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Some times, deer will start losing there antlers as early as December. It all depends on when they are ready. The cause of most antlers to shed, depends on how much late season sparring a buck will do. Bucks sparr with eachother after the rut to help loosen the antlers and to develope the pecking order. I would have to say that most shedding though, occurs from late January to sometimes early March and even into April on some occasions in my area.

Bill S

Bucks usually lose their antlers soon after they drop off.

Hunting is a right, treat it like a priviledge - respect nature

In my area, the Northeast, it's usually mid-late February.

Deer lose their antlers because of decline in the level of testosterone they produce. Once the testosterone level declines it cuts off all blood flow, beginning from the base of the antler. The timing varies among deer for various reasons. Nutrition, weather, rut activity and genetics are just some of the reasons. In my area, Northwest Wisconsin I've witnessed a few deer this year that shed their antlers as early as late December, but I also saw some bucks that had them into this February.

http://community.webshots.com/user/notorious_vee

Edited by - James Vee on 02/27/2002 13:13:41