1. When usually do bucks lose their antlers? and when do they start to regrow them?
2. when would be the best time to have a trail camera out if i want to catch pictures of a buck (with a rack obviously)
thanks for any help...

in illinois they drop from late December to March for the majority....however i have a 2.5 yr old buck on trail cam last year that had BOTH antlers the first week of April. They usuall start growing new antlers within a few weeks of when they drop. Do a search for antler development on google or another search engine

I found my first shed from this year the day before Christmas while I was walking out to my treestand. As far as the best time to catch a buck on a trail cam depends on where you are putting your camera. If it's next to a food source, anytime of year, but expecially early and late season works good. The rut is a good time to catch a buck on the move anywhere, but it's best to have it on a heavily used travel route when they are rutting.