Shed Hunt Your Way to Fall Success
Shed antler hunting is one of my favorite things to do. On the best days of shed hunting you might even catch me saying I like it just as much as deer hunting. Although my passion is somewhat extreme, I’m not alone in my fascination. Over the past several years shed hunting has become wildly popular, and you hear seasoned shed hunters bemoan the competition that has turned each shed season into a mad dash for antlers similar to the chaotic land rushes of the1800s American west.
Unfortunately too many hunters focus solely on their antler count and disregard the aspect that could near guarantee them a matched set of antlers in the fall. And better yet, this matched set comes with 60-70 pounds of loins, steak, burger and chops! I’m talking about scouting for deer season.
Very few times of the year allow a deer hunter to venture right into the living room of his favorite game species. During the summer the cover is too thick and the sign is hard to find. In the fall and early winter you don’t dare push into their core habitat in fear of risking a major disruption and “blowing the deer out” of your hunting property. Shed hunting in the spring is a whole new ball game though. All seasonal vegetation is dormant, and the deer will have 6-7 months to forget you were ever there. This provides the perfect opportunity to see how deer were using this property just a few months earlier when you had a tag in your pocket.
Most sheds are found where heavy deer sign is prevalent. Trails, beds, even old scrapes and rubs from the previous fall are an indicator that deer hang out in those areas. These tell tale signs of deer activity are the first major piece of evidence to use when you are determining where you will want to hang a stand for the upcoming deer season.
The other big thing to look for during shed season are hidden bedding areas (some hunters call these sanctuaries) and food sources. For instance, a stand of oaks may not be very productive in the spring for finding recent deer sign, but come October-December that patch of timber could be one of the best feeding areas on the property you hunt. The deserted, leaf covered trails you see in the spring will once again key you in on where to set up for your best opportunity for notching your tag in 6 months.
Terrain features dictate important factors such as thermal air currents, natural windbreaks, hidden travel corridors, water sources and sun exposure. Contour lines on your topo map are very helpful, but you don’t really know how a landscape feels and works until you go and see it for yourself. This first hand information will provide valuable insight on all of these important pieces to the puzzle when you are trying to get the drop on one of your target bucks.
Shed hunting is a mental game in many ways. I often like to tell people that I come across about 5 dead deer for every antler I find. Finding antlers is not easy, so getting discouraged is a recreational hazard for shed hunters. When the antlers seem few and far between, change your focus to the fact that you aren’t at work, and that you have a tremendous opportunity to decipher the patterns of deer on your property.