Deer antlers are starting to hit the ground as bucks begin the annual casting process, and a new season of growth begins. Shed hunting has grown from a casual hobby to a full-blown addiction for many hunters across the country over the last decade. It’s a big deal. And for some, it’s been given its own season. You hear it every year – shed season – shed rally – etc.Â
But the big question is, what causes a buck to drop its antlers? What are the factors that affect a deer’s antler casting dates? Brian Murphy answers the question in the video below in his Murphy’s Law on Whitetails series.Â
What Causes the Drop?
The casting process of the antlers comes about because of a testosterone decline in deer. Murphy says it’s basically the reverse process by which deer antlers harden going into the fall season.
At that time, the buck experiences an increase in the hormone testosterone. However, in late winter, these testosterone levels drop. Nutrients are essentially sucked away, allowing the casting process to take place.Â
Facts About the Casting Process
There’s a number of factors that come in to play that shed hunters need to keep in mind when it comes to when they should begin making the rounds in search of shed antlers.Â
One, Murphy says that bucks drop within a couple days of the same time each year. That’s why making notes to keep track of what you find can pay off to develop a pattern. Murphy also says that bucks will typically drop both sides within a 48 hour period.Â
It’s also important to note that the casting process differs from the north to the south. In the north, older bucks tend to cast first, followed by the younger bucks. This is a result of a more defined rutting period.Â
As for the South, the opposite takes place. Because of lingering rut cycles across much of the deep south, testosterone levels hold longer into the late season to sustain the breeding opportunities into January and even February. The older, more mature bucks will hold their antlers longer in the south, while the younger bucks cast first.
Other factors that affect the casting process include severe physical or nutritional stress. “Poor nutrition or mast crop failure can lead to an early drop,” says Murphy. “Fighting and disease are other factors that play into early casting each year.”
Knowing what affects the casting process in deer can greatly improve your odds for finding more bone in the late winter and early spring months. Keep the factors mentioned above in mind as you plan your shed hunting strategies this year.Â
Be sure to comment below and let us know when you tend to find shed antlers the most. When do they drop on the properties you hunt?
