Shed Hunting

[shedfreak]

I only walk public land as well. Its really competitive. I cant believe how many people look for sheds. Where I grew up I was the only one! As the year went on last year like in late april and may i went to more "secluded" spots as well , still public land, but I felt confident that nooone else or very few people had probably walked it. I did end up finding a few, i actually got my biggest matched set of the year in May on public land. I was so confident that I didnt even look for the other side until a few days later. I knew it was out there but knew noone else would be out there. and sure enough about 200 yards away I found it. Probably about a 130 8 pointer. I found a lot of big singles though, that scored 60 inches or better. Its harder than it should be to find matches but outta 29 last year i only matched up 3, so thats 23 that I didnt... I dont think I missed them, i just figure they were picked up by other shedders. I watched a group of 3 bucks yesterday with both sides and they were definitely not ready to shed. They were rubbin trees and sparring a little bit. I watched them for like 20 minutes just waiting for one to fall off, but no such luck. When is this snow going to stop? Deoesnt make for very good walking

[shedfreak]

thought id post a picture of the matched set I mentioned in my previous post, not monsterm but its always nice to find a match. The small shed in the middle was also found in that secluded area. Still trying to figure out how I found that one, only a few inches long! My smallest shed ever! Anyways, here is the picture..You can see on the base that I always date my sheds with a sharpie. Well ive dated all but one... the 86 incher, didnt want to write on that one!! You can read the writing on the shed on the left, It reads 5-4-07 The other side wasnt written on yet because i had JUST got it home.

[EatSleepFish]

May the force be with you shedhunter! Ha, I like the lightsaber in the side of your last pic. Nice sheds also.

[shedfreak]

haha yeah i have a little 3 year old shed hunter at home...

[jlm]

Another really good tip for shed hunting is to watch for areas where there are controlled buns. CRP fields, meadows, etc. The sheds stand out pretty well and are easy to spot! Good luck all!

[shedfreak]

The only problem with that is they are so easy to find that the people doing the controlled burn tend to pick them up. I agree thay they are realy easy to spot though. I was hoping to get up to the burn area up by the gunflint this year, but i Never found the time to get up there. I bet there was a ton of bone sitting in there!! Hope to see a lot of shed pics in the upcoming year. Once we get a little of this snow melted we should all be picking some up. I havent seen as much buck sign this year while scouting, alot of bucks may have been shot, or they just moved to differnet spots than last year. Im still optimistic, i know theres a bunch out there somewhere! Im hoping to top last years total of 29, but that # might have been a fluke. Atleast im not going to be skunked, already got the one under my belt.

[fishermn]

Aaron, congrats on finding that buck, thats a pretty unique deer. Good luck finding the sheds from the big guy this year, I hope to see some more trail cam pics of him, gosh he is a NICE deer.

How has walking been the last couple weeks? I need to get out and do some wandering myself, and I need to take down my flagging tape from the couple spots I hunted this year, so I will probably be out in the next day or two.

[shedfreak]

Thanks Fishrmn... I am getting a european mount of that buck, should be done soon. Its a pretty unique lookin rack, When i walked up on it, all i saw was the normal 4 point side, and then i got right next to him, and i was like... AWESOME!! Yah im not sure if the big one survived or not... Well theres 2 big ones out there , ones about 200, the other is about 220. I believe the big typical was shot 3 weeks ago, but survived. The last news or sighting I have of him was 2 days ago, still gimpin around, but if hes made it 3 weeks, i think he might make it, depending on the winter. The nontypical is RUMORED to have been poached. RUmored, I have 3rd hand info that says thats true, but who knows. Big deer tend to have lots of stories on em. Ill be out searching regardless.... Walking has been difficult of late, I should have wished for sno shoes for christmas. Shed sshould be ez to find though, once the snow thaws. The snow is so deep that the deer are forced to stay on the trails at all times. When they get off trail they literally sink tp their chest. I havent been out the last few days, but ill be out tomorrow, maybe ill run into ya, havent decided where im going to walk yet. Have you seen the trail cams of the non typ?? The pic of the big typial that I have the shed off is actually just off my digital camera, I took those myself , the buck was at 15 yards... If your in the woods, keep your eye out for sheds....

[surewood]

The one on the left is 60 1/8 found these in the last two years all on public land. The bigger one on the right should go a little over 60. Found the moose in a bog not to many moose around here so that was cool. Nice that I found matches from the other years for the bigger ones to.

[surewood]

Sorry about the big image. First image post for me did'nt know how to resize it.

[shedfreak]

dont worry about it, personally i like seeing as many pictures as possible. You got some nice sheds there. I like the heavy one on the left. When you get a 60 inch side, your lookin at a nice deer. I get all of mine on public as well. I think I had 4 go over 60 last year. I had a 61 3/8. a 67 5/8, a 68 5/8, and a 86 7/8. I also had about 10 go well over 50. The 68 5/8 was bigger than it measured. The 68 was the net typical score... it grossed about 73. Oh and Fishrmn, before I forget, congrats on the nice buck you stuck this fall, I saw the pictures of it awhile back, what an animal! I got skunked yesterday, walking was really tiring, I put on about 4-5 miles, but when you add in all those hills and SNOW we got here, it probably amounted to a 10 mile hike!!! I think ill take a week off after that one!

[fishermn]

Thanks bud, I am pretty lucky to have had an opportunity on a big brute like that one. Managed to catch a nasty cold the other day, so I havent been out, but all these pics are really given me the itch to get out and look. Hopefully maybe this warmer weather will compact the snow a bit and make walking a little easier...

[surewood]

I'm hoping to find the big ones again this year. I'm hoping they made it. I'm yet to see either one hunting. I did manage an eight pt during rifle and took a doe monday in the last hour thats my first late season deer. Although I passed on many deer early this year, the late season deer felt a little more rewarding.

[Nate McVey]

I thought it was illegal to keep moose sheds found in MN?

[jlm]

hmmm, first I have ever heard of that. It would be tough to tell someone they could not keep a shed, especially if they found it on their own land. Perhaps some state parks but I doubt anywhere else. Anyone else?

[surewood]

I contacted the DNR about the moose because I found it dead. It's definately legal to keep sheds but I don't know about state parks probably have to leave them be.

[MOBY RICHARD*]

I was wondering why I saw a couple of one Antlered bucks, a couple weeks back...I thought someone was a very bad or very good shot...both of them missing their leftys, had seen both previously, with both antlers...

I suppose they could still be sparring...but they would still have to be ripe or they wouldn't drop...

I bet the wolves are happy...

[Hammer Handle]

What do you do with sheds you find?

I find a few sets on private land every year...but I give them away.

What do you do with them?

[shedfreak]

I usually have a few displayed throughout the house but right now they are all in a box until my basement is finished. Im building a display rack/shelf for them that I saw someone post on a forum last year. Some people collect them, like myself, other people just give them away or leave em in the woods.

And as far as illega; tp keep moose sheds. Never heard that, aside from national or state parks. No sheds can be taken off that land, whitetail, moose, etc. However legally skulls must get permission from the DNR I believe. This is to prevent poachers. The DNR must verfiy how the animal died, etc. Cutting antlers off of roadkill bucks must obey this same law.

[Note from admin: Edited. Please read forum policy before posting again. Thank you.]

[Hammer Handle]

I will keep you in mind. I found quite a few last year. This year I may not find as many as my nephew is wants to look along with a neighbor kid. I told them to "go ahead" as I don't keep them anyway and it would be fun for the kids.

And, the neighbor asked for permission. More and more I see tracks in the woods from tresspassers looking for antlers. I assume that is what they are doing as they follow deer paths. If they asked, I wouldn't have a problem. Not asking is a problem....

[shedfreak]

i assume your land is posted too. Not to get too personal here but where about are you located? There should be shortage of public Land to walk regardless. I am in Duluth, and I walk ALOT of miles, and there are hundreds if not thousands of acres that I dont even touch. Swhouldnt really be a reason for people to be trespassing. There are deer everywhere, ya know? Personally Ive looked on private land with owner permission and on public land, ive had FAR better luck on public land. Have you seen boot tracks out this year already?! If so, you probably have some hardcore shed hunters by ya, a lot of people tend to wait tilearly spring or february at the earliest. They must know about whats in there. Thats whan you just gotta hope that they are just trespassing for sheds, and not to take the animal itself!! Either way is a no no, but Im just sayin i hope thats not the case. There was actually a case on public land in Duluth. In the city bow hunt, Dont know if its true or not, you know how stories get started but what i have heard is that there has been some people hunting that dont have the certification and what not, and possibly may have harvested a monster!! I mean whats the use??? A poached animal is no good to anyone, so it has a trophy rack... how do you think it will EVER get in the books if it was poached... I dont know, people like that just rub me the wrong way if you cant tell. All i know is there has been a deer I have watched for years and had his patterns down... and all of a sudden, vanished, but no one has claimed it... So it it out there still? I hope so, but I fear the worst. Im talking world class headgear on this one. wow, im rambling here. Anyways, thanks for the reply Hammer Handle, just keep me in mind, if you ever need a walkin partner, let me know!

[Hammer Handle]

I live in the Twin Cities area, but own land north of Alexandria.

I normally don't find many sheds, but found a lot last year.

Some of my land is owned with my brothers. I am the only one that shed hunts, and found lots of tracks in the snow in a corn field we let stand for the deer.

Last year I went out earlier than normal, and found lots of antlers. I then saw lots of tracks. Could I not be finding antlers late in the year for it has already been picked through? Maybe not, but I will start looking already this weekend. No one should have been in the woods since mid November.

[shedfreak]

let me know how ya do

[Nate McVey]

That must be it (state parks), thanks for clearing it up and nice find.

[shedfreak]

here is the newest addition to my collection, unfortunately it wasnt me that found it. Still something unique for the collection, dont get a lot of deer that grow 2 main beams. Ive got a skull at the taxidermist right now of one I found dead this winter, but this one should look good next to the rest of em. Not real big, but has 8 points on it, including the extra beam.