After whitetail season ends, another season begins here in the Ozarks and across the country. That’s shed hunting season – searching for deer antlers.
Throughout the years, we have published posts surrounding shed hunting, and in particular, tips for success. Of course, in other parts of the country, you might be looking for elk antlers, as well as deer antlers. Here are some tips we’ve given you in the past, and a few more that you may well use in the near future for shed hunting success.
Hollis Lumpkin
South Carolinian Hollis Lumpkin writes, “So, when do those antlers start to drop? Depending on where you live, you may see ‘topless’ bucks as early as December, or you may not have any luck until late February or March. An excellent way to keep an eye on your herd is trail cameras. The same logic applies year-round. I leave mine in the woods and on field edges where I know there’s buck activity, and check them every week or so starting in early January. Again, the timing is different from place to place: Since I’m in coastal South Carolina, I rarely see bucks without their antlers until at least February.” You can read more of her tips at her post titled “Shed Hunting 101.”
Jana Waller and Brenda Valentine
Two female hunting icons in this country – Jana Waller and Brenda Valentine – weighed in on how to find sheds in this post, “Brenda Valentine and Jana Waller are American Shed Pickers.”
Brenda Valentine, who lives in Tennessee, reminds us to check the trails used by animals when shed hunting, and not to forget to look at fence, ditch or creek crossings. She explained, “Any place the deer or elk has to jump will often jar an antler loose, if it is almost ready to shed.”
Jana, who lives in the West and does most of her hunting there, recommended checking bedding areas and south facing slopes. She said, “Deer and elk often bed facing into the sun so it’s a great place to start.”
Jana agrees with Hollis about binos, and added, “Out West, a good pair of binoculars is critical. Sheds are often found by glassing huge mountain slopes where you can see a long distance. It takes some time to train your eyes in what to look for when glassing across canyons but it pays off because of the ground you can cover.”
Babbs in the Woods
I’ve been hunting sheds for going on three decades now, and here are the items I must have in order to do a good job:
Other Tips for Shed Hunting Success
Don’t forget to look in creeks and sources of water, such as springs – animals visit these places, and often times, cross bodies of water
Fences – I once found a huge antler dangling from a barbed wire fence
Finally, if you find one antler, look in the area for the other one. My husband found the matching antler to the dangler on the wire fence in a nearby meadow. I found a monster set of a 10-pointer in a pasture within 25 yards of each other. They were so fresh, they even had hair and skin residue on the ends.
Also, just because you didn’t see one last week on that trail, doesn’t mean there won’t be one this week. So, revisit. Go on foot, or if you are competent on an ATV, head out on that and cover more territory. Animals like to take roads and trails, too, rather than beating brush through ground cover.
Note: If you find a complete carcass of a dead deer or elk, be sure to check with your game and fish agency in your state before detaching the head or antlers. You may need a permit first, and you may need to report that you found it.
Feel free to show us your success at our various social media platforms. We’d love to see your sheds, and learn about your stories.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
Have a friend in Indiana that competes in shed hunting with her golden. She is also a judge for the sport.