a good quality deer feeder, with some good quality deer feed or corn. In the past, I've never had a problem hunting over or near a straight messy pile of molasses corn, no feeder necessary and have done just fine. But the feeders make it last longer, not all the pesky birds, turks, *****, and any other critter having a hankoring for free food.


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

Stripers4Life said:


> flwboy try record rack golden deer nuggets. It's ok for use in feeders and is about 3 times as healthy for deer than corn. chock full of vitamins and nutrients. The pellets won't clog together and will fall through the feeder the proper way.
> 
> A walk behind rototiller?
> 
> ...


thanx for the info ive been workn my ass off on this.acre of prep is tough.


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## flwboy2010 (Apr 7, 2009)

well guys who are still hunting just got 2 bucks on cam gd racks still.just a lil info


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