Shed Hunting

[woodman]

Had the first buck come in tonight with only one antler. I guess it is time to dress the kids up this weekend and take them on their first shed hunting experience. We have 6 bucks and this one was the first to be the unicorn buck this year!

[fishermn]

Aaron, I think you are right ion the money with your guess. Thats exactly the same place I thought of when I saw that picture. Its a good location, I've found a few there myself Any luck locating the big guy, either sheds or trail pictures recently?

[shedfreak]

no luck at all with that. Havent had a sighting since october...scares me a bit, makes me wonder if he's still around. No sheds for 2 weeks now. I see a few posts of ppl pickin em up. I wish there wasnt as many ppl as there are that go look, it makes for some slim pickings. Its like you almost have to pick them up within 2 days of falling or your beat to the punch, some places, i would say you have less than 24 hours!! Hard to compete with that!

[jkcmj]

I found this heavy bladed 3 point today in a cemetary. Pretty cool antler.

[shedfreak]

ok PLEASE tell me that is not duluth! I do a drive through of a cemetary here a few times a week. NO luck so far, please please say it isnt so! Whatd it look like outta the snow?

[shedfreak]

I was out again for a couple hours today, its getting frustrating, not used to such a dry spell... yesterday i didnt even see a deer?! today i saw a ton, but came out empty handed. Did get a couple pictures of mother nature though, thought i would post em. Sorry if they arent clear. Cant afford those NICE cameras!

[jkcmj]

No, not a Duluth antler. This little guy came out of northern Iowa. I found a nice 6 pt antler in the same cemetery last year. The bladed area is about 1.5 inches wide on the main beam. Biggest 3pt I've ever found.

[shedfreak]

ahhh, i can rest easy now! I was going crazy thinking i missed one. Well ANOTHER one i should day. I did miss that matched set your buddy found. I walk that woods probably 5 days a week, but didnt get out that particular weekend because my dad who lives 5 hours away was in town to help me get some work done in my basement. Go figure thats the weekend you guys picked those up! Snooze ya lose, right? I actually remember the shed you found in the cemetary last year, i dont forget stuff like that. Jumped the fence and lost it, right? I must say that IS an awesome 3 point! Great find! 50-60 below in my neck of the woods today and tomorrow, with a light fresh blanket of snow, dont think it pays to be out today. What a waste of my 5 day weekend, I was sure hopin to pick somethin up.

[ChompChomp_YANK]

Thought i would get out this morning before the wind & cold moves in this afternoon. About 2" of fresh snow in the woods did not help my 2 boys and i find anything, althought it was a great morning in the woods,maby next time.

[surewood]

Had one of my sheds measured today, one of the ones I posted earlier. It measured just over 64". Have'nt found any so far this year. Also the 21st all time shed was there to today my brother saw it and it was also said the guy was offered 30,000 for it already. It was found in Ontario. His buddy found the other one and they are having a replica made and may bring it next year. Not sure what the measurement was but it was a nontypical. Saw some nice deer and a wyoming boone and crockett moose. Sorry did'nt bring the camera I won't make that mistake next year.

[frogtosser]

I was out on friday for a couple hours, I found about 80 deer beds but no sheds so I all I got was exercise, oh well I guess I might give it a couple more weeks.

[shedfreak]

no pictures?? im disappointed! haha , those shows are a lot of fun huh? I went to the North American WHitetail CLub convention last spring, a guy brought one in to be scored, and it became the #1 nontytpical side!! It took them i think 3 hours to figure out what the main beam was. The one side scored 156 and some change!! Here is a couple pictures of it. Im planning on going down for that weekend again this spring. Its in WI dells if anyone is interested. March 14-16.

[shedfreak]

i remember the pic of the 64 inch side you found, pretty nice shed. When you get above that magical 60 inch mark, youve got a nice one! My biggest of the year so far is 63 1/4, hoping to get some bigger. I think in all ive got about a dozen over the 60 inch mark, 2 in the 70 inch class, and one in the 80's. All whitetail.

[jkcmj]

This is a link that shows a show flyer on PDF.

http://www.chulavistaresort.com/NAHSExpo/files/NAHSExpo_Information.pdf

[shedfreak]

Ill be there all 3 days, are you planning on going for a day? I was there with joe shead last year helping him out at his booth for his shed hunting book. Its a pretty good show, its at a new place this year, but should be fun as last y ear im betting. Im bringing the wife and boy this year since its in the dells. Theres trout fishing as well as a staged shed hunt for the youngsters in a make shift woods. I think for 2 bucksyou can walk through and try to find the shed, and for 5 you can walk through and keep the shed you find. The young ones seem to enjoy that. Anyways, just curious if any of you plan on making the trip?

[surewood]

I've just got two over the 60" mark but I've only found six sides and five of them are from the same two deer. Probably pretty unlikely I'll find another one over the 60" mark this year as most of those I just stumbled over in the first place. They must really be dropping now though sounds like the people in my area are starting to pick some up.

[MnHuntinKid08]

"In Jan. I put out corn feeders with bungee cords that the deer have to put there head through so when I go shed hunting I dont look far."---

Everyone should know, DOING THIS IS ILLEGAL!!!

[MnHuntinKid08]

 Originally Posted By: 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.

It's illegal to take anything (including shed antlers) from within a state park, unless otherwise noted in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Hunting/trapping regulations handbook.

[jkcmj]

Yeah, you guys stay away from those state parks! It is illegal after all! Besides I find to many human tracks in there as it is. I don't like competition

P.S. Like he says it is illegal to use bungy cords to "intentionally" knock off a bucks antlers. Better to use bungy cords to keep turkeys out of your corn feeders

[shedfreak]

I dont use any man made items to assist me with finding sheds, nor do i walk in any state parks or forests. ALl of my walking is done on public hunting land, public hiking trails, public ski trails, I have never broken the law in order to find a shed. I dont know if that post was accusing any one of us, or myself of doing that, but i definitely take offense. I put in hundreds of hours scouting every year before the antlers start to fall, and i put on another couple hundred looking for them. 5 days a week, 5+ miles a day from early december to Late May, you do the math, I put my time in.

[CrappiesNCats]

 Originally Posted By: shedfreak

I dont use any man made items to assist me with finding sheds, nor do i walk in any state parks or forests. ALl of my walking is done on public hunting land, public hiking trails, public ski trails, I have never broken the law in order to find a shed. I dont know if that post was accusing any one of us, or myself of doing that, but i definitely take offense. I put in hundreds of hours scouting every year before the antlers start to fall, and i put on another couple hundred looking for them. 5 days a week, 5+ miles a day from early december to Late May, you do the math, I put my time in.

why not state forests? those ARE public grounds. taking sheds from state parks is illegal, but state forests are fair game and great places to look.

[shedfreak]

yeah i was having a brain fart. They are fair game. Im not to far from the superior state municipal forest. I have never walked it , but I know a lot of ppl do, and they definitely have had some luck!

[birdhunter]

was out yesterday, I saw four bucks all will both sides on still. One was a really nice ten pointer. I'll be going back to check on that area until I find um

[MIKE IN lINO III]

Question for all you shed hunters......

I was out yesterday and found two bedding areas with tons of trails heading in all directions.

First Question: Do Bucks bed with Does?

Last: Do I just follow the trails hoping to find a shed?

I've never aggressively hunted for sheds but I can feel that it is addicting.

Mike

[jkcmj]

Found my 4th yesterday.

I find little bucks bedding with does all the time, but usually the bucks will be seperate, but often in small bach groups so you can find many antlers in the same area.

I decided to take a photo of all the antlers I've found in Iowa in the last couple years. The ones on top the couch were found in the Decorah area, the ones on the seat area from the Cedar Rapids area, and the ones on the floor were found in SW Iowa on a friends land. 7 sets amongst them. A total of 40 in Iowa so far plus a few in MN and WI.