YUP, I think Tony is on to something pretty earth shattering.

Seriously, they usually hang onto them up through Feb unless they're stressed hard or injured I think. I read several places where there's no definitive reason or time they loose them. They say stress, loss of testoserone after the rut, body fatique from the rut, loose of daylightall add to the factor. If your deer are healthy, fat dumb and happy they may hold them a little longer. Up here in Snow country they're gone by the end of Jan it seems.