Antlers have not fell off?

[MTBirdhunter]

So I went this past weekend to look around the ranch I deer and elk hunt in south central Montana, in one evening and a morning I saw 5 groups of elk and lots of mulies and whitetails. The one weird thing I did see were 2 small bulls with antlers still on, and NO, they were not new antler growth. Just wondering is this unusual?

 

[Art Vandeley]

I don't think it is, I saw a 3x3 mule deer with both antlers on Saturday...

 

[mixedbag]

Don't know a lot about elk sheds but have seen whitetail with racks in mid-April a few years back which is way late to have them still.Then I've shot bucks in Nov and had their antlers pop off in my hands when I went to drag them out.Not sure but from what I've seen myself with deer is nutrition and their health had a lot to do with when they shed;healthier then shed antlers later

 

[MTpubliclander]

I picked up a bloody brown spike elk shed yesterday which means most should be close to dropping if the spikes are dropping.

 

[Bambistew]

I've seen elk pack into mid May, spikes and small rag horns. Most will be shed by the end of April though, with the bigger bulls starting about mid March. Mule deer are similar, but maybe a month earlier on average. This is for western MT...

 

[bigskyblueman]

A bull up in Jackson Creek this morning still had his headgear.

 

[MTBirdhunter]

Thanks, I have seen them in March, but I was thinking deep into April was strange, but it seems not, thanks again.

 

[Southwind]

I have seen small whitetails a couple of times with antlers on this late but it is rare.

 

[Poke 'Em]

It's not that strange for small bulls to still have their antlers into mid-late April. The larger bulls usually drop them earlier.

 

[antlerradar]

A few years a go I was watching a 150 class whitetail that shed every year around the second week of April. Very unusual. I found some small raghorn bull antlers today that still had blood on them. had to be shed since the rain last week.

Antlerradar

 

[JLS]

I saw a group of muley bucks on Sunday that are already sprouting new velvet.