Shed Hunting

[catmaster1557]

Anyone ever gone out looking for deer sheds before? I was thinking about trying it a couple times this year. I've never done it before, nor do I know much about it. When do i go out? What do I look for? Where do I look? Any info what be appreciated.

[jlm]

I am surprised this has come up so early, we usually begin talking about shed hunting later in the year. However, its NEVER too early to talk sheds. I am very passionate about shed hunting and spend a lot of time in the woods trying to find these "needles in a haystack". It is a bit early now and your odds will be better if you wait another month or two because all of the deer will have dropped by then. If there is a lot of snow on the ground its best to wait until the Spring thaw because they get covered up. I usually go when there is still a little snow left in the Spring and methodically search my areas. The little bit of snow helps you to see where you have already searched. Additionally, this is a great time to do some scouting as the woods looks very much like it did in the Fall. I will warn you though, shed hunting is VERY addicting. If you have any luck right off the bat, consider yourself hooked! Good luck!

[catmaster1557]

Thanks for the info. I knew it was early now but was just kinda wondering about it. Thanks again.

[fishermn]

I agree it is tremendously addicting, and it helps to fill that outdoor itch at a time of year there isnt a lot of other opportunities for hunting/fishing. I started shed hunting a couple years ago, and I agree with the previous posts, waiting until the spring thaw is very helpful. One of the things that I have found by waiting until the thaw is that the deer trails will stay frozen a bit longer than the snow around them, so they make better walking, and they are real easy to find as the rest of the snow melts away and leaves these little white trails all through the woods. I tend to like to look in areas in and around thick pines, or on south facing hills. also, areas where trails cross fences or other areas where deer are forced to jump over an obstruction can be good. Generally, like the other posts said, most of the deer will drop their antlers by around the beginning of February, however, I have seen bigger deer hold them into late March and early April. That is another reason I like to wait for the spring thaw. If you are going out at this time of year, I suggest trying to find areas where the snow cover is light (such as underneath thick pines, etc.) you may find a few at this time of year, but personally, I would say your chances are a lot better towards early spring. I have found that on average, I find one shed per approximately 8 hours of looking. I'd like to hear what others have found, and any other tactics I may be overlooking as well. Good luck and enjoy!

[gunflint]

I truely enjoy hunting moose shed but so do alot of other people. It can be very competitive up here. A matched set of antlers can go for several hundred dollars. The other posters are right it's very addicting. and in the spring I'll put on my snowshoes and make a day of it, and it's a great way to kill time before fishing opener.

[Beeber]

I filled the deer feeder this morning and was surprised to find a fresh shed. A nice pair (4x3). I don't remember ever seeing sheds this early before. Why would a buck shed this time of year?

Later

[jlm]

It is not unusual to find sheds this time of year, or even earlier. It is unclear why some deer shed earlier than others. However, weather, nutrition, and the deers health can play a role. Great find!

[Rywheat]

Deer will shed entlers early if the deer has been wounded my brother goes as far as kansas for sheds a large group goes and they have had some of the top hunters in there hotel rooms checking out finds

[Dan Wood]

Cool Beeber! I'll need to keep my eye out... Normally we would have snow by now and there wouldn't be much hope...

I've heard that stress has a lot to do with deer shedding their antlers (weather, injuries, etc. would all account for additional stress). I haven't really looked into it much past that..

[MrSenarighi]

My old man told me yesterday that a guy he see's at his Rotary Club meeting brought a set of antler's in that were recently found in Wrenshall, MN that could possibly be the MN record for typical racks. He said it is absolutely enormous. Also, the guy has the buck, along with another gigantic buck, caught on a trail camera together. I'm sure you will all hear about it soon.

[ironranger420]

I have a good one for you. It's not exactly a shed that I found, but resluts were the same. I shot a nice 10 pointer this year, tracked it for two days, and ultimately found the deer. My brother and I made the trip out into the woods to drag the deer back to camp. I had marked it's location using a huge Norway Pine as my landmark. Well, my brother and I get close to where the deer should be and we start looking for it. I look off to the right and spot a nice big rack laying on the ground. I point it out to my brother, and said there it is. Well we get up to it, and it's not my deer. In fact it's not a deer at all. It's a full 5x5 rack still attached to the skull, like a European mount. I couldn't believe it, I was like, where the heck is my deer. We start looking aorund, and 10 yards away lay my 10 pointer. Anyway, the 10point rack that we found, didn't have any bite marks on it, from mice or whatever, nor did we find any other bones or anything. So we figured this deer must have died or been killed this fall, and the wolves got to the carcus. We figured it might have been killed by a bow hunter and never found, because a few weeks before rifle season my uncle had a blood trail underneath his deerstand and was very confused as to what it was doing there. He tracked the trail for awhile but eventually gave up. Anyway, long story short, this was a beautiful rack. Definitely one that wouldn't have been passed up by any of the members of our hunting party. It was just really funny to walk up to what I thought was my deer, and to only see a skull laying there with a 10pt rack. I thought to myself, are the wolves that fast? We ended up keeping the rack, and plan on hanging it above the door way to our hunting shack. I could see how shed hunting could be very addictive. I look forward to trying it.

[Jeremy Donabauer]

Where are the best places to search in the metro area. I know there have to be some awesome spots. Or places I could even g o video some nice bucks before they drop.

[fishermn]

Ranger, thats quite the interesting story. Kinda makes ya wonder if it was really coincidence that both bucks went there when they were seriously injured huh? Or maybe that spot holds some real intense cover that they really like to hide in? Might just be a real good place to look over every winter about this time. Oh, and yes, it is really addictive!

[lawdog]

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Ranger, thats quite the interesting story. Kinda makes ya wonder if it was really coincidence that both bucks went there when they were seriously injured huh? Or maybe that spot holds some real intense cover that they really like to hide in? Might just be a real good place to look over every winter about this time.

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Yes or maybe to sit darn close to opening morning when the shooting starts everywhere else...