Yesterday there were 15-20 deer out in the winter wheat fields down the road from home. One of them was a big 10+ pointer. Having spent the last 30 years 200 miles North of here, I can’t recall ever seeing a buck with antlers after late December.
The second rut was going right after the first of the year, but we are almost to February.
We live in Jackson County, about 25 miles South of Lansing,MI.
Is it normal for bucks to still have antlers at this time here in Southern Michigan?

here in PA i see them into april.

I'm in Indiana and I get trail cam pictures of bucks that have lost one side as soon as late Dec., get other pictures with bucks holding both sides as late as early March.

Same here in Kentucky.

I wonder what makes the difference?
Rut stress?

I've seen them in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa with antlers clear into Spring turkey season.

Running about 15 cameras right now... only 1 shed antler buck showing up

Ive seen big muleys with racks the first of April in west Texas.

It's the brand of superglue a particular buck might use.

Some are just plain ole cheap and buy dollar tree schit
Some are smart and buy upper end durable brands.

Been seeing a nice buck when I drive through coopersville on the way to work in the mornings. Same field behind the high school. SW MI.

I often see antlers hanging on til march or so.
About 4 years or so ago I noticed a road killed small antlered buck on the eastern apron of the interstate 80 Mississippi river bridge in mid April

Saw a dandy 8 pointer just a couple of days ago, on my way to town....

I've seen them with antlers late Feb. here in NY and shot one late Dec. that had already shed.

With the buck to doe ratio being as screwed up as it is in Michigan some does don't get bred until December. At least that's what I've read from Dr. Ozaga (sp?) I've seen dinks carrying half-a-rack into March in Saginaw County. YMMV...

About 10 years ago we a young fork horn that carried one antler into June

There were two out in the yard last night with decent racks.

Secondary rut, the doe fawns will get bred then.

Pretty common.

Down here on the Gulf Coast the rut is just kicking in.

Around here, most of the bucks carry them well into March.
Some will drop them in January, but I think the majority don’t shed them until early March, some even hang on till April.
I read somewhere that Whitetails will always shed their horns within a couple days of the same date every year.
It’s true as far as I can tell. My Dad raised one from a doe that was hit on the road shortly after giving birth. It came onto my cousin’s property, looking for her.
He tried to give it to a deer farm, but they won’t take a buck unless they know it’s a good one.
Long story short, they give him a bill of sale ( so it’d be legal to possess) and a paper on how to care for it. He gave it to Dad because he didn’t have enough room.
The Old Man took it into the house for two weeks, feeding it goat’s milk every 4 hours, wiping it bunghole with a wet paper towel. (The mother will lick it to stimulate bowl movement)
In the meanwhile, me and Dad built a small corral outta 7’ chain link fence. We named him “Stilts” on account of the long legs fawns all have.
We had him for 5 years, finally selling him to a ranch. He never really had a wide spread, but each year he developed a nice, high rack of 8 to 10 points. And he always dropped them the second week of March.
7mm

As late as April here but that's rare. I think the end of February and March mostly.

I read it has to due with when the rut happens where the deer's ancestors were from originally. Unfortunately places like Alabama and Miss. where the rut is in January and the deer were restocked there from say a Northern state that the rut was pretty much over in early December with the main rut in November, it can have bad effect on the antler pedicle. The bucks are still rutting and fighting when they are trying to shed their antlers and they get damaged.

The healthier the buck the longer they hold. Only bucks stressed are dropping already. Not unusual to see them hold into April.

That's beyond secondary rut. First rut here is in September, does won't stand for bucks. The major rut is late October~early November. The third rut is late December, have actually heard of a later rut (rare) in January. The fawns produced from the December/ January rut don't have a high survivability rate for their first winter. Depends on snow cover...

Depends on nutrition and overall health of the buck.

See them till March often and even one time in early April.

Uninjured, start dropping mid Feb here.

Blacktails around here seem to keep them until about March/April when they start growing new ones.

In NJ depending upon the year I;'ve had good bucks drop them in mid-late january and others hold them past Feb.

Antlers still on here in NWNJ

Not unusual here. The biologists put the peak of our rut in the first week of January.

Weekend before I was in the yard just having returned with a trailer full of a ton of gravel....

dozen does come running by.. like something had them spooked.... looked in that direction for a coyote or something...

instead come running past me and never even looked at me was a Blacktail buck... he stopped long enough like 20 yds from me
to count the 7 points on each antler.... he crossed the creek, the does took off again....

guess the rut is still in full swing down here in So. Oregon...

Saw a fork horn blacktail buck yesterday on the Olympic Peninsula, with a doe, still had antlers on both sides.

Still have bucks with antlers on my cams in Northern IN

Lets see, thats 7 times dos in Texas so iirc that would be 14 stickers, huh? Nice. Real nice. Id put out alfalfa for that boy chasing does. He needs more than pine needles to pass on those genes.

You know what they say: Give Back.

Heck the rut is just starting where I hunt in Alabama.

In the SW, late March into April seems to be shedding time for deer and elk. Some do seem to drop early. Have been told that is due to T3 level.

A few years ago saw a really big buck running a field with a couple of doe here in PA at the end of March.

Just the opposite with our mule deer. Big old robust bucks drop in Feb and the wimpy little guys might hang onto theirs into April

Had a group of four 4by's just behind the house this morning. Cookie ran out to get a couple images of the largest. Did not get close enough for a portrait, but did hit the shutter a couple times. Not one we had seen around here before. Other three have been regulars, and I can still see them bedded out the back door. A bit nippy out, and they all savoring some sunshine in a spot out of the wind.



Have seen elk here still carrying in early May, and some images from Wy feed grounds with both hard and branch velvets in the same frame.

I have to agree with 1minute. Our larger antlers fall first no matter elk mule deer or whitetail. Maybe regionally it’s different. Interesting anyways. Also I have seen no correlation to health either. Seems mass alone is the biggest factor. I swear our heathy young spike elk don’t shed until the new antler pops the old one off from below. They hold into June often and are healthy as any.

I've heard that during tough winters bucks tend to drop earlier too.

Here in Montana, I have seen a few Whitetails that have started to drop antlers. For the most part, February and March the bucks drop their antlers. The fact that a buck made it through the season in Michigan is impressive!

I found a shed of a nice buck about 3.5 years old in Northern Missouri the day after Christmas. Lots of other bucks holding horns it seemed.

Interesting responses, it surely varies due to latitude.
This is an interesting subject, thanks for responding.

We start shed hunting usually the second week of Febuary! The bucks that come to our place have their antlers, with the exception of a small three point. He only has the drivers side.

Our largest neighborhood buck dropped one within the last 24 hours. All the other accompany bucks were still packing. Sorry about the intervening grass, but it's the only shot Cookie had from our back deck this morning. SE Oregon here.

Seen a herd of 7 bucks yesterday.All had their or antlers. Saw another one today while going into town

Saw a 140 class w both sides on Feb 16th a few yrs back.

Have seen raghorn bull elk with antlers still attached on Tax Day April 15, while bear hunting before.

Saw a couple the other day but they looked wobbly.

Probably just WAFFLING over dropping.

I've seen many bucks with antlers into mid to late March