Okay, reading books and internet forums and sites tell you that antlers start dropping anywhere from January to early April, with Jan. and April being the extremes. I understand that location also effects antler loss as well. It is said that this is caused by hormone levels dropping. My question is this. (I am not expecting some scientifically proven answer, just from-what-you-have-seen-what-do-you-think.)

Do you think the severity of winter could have anything to do with when deer lose their antlers?

I was talking to some long-time experienced hunters, who were playing with the idea that mild winters equal late antler shed. I am just looking for what you all out there think. I am very skeptical of this idea, however, I wanted to see what people think, who have experienced enough seasons to be able to make a comparison between multiple winters.

YES

No! This has been studied on deer farms with all deer living under the same conditions, they still lose their antlers between Dec and April.
Even the same deer will shed in Jan. one year and March the next.
The only consistent is when the new ones start to grow, 12 hours of daylight is what triggers a hormone that starts the antler growing process. That is around April first here.

I would also have to say No. The severity of the winter has nothing to do with it.

I'd definately say yes. There's an article in the January 2005 Deer & Deer Hunting mag. that says that although antler casting is triggered by hormones, a buck's nutrition and health status are the factors of primary importance in determing antler casting. On range with good nutrition a buck will remain in good physical condition throughout the winter and will consequently hold its antlers longer than those bucks that live on poorer range. The article states that "antler retention is a good indicator of nutritional condition for deer in Northern areas. Regardless of the region, however, those bucks in poor physical condition invariably are the first to cast their antlers." The way I see it : hard winters = elevated levels of stress on the bucks = poor body condition = earlier antler shedding.

NO....at least not enough of a difference to make a difference. I pick up anywhere from 10 to 20 deer sheds a year and in my area, they start dropping from mid december til around the end of Feb. regardless of the weather. The big boys drop first for the most part, and it goes from there.
I would also like to note that deep snow doesn't bother deer as much as many think. Now before everyone jumps on me let me explain. I feed deer right here in my yard. Everyday i slap on the snowshoes, and make my rounds following the same paths. The snow gets packed down as hard as a rock. Now you would think that the deer would use the trails that I make. Most of the small deer do, but the adults just as soon walk right through the deep stuff as walk on my trails. I really don't think it bothers them a bit until the snow depths reach three feet or so.
This year is a prime example too. We have had alot of snow here and the bucks dropped just like they do in a mild winter. I had a 130" deer i was feeding with a big body that dropped around Christmas. i had a decent 8 and 9 point that dropped in mid Feb.
In my opinion, the breeder bucks drop em first.

I would lean towards weather being somewhat of a factor. This year I have found 12 sheds with only 6 being this years sheds. We had a really bad cold snap where the temperature was 6 above for a high. I think with this cold snap a lot of bucks lost their horns. I was on a game production area where the deer and elk are fed throughout the winter and I found a matched set and a single side about 5 feet apart, I think that during the cold weather these two bucks bedded right there because food was only 50 yards away. Around here the deer are really getting bad about coming into town and feeding throughout the winter months. Thats just my thoughts on deer sheds.

i would say yes.
i believe the deer lose them earlier from what i have experienced the harsher the winter. maybe it has something to do with the nutrition the anlters need to do as little as stay attached to their head and they use the nutrition for fat instead of to support their antlers. just my theory tho.

YES, I would also say that it has been my experience that a severe winter and the stress releated to that will indeed cause deer to shed early! For instance, this season the bucks seem to be especially holding onto their antlers because we haven't really experienced any sort of winter this year in my area.

Also..this year I found a spike shed in late february while out on the golf course. The deer come and feed on the course everynight so they should be gaining some nutrition. Also a spike would be less likely to lose his horns right away because they are not as big.