What determines when a buck drops his antlers?

[chiefks]

I've never been one to find many sheds. Maybe thats due to the out of wack buck to doe ratio in my area though?? I'm from kansas and we have a anterless Janurary gun season that last a few days towards the first of the month. I know of bucks that were shot in the anterless season, they had already dropped thier antlers. Yet I see other bucks in March or the first of April still carrying both sides of thier rack. What gives? What causes one buck to drop antlers in December and another one in April???

[Hiawatha]

For the most part i beleive it is the amount ofstress the animal is under. Usually the larger bucks will shed a lil earlier also. Big snow fall here this year as a result the bucks started dropping third week in december.

[jrjr23]

I think it's a combination of nutrition and the shape the animal is in. Given that the rigor's of the rut can wear a whitetail buck down, he needs to be in tip-top shape before hand to breed his does. His fitness and nutrition, along with his dominance within the heirarchy will determine how many and which does he breeds. If he's fit and well nourished he will hold onto his antlers longer. If the herd suffers from malnutrition the bucks tend to drop them sooner, especially in areas without high protein foods.

[Icetrey]

Well Ive always heard thye opposite ofHiawatha. But agree with jr. When its dry, warm and a lack of nutrition they start to drop them. They need nutrition in order to grow horns and malnutrition can cause them to lose them earlier. Supposedly when it warms up it causes them to rot off sooner.Thats what Ive heard.

[NJheadhunter71]

Many factors involved but I think the main thing is their dropping testoserone levels dipping after the rut. Add in all the enviromental things ie: nutrition, weather, stress ect ect ect.....

[deerslayer223]

i was always told its the drop in testosorone level. I could see how stress nutrition and weather would play a factor though also.

[Jimmy S]

Bucks can begin to drop their antlers soon after the rut.
Hormones plays the biggest part.

Bug bucks may be the first to drop, especially if they are in their prime - 3-6 yrs old.

They can actually push off the old ones so the new ones can begin growth development.