shed hunting

[Monkster]

shedaddict, I am still laughting at your last comment. Wherever I drive this time of the year (even worse than hunting season!) I find myself looking down the trails! I also catch myself slowing down or even backing up if I drive by a beat-down trail in the metro. I slow and follow the trail with my eyes as far as I can! Now that the snow is gone, it's a bit tougher, but I still look.

Quite a few years ago, I watched a nice 8 with one side hanging from his head, dangling by hairs it seemed. That thing never did come off while I was watching. He was behind a fence, on private land. I am sure he would have shook it off if I would have chased him. Now that I know a bit more about sheds, I feel like there was something else holding that side one. No other reason for it to stay on.

[scsavre]

I found a nice 5 side on the road last year. Of coarse it was after walking for 4 hours and finding nothing.

I think i am out of luck this year in the Metro near my house. My entire woods is under water. I didnt think it could get as high as it did here. Pretty crazy.

[lungdeflator]

I dont know if you guys saw this post but here might be a better spot for it...

Match set we found in Canada last year. Hard to find info on how long it takes the moss to grow or how long antlers can sit out and withstand the weather. Ive found most sites kind of compile the mosses seen into "Reindeer Moss". How long have these been sitting here?

After more research I saw that the Reindeer Moss grows 1-3 mm a year. so they could have been there 10-15 yrs? What do you guys think?

[shedaddict]

10-15 years seems like a long time. The tines don't look like they saw too much chewing. I would say 3-4 years. Do you have a picture of the sheds once you took them out of there? Looks like a nice set.

[trolloni]

Hey HURL ! this year bedding areas have been better for me this year ,grassy areas with a few small evergreens here and there , southeast facing sides.When i look, im thinking points, thats uasaully all you see ,always keep panning as you walk and try not to cover the same areas twice,another trick is to go when its cloudy little rainy even better! ,the timber floor gets real dark cause of all the dead foilage and them antlers are white /bone color it really helps you to spot them.You guys talk about spottin them from the road i have a good story, two months ago there was a lot of snow here and i had been watching deer in this pasture for awhile, forgot about really,a week ago it was rainin so i just rode around and i went by it and stopped and started glassin it, its probably quater mile off the road and ill be ,there was a 6 point shed under a little tree!a good pair of binocs are invalueble in this sport save you a lotta walkin and eliminate unproductive ground fast, i use Zeiss compacts not the greatest in low light, but i have never regretted spending that money on theese things WOW!Been a good season this year 26, with 4 matched sets also found a dead buck 14 points 24 inch spread with 4 drop tines on the right side an awesome animal .havent had a chance to get out this week much due to work ,this weekend though!if ya go have good shoes water ,munchies, just like anything it takes time and patience but ill tell ya it is very gratifing almost as good as shootin a monster buck its right up there size doesnt matter either a sheds a shed !

[lungdeflator]

Thing is is that they dont get chewed on much up there. I would think an antler would last a long time and with that moss growing on it like that I just dont know...

[B.S. Bait]

Having my best year ever. Found 19 sheds with several matches,also found 4 skulls 2 eight pointers a smaller five pointer and a nice ten point that grossed 150 4/8 a really nice find. Two of the sheds i found could have been wall hangers. The larger shed is a five point side that is broke off so i think its missing a couple of points. The other is a very large three point side very heavy mass with lots of grain running threw it. This shed looks to be old but still has the wax ring with a little blood on the base it also smells like a big old buck. Do you think it is possible for a buck not to drop every year? I will try to get pics of all of them once i figure it out.

[buglefever]

Good job guys! Way to get out there and make some good find!!

In response to shedaddict's question: Last year actually was a year for a couple firsts. The very first shed I found last year was on Jan 25th...I was running late to coach volleyball and flying about 70 down the road and I saw a shed laying under a cedar tree about 80 yards off the road. I had to stop and double check to make sure I was seeing right! That was the first shed I've found from the hi-way. The other first last year was finding 2 hangers. The first was a nice heavy 4 pt wedged in a bush. The second one was late april on public land in an area the deer had pummeled. It was hanging about 2 foot off the ground and it's the only shed I found that day. I'm assuming the only reason I found it was because it was hanging and everybody else missed it.

I've had a really good stretch since I've posted last. Just this evening I hit my modified goal of 50 sheds. I have several sets. One is a really dark 12 pt (basic 10 with both g-2s split) goes about 130. Last tuesday I found a matching 10 pt in the 140's laying side by side. It isn't too often a person gets that lucky! That same day I also found a 6pt. He has a 9" g-2 and an 8" g-4, but unfortunately the g-3 is busted off. I have that 6pt side from that same deer for 3 years now, and he got quite a bit bigger this year. Just wish I could hunt there. I'm also combing a woods trying to find a match to a big 5pt that scores in the mid 60s.

Keep looking and good luck!!!

[Monkster]

Lung - My guess would have been a few years at least. It takes more than one or two summers to have them settle into the floor that low. Cool find though! Like shedaddict said, you would think the mice and squirrels would have found it and chewed off at least a little bit.

[Quackaddict9]

Been a good season this year 26, with 4 matched sets also found a dead buck 14 points 24 inch spread with 4 drop tines on the right side an awesome animal.

I'd like to see a pic of it, that sounds like a big deer. 24 inch spread is wide and don't see many of these and then there is 4 drop tines too.

[certified jumbo]

Great pictures guys!!! Plus some dandy sheds as well, dang!! This has been another great year for the shed hunting forum. Good to see so many people getting involved, the more the merrier!! I love it. Keep the pics coming.

I have now found 3 since the snow melted, all small ones and my total now stands at 11 on the year (4 matching sets and 3 loners). I just haven't found the sheds I thought I would this year. Coming off last seasons success this has been a downer for me. I'll get some new pics up tonight.

Shed freak. Interesting on those sheds that guy gave you, it would be interesting if there is some relation there. I will post the trail cam pics and his antlers tonight when i post my other pics. You will have to tell me what you think?? Cool stuff!

CJ

[certified jumbo]

Here is a pic of the last shed i found last wkd. A 2 pt side to make the pair, i found the other half of it back in early january. I found it in a freshly logged area. Also included is my 11 on the year. Still have time to find more and hopefully something a little bigger.

Also, earlier in this forum i had asked about mounting sheds. Thanks to those who led me in the right direction. I bought some of Mountian Mikes shed spredders. I took a heavy 8 point I found both sides to last year and mounted them up. I think it turned out nice and was real easy to do. I enclose pics of that as well.

Shed freak...Pics of the 12 pt with stickers coming off the g2, plus sheds. Do they look familiar?? We watched this deer for 3 years on trail camera and never once saw him in a hunting situation, dang!!

[trolloni]

Quackaddict, ill try and get some pictures on here not the most computer savey guy ,one determined shed hunter though!Yeah , i seen him on the hoof limpin around last dec. right after our first gun season here in northwest Illinois coyotes musta got him ,just hide and skeleton left with the head intact had to cut the atlas joint with my pocket knife! He is awesome my neighbor who is a taxidermist will be doing a europian mount ,he was very impressed ,he thought the buck had incurred an injury years ago on his right side to cause the growth, as the left side is normal,where i found him ive seen bigger ones typicals and believe me ive been looking for em ,they either got shot or moved on .thats part of the game go out after seasons and glass em lets you know whats around!

[B.S. Bait]

Had two of my sheds scored today by an offical measurer. The five point side that is broken off is just short of making the record book scoring 58 6/8 bummer! Hope to find the other side this weekend.

The large three point scored 54 0/8 but the guy who scored it thinks it might be a young moose shed. He's not positive though. I sent it with him since he was going to the show on the iron range this weekend to get some more opinions of what it really is. I sure hope its a whitetail cause i want to hunt it hard this year.

[B.S. Bait]

Here is a pic of the 10 point skull i found on march 2 2010. It grossed 150 4/8-net 144 6/8.Made the record book in the nonhunting category.

[lungdeflator]

Wow good pics guys. CJ that deer didnt look that big in the pics, but those sheds are NICE!

[shedfreak]

Hey Jumbo, I emailed you the pics of those sheds...The resemblence to me is uncanny! The ones i have are bigger than the one you picked up, but theres definite bloodlines there. I scored the bigger one at 93 5/8 and the smaller one at about 82. Id really like to see all of them together sometime for comparison. Then I can tell ya exactly where they were picked up and when. Im stuck at 28 sheds right now, but im hopin for 4 to 5 more hikes. Hopefully I can produce a few more! And I think I speak for everyone on this thread that we wanna see pictures of the dead head 14 point with the drops!!

[B.S. Bait]

Just found number 20 on the year.Here is a pic of 19 of them.I will post a pic next week of the big 3pt when i get it back.

[Quackaddict9]

And I think I speak for everyone on this thread that we wanna see pictures of the dead head 14 point with the drops!!

Actually, I said it first He said he will try to get pics on here soon though.

[Coach1310]

Nice looking finds guys...

[PoorWordUsage] Bait... I love the curves of that 10pt...

[trolloni]

Sorry havent been able to figure out how to post pics ill keep trying though meanwhile yesterday had i dream day finding 14 sheds !some were a couple years old one good set,then this morning went out to scout for turkey and found a nice 9 point skull!someone musta hit him during season and didnt follow up,shouldnt complain though i walked within 50 yds of it 2 weeks ago and didnt see it!

[lungdeflator]

wow that is just unheard of. hope you had a good pack with you haha

[Monkster]

[PoorWordUsage] Bait - very nice year! I only wish I had more time to go out and search.

When I was 10, I wanted time to go faster, now I want time to slow down!

[CC Hurl]

Well I got out Friday for about six hours and did manage to find a shed. It was from a spike buck. Only one side but hey I found one. Lol, About 5 inches.

It was cool finding it. Found a racoon and pheasant remains also. Didn't take those home though. Lol

For the first time trying it was fun and I am hoping to get back out for the day on Saturday. Kind of neat walking on the trails and not being to concerned about noise like you would during hunting season.

Using my GPS is working good as to not cover land more than once. I still have about 2/3 of the land to search. Calling for rain on Saturday so from what I read here that should help me spot better.

If I don't find anything Oh well as it is just nice to be out.

Just thought I would post how my first ever planned shed hunt went. Thanks for the tips you guys.

CC HURL

[sticknstring]

Yeah it sure is a blast when you find one isn't it? I'm stuck at 2 this year. Went up to our property near Crosslake a few Saturdays ago and walked for 5 hours and came up with the 2 - both 4 pt sides, one fresh, one old. I've put in close to 10 hrs here around home since then with nothing to show for it. Great time to be in the woods though - I'll keep at it. I'm envious of you guys finding so many in a season! It's all where you walk I guess.