Winter Effects

The NE Ohio winter showed up early this year and it had its effects on the Ohio trophy deer hunting. This effect is still showing up towards the end of January and the latest sign could be the most important. We found our first shed antler this week and have trail camera photos of a buck that has already shed both sides. While this is the time of season to try and sneak one or two more chances at that trophy buck of your dreams it is also a time to complete that doe management you started back in early October. Well if you are trying to fill that last antlerless tag of the season make sure you are double checking to make sure it is not a buck that has already shed his antlers! It is also possible that if you do get a chance at that great trophy that he drops one or both antlers after you have made a perfect shot and are loading him into the truck. (Do not fear your taxidermist can reattach the antlers with very little or no difference.) The antler shedding appears to be three to four weeks ahead of our normal time based on my notes from previous years. My guess would be the early cold spell that we had in November and early December is the trigger this year.