Shed Hunting

[Dan Wood]

FYI -

Most deer have dropped their antlers around our place (Farmington) over the past 3 weeks. There are at least 4 bucks in the area that have all dropped within the last 3 weeks. Last time I saw antlers was about a week ago (1 antler left on 1 of the bucks). The largest buck dropped maybe 3 weeks ago..

As soon as we get some more warm weather to melt some snow in the woods, I'll be looking for sheds.. Actually I'll probably be out this weekend to find the main bedding areas - should be pretty easy to spot with the snow. Just a tip for anyone that hasn't shed hunted before - concentrate around wintering bedding areas. That is the most concentrated area that you'll find to search and where they spend the majority of their time. Feeding areas are more spread out and can be tough to search - but that would be second choice, trails between feeding and bedding areas are also worth looking at...

[Eric_Sieve]

I have heard of people about this time of year making a contrapotion to gather whitetail antlers. You pound two stakes into the ground and put chicken wire between them. Then you put some feed in front of the chicken wire. When bucks come into feed, they hit their antlers on the wire and they fall off! I donno if it works or anything, just passing along some information!

[fishermn]

Yeah, Some people make feeders with bars that are designed to knock off antlers. Kinda defeats the purpose as I see it...

Dan, you must not have too much snow down that way? I've been thinking about shed hunting but the snow up here is ridiculous... Had to shovel almost 4 feet off my deck last nite, so I probably wont be shed hunting for a couple months yet! By the looks of it, I am gonna need snowshoes to get my buckets out to the maple trees this spring too!

Good Luck with the sheds!

[Eric_Sieve]

Yea I like to find them myself also, I was just passing on a tip I heard...yea, snow is still pretty good here toO! Bummer...gotta wait till like march

[Dan Wood]

We don't have much snow at all down in the cities.. We had one decent snow of 9" a couple weeks ago and that's about it... May be some good shed hunting as early as this week for this area, with temps. in the 40's predicted.

[bigbucks]

Drove down to Luverne this weekend from Long Prairie to see my sister & her family. We saw a nice buck a few miles SW of Marshall along 23 about an hour after dark on Friday night. He definitely still had his antlers. No monster, but I'd guess a good 8 or possibly 10, appeared to be wider than his ears anyway & looked like he was with a doe. Maybe a few still that haven't been bred? Those are going to be some late fawns...

[FlyingV]

I drove by the deer farm just north of Princeton yesterday and their bucks still had their antlers too.

[Dan Wood]

Here are a few photos from the past couple months. The biggest buck around our place dropped sometime between 1/02 - 1/20. The smaller ones seemed to drop around that 1/20 date...

Last photo with antlers...

First photo dropped...

Later photo dropped 1-27 (new antlers starting to come up)...

A couple does...

Last photo of any antlers (1/20 - haven't seen any either since that time since the snow)...

[jlm]

Its a tough call as to when a guy can hit the woods for "shed" success. If you have competition, it is never too early to get out and start looking. However, if you have good private land and you have exclusive access, you can wait to be sure all of the deer have dropped so you can systematically search an area and rule it out. If you go early, you will have to research the same areas to be sure you have covered everything. A good GPS is certainly your friend if you have a good reading with little error. I use tape and tacks if there is not enough snow to see my search areas. I usually wait until early Spring but all this talk has really given me the itch so I am not sure, I might do a little early searching. Hey Dan, how about a shed contest? Perhaps a friendly competition for this years sheds to see who can find the best antler? I know it will produce some pics which we all love to see!! Just a thought anyway. Good luck to all you shed hunters and have some fun. Bring the kids!

[fishermn]

The contest sounds like a great idea, and incentive to get out there even a little more! Although lookin at those pics I think Dan may have a leg up on us! That ten pointer is really nice! Hope you can manage to find those sheds!

Bringing the kids is a great idea. My twin 12 year old daughters absolutely love to go shed hunting. Last year, over the winter, their 6th grade teacher taught them all about shed hunting and scoring antlers. He mixed this in with their regular math and science lessons, and the girls have been hooked ever since. They got me into the sport, and now we are all hooked. Its really cool to see how excited the get when they find one. The first shed we found, I was in the lead walking down a fairly well packed deer trail. I spotted the shed about ten yards up ahead, and decided to stop and let me daughter go ahead. The look on her face and her excitement when she spotted it was one of those things I will never forget. Very cool!

Like I said in my earlier post, I think the snow will put a bit of a damper on searching around here, but maybe I can find some spare time when I am down in the cities for work to sneak off in the evenings and look for an hour or two... I would bet there must be some pretty good areas in the twin cities, but I havent done a lot of scouting for areas to look there.

[Nova]

Dan, I got a couple quick questions. We had a huge buck here by my work in Eagan last fall just before rifle season. We can't hunt here, but I wanted to look for the sheds. One of the guys here at work said he was at least a 160 class. I went out yesterday into about 3 acres of low land woods and found between 50 and 60 beds and tons of droppings and tracks. I have seen does down there lately, but do the bucks hang in the same area this time of year. These are city deer, so I don't know if that makes a difference. I looked hard for about an hour with no success, but I am going back if this is a good area to look. Let me know what you think. thanks for the help.

[Dan Wood]

wow, jlm sounds like you have a system down for this... I do it more to get out in the woods and scout for next year, but I do enjoy finding sheds. I've never had a very systematic approach, but that sounds like a good way to do it. I wouldn't typically go out this early as I'm sure there are bucks that haven't dropped yet. It seems all of those that hadn't yet dropped here, dropped very near that 9" snow we had.. I think that must have stressed them out a bit... a little friendly competition sounds good to me...

Brining kids sounds like a great idea... Might need to get the nephews over for more eyes. That may just be more confusion though

[Dan Wood]

Quote:

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One of the guys here at work said he was at least a 160 class. I went out yesterday into about 3 acres of low land woods and found between 50 and 60 beds and tons of droppings and tracks. I have seen does down there lately, but do the bucks hang in the same area this time of year.

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Nova, that sounds like the perfect area to concentrate your search.. Deer are typically hearded up in late winter. I've had my best luck in bedding areas such as this. I'd spend most of my time around that area and then walk that out to the feeding areas and search trails in-between.. My best luck has always been the bedding areas though... With a little snow on the ground you should be able to find the major trails pretty easily and see where they are feeding.

[Nova]

I brought my twin 13 year old boys out last night for their first time. Walk a about a 60 acre area around a gravel pit by my house. We found a few beds and several good trails, but no sheds. We did find something strange and I am not crazy (I don't think). In several areas we found quite a few rabbit track and dropping and what looks to be blue urine???? There was also yellow patches, but I found about 7 patches that were blue, like windsheild washer fluid. There has not been anyone back there other than us. I also found these yesterday by my work when I was shed hunting at lunch. Have I lost it or have others found these too?

[jlm]

Hey Dan...offer those kids $10 a shed and then watch them search! A little incentive does not hurt. By the way, if anyone else needs incentive to look, last year I saw a shed on HSOList go for over 5K! I would never sell any of mine but others might! This is a VERY addictive sport so I must warn everyone before you get started! I bet if you even find just one shed your first time out you will be hooked forever! The best part of all of it is that you can scout which is very helpful come the following Fall. Good luck all and post your pics if you find some!

By the way, I have seen the blue/green stuff as well but it was deer urine. I always was under the impression that it was because of the diet. Anyone else have information related to this?

[B. Amish]

it may not be urine. i've seen some of the same stuff. i always thought the stuff was diarhea.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

Boy-o-Boy...my system sound pretty weak compared to you guys.

I accidentally stumbled on a site back home,which is 20 miles west of Alexandria, about 20 years ago where I found sheds. I have gone back to the site most every year and consistantly found sheds.

I never realized people enjoyed this so much:) We are going out this weekend as it is a family function back home...not sure what the snow situation is out there.

"Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good."

[Nova]

My Dad was at our cabin by Dead lake a week ago and couldn't get into the cabin..too much snow. I would think they have dropped up there with the cold and lots of snow. Good luck and let us know how you do.

[fishermn]

Just curious if any of you guys keep track of the amount of time spent per shed found... Last year it seemed to be roughly 6-7 hours of looking for each shed that we found.

[Nova]

I have about 5 hours in so far this year with no luck. Last year hunted and scouted 3 weekends at the cabin again with no luck. I'll find one one of these times and then get real serious about finding the match. Fun times and great scouting apportunity.

[Nova]

Was out again last night, great night for a walk. Hit a third area about 120 acres, spent about 2 hours until it got dark. Not a human track to be found. Again I found lots of good trails, several bedding areas and even chased up 4 deer. No sheds though. Do you guys think that they shed them when they are stressed or not stressed? I was under the impression that they keep them for protection against preditors until the danger is gone; therefore, the not stressed deer would lose them earlier. What are your thoughts?

[Dan Wood]

My understanding is that it is the stress that causes them to drop. My uncle works for the WI DNR and told me one year during a real heavy early snow, the bucks were dropping during gun season in Nov. I think that might have been that Halloween storm.. This year it seemed many of the bucks around us dropped when we got that 9" snow (within a couple days I think).. The deer seemed pretty excited about the snow too - you could tell they didn't like not having the easy access to food anymore. They started feeding a lot heavier than normal at the feeder.

[fishermn]

Well, after three straight days of 50 degree weather, I figured the snow might be down enuf to take a look for some sheds. Not even close. Hiked for about an hour through snow that was anywhere between mid calf and mid-thigh deep. Did find some nice bedding areas, but no sheds Well, maybe another month or so of this weaather will help!

[zinger]

I'm relatively new to this shed hunting business. I was wondering when the deer in this area tend to shed their antlers and I got part of my answer today. I saw a average size 8-10 pt buck as I was driving by the Thompson dam on the St. Louis river near Carlton.

About the blue pee....I saw some last week while hiking in Jay Cooke St. Park. The natuarlist thought it may be some sort of hormonal thing, but I heard from the DNR that it may be due to something in thier diet. Apparently elk in Yellowstone do this sometimes too. So I guess the moral of the story is...don't eat BLUE snow!!!!

[Nova]

Anyone finding any yet? I have been out a couple more times in what I think are great spots, but notning yet. I am starting to think I should just quit this and go snow goose hunting.