Why Do Bucks Shrink Their Antlers Every Year?

Vermont naturalist Mary Holland explains why deer go through all that trouble to grow antlers only to shed them or lose them every year. Bucks use their antlers in the fall to attract female deer or doves and to fend off other males from the doe a buck wants to mate with. The amount of testosterone starts to decrease after the mating season has ended in December or January, signaling it's time for the antlers to fall off. From the time they are shed until April, bucks can bound through the woods much more easily than when they have antlers.