Shed Hunting Overview and Strategies

Shed Hunting Overview and Strategies

There is just something special about antlers. Perhaps, it’s the rapid growth and deciduous nature of antlers that make them so appealing. Every single antler is different; its shape, size, and character all show the unique story of each buck. Being in the heart of winter, many of us are eagerly waiting for warmer weather, longer days, and springtime activities. However, there is a late-winter activity that can help with the urge to spend time outdoors, shed hunting.

I love hiking around in search of antlers whether big or small. It is like a separate chess match you can have with a buck, post-season. You walk and visualize where you think the antler is going to be but most of the time you must keep moving and keep searching. When you finally do find that first one of the season, it is a totally different experience compared to any other kind of hunting. It’s like succeeding in the ultimate game of hide and seek.

Antlers, found in members of the deer family, are an extension of the animal’s skull and shed and regrow annually. In contrast, horns are a two-part structure with an exterior sheath grown by specialized follicles, similar to human fingernails. Horns do not shed annually (exception pronghorn antelope) and continue to grow throughout an animal’s life.

Deer begin to shed their antlers in late winter through early spring. New antlers, covered in velvet, start growing immediately. Velvet is highly vascularized skin and supplies the growing bone with oxygen and nutrients. By late summer, bucks began to shed their velvet resulting in a hardened antler. During late winter, calcium starts forming around the pedicle (the area where the antlers grow from) which, in return, make the old antlers fall off. This can occur anywhere from late December throughout the month of March in Illinois.

 

Finding Antlers

Step 1: Locate your target areas.

Shed hunting is adherently different than your regular hunting outings. When hunting, we try and anticipate where the deer will be, but shed hunting, we try to figure out where deer have been. Having a fundamental understanding of deer behavior this time of year will allow you to target high-priority areas. If you haven’t already, read our blog post titled: Post-season Deer Scouting Techniques, here. This article discusses bedding locations used by bucks during the late-season and throughout winter. Buck bedding areas are a prominent location to look for sheds.

Step 2: Find places where you know bucks travel.

Here are some places you will want to look that tend to be high traffic areas throughout the year:

  • Bedding areas
  • Food sources
  • Travel routes
  • Creek crossings
  • Fence gaps
  • Field corners
  • Waterways
  • Cedar thickets
  • CRP patches
  • Edge habitat
  • South facing slopes

Step 3: Put your walking boots on.

If you are new to shed hunting, and especially new to the property you are going to be shed hunting, then you will most likely be covering substantial ground. The more you walk, the more ground you will cover. In return, this will lead to more sheds in your pile.

Shed Hunting Tips

Tip 1: Bring your binoculars.

The main reason I use binoculars is because there are A LOT of things in the woods that look like sheds, that unfortunately end up being sticks or weeds. Binoculars will help determine this from a distance, as it is easy to get side-tracked walking for sheds, but you want to keep your course on areas that you think will produce antlers instead of going on a chase for antlers that don’t exist.

Tip 2: Focus on overcast days or position yourself with the sun at your back.

This really helps the antlers color pop out. This also helps to not get blinded by the sun, so sunglasses would help as well. Walking on cloudy days also helps you notice the bright white antler without shadows causing obstructions. Some people have trouble noticing sheds even at their feet. I always say, “It just takes one to get you started”. I feel as if it helps your brain visualize what you are looking for. Shed antlers stick out better in weeds and taller/thicker habitat once you have found the first one. When you are walking, you want to keep looking ahead of you scanning left to right, but you also want to pay attention right at your feet.

Tip 3: Use a GPS tracker or mobile app to track your progress.

This will help you eliminate areas you already walked and will let you visualize areas you still need to check out. Don’t be afraid to re-walk an area in the future as there may be a shed laying there that you missed or an antler dropping after your first walk through.

Tip 4: Use shed hunting as a time to scout good hunting areas.

Sometimes, you can find a single shed and it will lead you on a wild goose chase to find the other side to complete the set. This can lead you into areas you have never scouted before. Make sure to mark trails, stand locations, and good hunting spots on the maps as you go. Shed hunting is fun to do for everyone and takes only a few steps to get the hang of it. Happy hunting!

To conclude, having fun is your number one goal. Bring your family, friends, and try to find some shed antlers. Keep on walking, have your binoculars on you, and keep your eyes open and you will come across a few!

If you’re interested in learning more about shed hunting, the Illinois Learn to Hunt program has an upcoming FREE webinar: Shed Hunting Overview and Strategies. During this webinar, we will do a deep dive into high probability areas, buck bedding areas, and much more. This webinar is scheduled for February 23, 2021 at 7:00 pm. Advanced registration is required. To register, visit: www.learntohuntil.com.