L
Lope
Guest
Found my first shed of the year, a little one but a shed none the less. My big guy dropped his already. So it is off to the woods I go
Sheds
- Thread starter Lope
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B
Bowbendr
Guest
I have shed hunted a few times over the past years and have never had any luck. What am I doing wrong. What do you guys look for when choosing where to hunt for sheds. The area that I go in has bucks in the fall and I assume that they are also wintering there. I've logged a lot of miles with no success. Do you look in timbers, edges, fields or what? Any help would be appreciated.
A
Admin
Guest
Bowbendr,
I would stick close to food sources, I am glassing the herd from a distance and then walking the fields they are feeding in. Most the animals I am seeing are smaller bucks still carrying bone but have caught one big boy with both sides off.
Good Luck!
I would stick close to food sources, I am glassing the herd from a distance and then walking the fields they are feeding in. Most the animals I am seeing are smaller bucks still carrying bone but have caught one big boy with both sides off.
Good Luck!
G
Guest
Guest
If you find one that you want to show everyone just e-mail us a pic or use the Upload function and we will post to the Conference.
iowawhitetail.com
iowawhitetail.com
M
Mike
Guest
I look for sheds in thick bedding where you have spotted bucks before. The shed I found was in a little isolated timber in the middle of a corn field. It is maybe 3 acres, but very thick and close to food. The shed has 5 pts. and scores 73 3/8. I am hoping to find the other side soon before the squirrels do.Good luck
D
DC
Guest
Bowbender,
You have been given some good information.
Shed hunting is a continuous learning cycle - the more you understand whitetail movement the more sheds you will find and the more sheds you find the more you will understand whitetail movement. I personnaly keep a log of my shed antler hunting, regardless of whether I find a shed antler on my excursions. When I do find bone I record the antler score, date, location where found, current weather trends, and any noteworthy deer sign. The information I have gained from recording my shed hunting and has helped me unmeasurably in hunting trophy bucks.
The best tip I can give you is know WHERE the bachelor groups are hanging out WHEN they are dropping antlers. If you can put those two pieces of info together and are persistent in your search, you will find some sheds.
It has been rather easy this year with the harsh weather we had in December. I call it a shed hunters dream, even though my buck hunting during late muzzleloader season was cut short because of the early shedding. I found my first shed on December 26th while on my way to set up for an evening hunt and 5 more before the first of January (January 18th was my prior 1st shed date). I have only been out once in January (the 19th) and found 2 more.
Go scoop 'em up! Most are already on the ground here in Iowa.
Randy Willey (DC)
[This message has been edited by iowawhitetail (edited 01-20-2001).]
You have been given some good information.
Shed hunting is a continuous learning cycle - the more you understand whitetail movement the more sheds you will find and the more sheds you find the more you will understand whitetail movement. I personnaly keep a log of my shed antler hunting, regardless of whether I find a shed antler on my excursions. When I do find bone I record the antler score, date, location where found, current weather trends, and any noteworthy deer sign. The information I have gained from recording my shed hunting and has helped me unmeasurably in hunting trophy bucks.
The best tip I can give you is know WHERE the bachelor groups are hanging out WHEN they are dropping antlers. If you can put those two pieces of info together and are persistent in your search, you will find some sheds.
It has been rather easy this year with the harsh weather we had in December. I call it a shed hunters dream, even though my buck hunting during late muzzleloader season was cut short because of the early shedding. I found my first shed on December 26th while on my way to set up for an evening hunt and 5 more before the first of January (January 18th was my prior 1st shed date). I have only been out once in January (the 19th) and found 2 more.
Go scoop 'em up! Most are already on the ground here in Iowa.
Randy Willey (DC)
[This message has been edited by iowawhitetail (edited 01-20-2001).]
D
DC
Guest
I took a friend shed hunting yesterday and I matched up an antler from a 140 inch buck that I had passed up 3 times during the hunting seasons. I also found a four point with another broken tine on the inside of the main beam. My friend found a year and half old 5 point with a 2 & 1/2 inch drop tine and a year and a half old 4 point with 2 more unscoreable points on the inside of the main beam. We decided to check one more spot before dark and my friend found an 82" 5 point that has total mass measurements of 20 & 3/8 with the base at 6 & 1/8. The antler weighs over 3 pounds. This is only his 2nd year shed hunting and his first time out this year. Some people have all the luck.
Needless to say, we are going back in for the match this morning. I will post a video snapshot in the next day or two.
Randy Willey (DC)
[This message has been edited by iowawhitetail (edited 01-22-2001).]
Needless to say, we are going back in for the match this morning. I will post a video snapshot in the next day or two.
Randy Willey (DC)
[This message has been edited by iowawhitetail (edited 01-22-2001).]
G
Guest
Guest
We look forward to seeing your shed finds, please contact the Administrator, use the Upload Function or e-mail your pics to though@iowawhitetail.com.
Thanks,
The Staff
Thanks,
The Staff
D
DC
Guest
Posted pictures yesterday.
Randy Willey (DC)
Randy Willey (DC)
G
Guest
Guest
Mike Borle ( Northern Whitetail ) posted this very impressive Canadian whitetail shed on his site and he gave us permission to share it with you.
NW Quotes,
"What I really like about this shed is not necessarily the bases, which are above average but not exceptional, but how the mass is carried out to the end of the main beam. H1: 5 5/8, H2: 5 1/8, H3: 5 1/8, H4: 4 3/8, for a total of 20 2/8 inches. For those of you that are interested the shed scores 74 4/8 typical."
NW Quotes,
"What I really like about this shed is not necessarily the bases, which are above average but not exceptional, but how the mass is carried out to the end of the main beam. H1: 5 5/8, H2: 5 1/8, H3: 5 1/8, H4: 4 3/8, for a total of 20 2/8 inches. For those of you that are interested the shed scores 74 4/8 typical."
M
mincksy
Guest
I have been out looking for sheds 4 times and have came home empty handed. I think it is a little early yet. I was out looking around the other night and saw 5 bucks still with their head gear on. I think I will wait a couple weeks before I will start looking to hard. I usually dont start finding horns till the last of Feb.
I know usually the larger bucks will drop their horns before the smaller ones in my area. I have been seeing both large and small bucks still with their racks. The deer have been feeding in our corn fields and I don't want to go in to early and spook them off and have them go to the neighbors and drop their horns there.
Im curious why in some areas the deer are dropping there horns and othere areas they are not.
If anyone has any input on this subject it would be appricated.... Mark Mincks
I know usually the larger bucks will drop their horns before the smaller ones in my area. I have been seeing both large and small bucks still with their racks. The deer have been feeding in our corn fields and I don't want to go in to early and spook them off and have them go to the neighbors and drop their horns there.
Im curious why in some areas the deer are dropping there horns and othere areas they are not.
If anyone has any input on this subject it would be appricated.... Mark Mincks
D
DC
Guest
mincksy,
I have personally found 16 antlers already and my friends who have shed hunted with me have found 7 already. Included in the 23 antlers are 4 matched sets. The last four antlers I found had already been chewed on by squirrels. A matched set my friend found yesterday were very fresh sheds dropped 10 feet apart - both on top of the trail. There was a 20 foot circle of frozen blood drops on top of the ground around the sheds. I assume the buck must have shaken his head to spread the blood around in that pattern. Send me an e-mail and I will tell you where to get the info on when, where, and why deer drop their antlers.
Randy Willey (DC)
I have personally found 16 antlers already and my friends who have shed hunted with me have found 7 already. Included in the 23 antlers are 4 matched sets. The last four antlers I found had already been chewed on by squirrels. A matched set my friend found yesterday were very fresh sheds dropped 10 feet apart - both on top of the trail. There was a 20 foot circle of frozen blood drops on top of the ground around the sheds. I assume the buck must have shaken his head to spread the blood around in that pattern. Send me an e-mail and I will tell you where to get the info on when, where, and why deer drop their antlers.
Randy Willey (DC)
A
Admin
Guest
Ogz,
Sound wisdom! I kinda wondered on the timing myself. I combed some very good shed areas already and didn't find a thing. I need to catch back up with the bach groups again, we've got 3 - 5 inches of snow coming so they will be scrapping for food.
Later on,
TLH
Sound wisdom! I kinda wondered on the timing myself. I combed some very good shed areas already and didn't find a thing. I need to catch back up with the bach groups again, we've got 3 - 5 inches of snow coming so they will be scrapping for food.
Later on,
TLH
A
Admin
Guest
The snow is making it more challenging up here, I haven't found anything of any size yet. Anybody else having any luck?
N
Northern Whitetails
Guest
In my neck of the woods, even the big guys don't move once they have established a food source and bedding area that they prefer.
Until mid-January I've been concentrating on the fields, and now is the time to start in on the bedding areas, in my opinion.
Don't worry about chasing deer out of the area, unless they have an equally good food source right next door, they won't go anywhere. I have a friend with feeders, and all of them have camtrakkers flashing away at the biggest whitetails in the country. They keep on coming back for more oats and have posed for many rolls of awesome pictures!
Until mid-January I've been concentrating on the fields, and now is the time to start in on the bedding areas, in my opinion.
Don't worry about chasing deer out of the area, unless they have an equally good food source right next door, they won't go anywhere. I have a friend with feeders, and all of them have camtrakkers flashing away at the biggest whitetails in the country. They keep on coming back for more oats and have posed for many rolls of awesome pictures!
A
Admin
Guest
I found a nice bachelor group this AM, most of the bigger animals were either one sided or both sides off, the younger animals had both sides.
Just a matter of time now!
TLH
Just a matter of time now!
TLH