Replanted my late grandfather's fig tree last August.  Looks like the deer gnawned off new growth in the early fall and rubbed their antlers on it.

This picture was taken last week.  Is this tree dead?  If not, anything I can do to help it survive?   Tree is in Northern NJ, had a harsh winter.  

     

Some of the photos show what looks like viable tissue. I am no expert, but suggest that where you can, take some cuttings and start several for back-ups. Another case where redundancy is a good thing.
Good luck!

Good luck. Is it still green and the bark at the highest point when you water it next i would give it some epson salt. They really like Epsom. Helps with uptake of nutrients allready in soil.

It looks like it had a hard time last winter.    You say you transplanted last August so it didn't have a long time to establish new deep roots before winter set in.
Did you provide any winter protection? 
If there was leaves and snow piled near the base during those real cold nights then it may still shoot out new growth but that might not happen until summer.

Still looks alive to me! The redish looking limbs are frost bitten and dead but the first couple of root suckers counting from the left of the first pic look pretty green and so does the main trunk. If you want to prune now,start cutting gradually from the top ,down. Stop when you find green tissue or wait until it buds and prune then! Best of luck with it ! I hope it comes back!

I agree with ChrisK....it still looks alive to me also.....

Hi
I am in Northern NJ and if it has a good root system it will come back from the ground. Don't judge it by looking at the deer damage.  I say don't do anything drastic, and just wait and see. You might be surprised. 
Keep us informed, there is nothing more rewarding than saving an old family tree

Glad to hear that it has a fighting chance.  I have no problem waiting till summer to see if it returns.  

When you say I should "prune" it... do you mean I should cut the small frost-bitten branches off, or should I cut the top down with a saw even further?

Speaking of the top of the trunk, should I cover it with any kind of wax or tar, or just leave exposed as is?

Not the main trunk! I would use a pair of pruning shears to cut all the dead looking (redish) wood. Those pencil thin branches coming out of the main trunk! If unsure ,just wait until the new buds show up and that would give you a good idea of what is dead and needs pruning !

The tree should be fine. I've seen many trees die back like this. Scratch up the soil around the tree and make a bowl so that water stays near the center. Water it well, maybe add a high nitrogen fertilizer like diluted chicken manure or blood meal to the soil. Growth will come up from the roots or from the buds on the smaller branches. I advise against pruning anything significant until new growth appears. Be patient, it may take a few weeks. You can leave that trunk exposed, it's weathered enough already.