# Deer shed hunting



## savinggrace (Oct 27, 2005)

Hi!

I was thinking it would be great fun for me and the children to try and search for deer sheds this year.

Is this the time of year that they start loosing them? Any tips and suggestions would be appreciated! We have a friend who bow hunts on our property and he was going to show us some favorite hangouts that he knows about. But aside from that-I don't know much.

Thanks!


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

it's cheating, but i heard of a way to "harvest" sheds. you build a triangular "box" out of chicken wire and place bait in the middle. if a buck feeds and his antlers are loose, they may get snagged in the chicken wire and remain there.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

We use combine and tractor tires. It's a bit expensive but works pretty well. Didn't find any this year but in 2005 we found 3. Two tractor tires, one combine.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

DaleK said:


> We use combine and tractor tires. It's a bit expensive but works pretty well. Didn't find any this year but in 2005 we found 3. Two tractor tires, one combine.



i would laugh, but that sounds expensive. :shrug:


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

About $6000 worth.


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## Rockin'B (Jan 20, 2006)

DaleK said:


> About $6000 worth.



Ouch!


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## Jersey Milker (Nov 4, 2006)

The whitetails around here in Michigan start to lose thiers next month but I have seen them in April with last years horns still attached. But I would think anytime from now till May is a good time to find them. Good luck getting them before the mice and other chewing critters find them.


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## posifour11 (Feb 27, 2003)

good idea. i think i might get out in the woods and do a little walkin around.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Hunting sheds is a fun reason to be out and about in the winter, little early though.
Over time I have found a few, usually when I wasn't looking for them.

I gotta tell you about one I found in the spring.
I was sitting on my 4 wheeler watching the lower field being disc-ed up, by the neighbor.
As is my custom, was just looking around in the hedge-row, just to see what I could see.
Found a broken off antler. Picked it up and brought it back to the house.

Recalling the past fall, another neighbor telling me that he had shot a nice buck, but it had a broken antler.
Some time went by and finially he brought out the rack, and against all odds the broken piece fit! (with one up tine still missing)


















Notice the difference in colors, he mounted it that way.


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## savinggrace (Oct 27, 2005)

That's a neat story! Must have been one heck of a brawl or something


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## shadowwalker (Mar 5, 2004)

Do the deer herd up for the winter? If so that's where you'll find the most sheds. Otherwise look for bare black ground. The deer like to lay on this in winter, it's warmer than in the snowy weeds. I got up on high ground and glassed the lower areas. You have to train your eyes to look for sheds. Some are white some brown ect.


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## Muskrat (Sep 4, 2005)

January-February for the shedding, but anytime until the grass gets going and covers them is good.

Look for places where they cross ditches, fences, or streams, particularly if they go into the woods on the other side. Once the antlers loosen, it doesn't take much of a whack to knock them off.


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## HorseArcher (Nov 29, 2006)

Ive had my best luck hitting the bedding grounds, start in small circles and bigger each round, had better luck on the elk sheds on the feeding grounds, great sport for the hole family my kids really get into it and the dogs even like to get in on the fun they will even drag a few back, started playin fetch withem with antlers and some times they do better than us, as for the chicken wire, you dont need it I screw 5 gal pails to a old railroad tie and keep your feed way on the bottom, the sides of the bucket ar enough to pop the antlers off if there ready Id hate to see one get hung up in that chicken wire if his head gear wasnt ready,, unless your hurtin for meat that bad!!! DID I SAY THAT!!!! OUPS have a great time , your kids will love it . Sean


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## electronrider (Nov 10, 2004)

I hit the woods around the end of January here in Indiana. You gotta find em fairly fresh, before the mice or other critters nibble on them. I havn't went in quite a while. My brothers and I would make knife handles out of them, and mount old steak knives and pearing knive on them.


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