shed hunting

[buglefever]

I look areas over several times as the snow goes down. Last year was a prime example why as I found a matched set in the 170's laying on a trail I walked the week before. It's a spot close to home with a lot of deer. If I had time I would have went someplace else, but when time permits it doesn't hurt to re-walk areas.

On a sad note: After work today I went out on about 20 acres of public land around a pond where the deer were rather thick. There is about 2 acres of standing corn, but what I found reinforces my thoughts that standing corn isn't a save all for deer. The first dead deer I found was a phenomonal basic 8 with a bunch of junk. He has what appears to be a start to a 2nd main beam or a cool drop tine. His bases are huge and he has 25+ inche main beams. In addition to finding him, I found 5 other small deer dead in that small of an area. Scares me to think what I will find when I really get out into my other areas.

Shedaddict: Interesting find indeed! I've found a few with some extra stuff below the base. One of the most memorable was yellow and smelled really bad as if it were infected. But I've never found one with that much. Actually, about 10 years ago, when I was leaving the tree stand I heard brakes screech and a crunch from the hiway. When I left the property I turned down the road in the direction I heard the commotion from and found an antler laying in the middle of the road with a chunk of skull attached about the size of a quarter. Sure enough there was a buck in the ditch with blood on his head and stunned. To my surprise he got up, jumped the fence, and ran away and I can't say I ever seen him again. Even that chunk of skull didn't look as nasty as the one you found. Still amazes me how an antler can hold on so tight for part of the year and then just drop off.

[scsavre]

The metro is still giving me nothing. It is time to be carefull out there though. thought I was gonna have to call a chopper in when i sank up to my waste in muck and water today. I didnt think it would be that melted. I am on their trails, and tracking their droppings everywhere, but nothing yet.

[gonefishing70]

I put on a few miles today with nothing to show for it but stronger legs, It was so nice out there today not much snow left. going to look again on sat.

[ChompChomp_YANK]

shedaddict,

was it's eye lying there too!!

Thats a big chunk of bone.

[bobbymalone]

The metro is still giving me nothing. It is time to be carefull out there though. thought I was gonna have to call a chopper in when i sank up to my waste in muck and water today. I didnt think it would be that melted. I am on their trails, and tracking their droppings everywhere, but nothing yet.

Just a couple days ago I saw a couple deer still antlered up on the other side of river from bloomington.

[scsavre]

Thanks for the update Malone, I have been seeing quite a few guys in that river bed. Seeing a lot of does and fawns in my neighborhood. As a few said, the bucks have really separated themselves in some areas.

[certified jumbo]

Was at it hard again yesterday. 6 hours and 3 different area's. I've found antlers at all 3 places so far this year, but nothing. 12 straight hours up their with nothing to show for. Thats the way it goes though. I might need a little more snow to melt. That next antler i find will be relief, i hate antler droughts, but thats what makes it so much fun when you find em. Might make it up to the cabin again next wkd for a day, we will see though.

Good luck.

[Musky Buck]

Grabbed TCam yesterday, still plenty of bucks with racks, problem is that swamp won't hang in there much longer, already wet and worsening quickly, they'll leave the winter grounds before shedding, the trails are so slippery,wet,icy the deer are starting to quit following them, need to go to plan B. Can't get back out for 2 weeks so it's done. Talking 50 degrees this week and waking up to above freezing temps, that swamp will thaw fast and maybe some rain coming, what a mess. Tcam did have 1 decent buck that had recently shed so I put in some time, found 1 antler quickly, about 300 yards away found the other, bloody bases, 3.5 year old buck most likely so it wasn't all for not. Friend a few miles away figures about 25% have shed. Shed hunting in my area requires a cold frozen March, or at least that ups your odds.

[buckhunter21]

I hear you Musky I was out this weekend and the deer have already wiped out our entire food plot and left our land completely. Never seen so much deer sign in December and January but didnt take them long to wipe out 5 acres of food and now there isnt a fresh track or bed on our land. I usually do pretty well on our land for sheds becasue they use our land as a wintering area and I usually find a few fresh drops in March but this is the first year they have run out of food and left so I might not find any this year. O well theres alot of corn around so at least I know they have something to eat.

[Musky Buck]

Hear that buckhunter, they are moving to a bit higher and drier ground or just traveling any place, each day things just get sloppier where I'm at, I need more winter like conditions extending through March, they are running off with their racks on head now so who knows where they'll end up, some have shed and each day a few more etc. but it makes for tough sheddin when they aren't so predictable in where they are at and the ground is getting messy pretty quick, got lucky just to find the 2 I did, they were fresh off the coconut. Of course the big brute still had both sides as of March 6th. Going to try a new spot in a few weeks when most of them will antler free.

[scsavre]

I am begining to think I couldnt find a shed if someone hit me with it. I have put in too much time to find nothing. I guess I dont even know forsure if they have dropped in the metro. I do know that it is sloppy out there, and I might not be able to walk most of the spots by my house at weeks end.

[lungdeflator]

Bugle Fever- PICS!! do you think this is caused from too much corn ingestion?

[Musky Buck]

Savre, friend in Fridley finally had a 1 horned buck come into his yard last night, the other 2 bucks had both sides yet, but it won't be long now.

[buglefever]

lungdeflator: I'm sorry, I'm rather computer illiterate so I'm not sure how to post pics. I'd be glad to share if I knew how! Also, the dead deer I found looked starved. Unfortunately, from what I can see of that area, the corn is all they had to eat. Just goes to show that corn alone isn't a save-all for deer.

I made it out today for a couple hours and ended my 10+ hour antler drought! Found one small, one medium, and one nicer shed. The smaller two were shed for a while and were buried under the snow. The bigger one appeared to be a more recent shed since I found it actually in several inches of snow. Now I just need to find the match. These next few weeks will be all out!

[jkcmj]

I went out for a couple hours this afternoon and found 3 antlers. A lot easier to spot with the heavy melt off we've had here in southern MN and NE Iowa in the last week. Two fresh and one that laid out a year.

All I found so far this year.

[shedaddict]

JKCMJ, nice finds.

I hiked a new area in the metro yesterday and saw a lot of great sign...one of those areas that you felt like you would run across an antler at any moment. While the confidence was high, I did not find anything. About 3/4 of a mile in, I found boot tracks from the other direction. It was a little deflating, but there are a lot of people out looking these days, so I just have to get used to that. I'm going out Saturday and Sunday so hopefully I'll pull a few then. Good luck to everybody!

[Monkster]

Has anyone ever searched at any of the wildlife managemanet areas?

I was thinking about going out this weekend and possibly talking to a CO and ask if they had any ideas of where the deer have been concentrated in certain areas. I would think the CO's may have some first-hand knowledge of the areas we need!

[jkcmj]

I go into a few and usually find lots of boot tracks! I find some antlers still, despite the pressure. Don't forget that state parks, Wildlife refuges, etc have rules against taking out shed antlers, although they are usually not well policed for this. I would sooner see a squirrel with osteoporosis than a chewed antler! In some of the refuges they allow morel mushroom hunting off of trails, but do not allow shed hunting, so what better reason to get out and look for those early grays!

[shedaddict]

Monkster, did you get a chance to go out and look for that one that dropped?

[Monkster]

shedaddict - we looked for a few hours with no luck. I am starting to see some boot tracks in the area we look. I suppose it was just a matter of time before we competed with someone in the area. Maybe all this warmth and muddy conditions will keep some others away!

I am going to try and get out this weekend to more of the northern metro. Have you been out lately?

[Musky Buck]

Still waiting on roughly 50% of them, they have racks yet. Now with the water etc. Will be tough to figure out where the bucks are and when/where they'll drop em.

[scsavre]

Tough conditions out in my area, wet and muddy. I am going to put in a few hours prior to the weekend here today. Sounds like the headgear is dropping. Hopefully i can get it before the swamp ice melts. I will report back.

[Jmnhunter]

hopefully the rain knocked them down some :-) going to go out for a couple hours around bismarck tomorrow i reckon...

[shedaddict]

Monkster, I was only able to make it out on Wednesday. I'm going back up to my hunting land on Sunday for a little while, and I may make it out tomorrow. I was supposed to walk some private land in the east metro, but I had to reschedule. Having a newborn at home is awesome, but it puts a little cramp in my shed hunting!!!! I shouldn't complain...

[scsavre]

Shedaddict, new born? Mine is a week and half. THey dont do much do they.

Anyway, no luck for me today. Maybe someone will hide a shed under a tree for me to build my confidence.

I have yet to find a metro shed near my house.

Here are 2 from last year though, up north.

Have any of you ever seen one this white? Smooth as con be too.

[shedaddict]

Hey Scott, Congrats!!! He/She really is a new born. My son is 2 1/2 months now; finally starting to smile and show a little personality. My wife definitely has done most of the work. I still get out lookin, but not as much as I want to...plus those big eyes on the river are calling my name!

I have a couple that are that white, but I found them in fields so they were sitting in the sun for awhile. I would say that it could be bucks from two different regions, but since you found them in the same area, that doesn't hold up. Different genetics?

[gonefishing70]

I made it out today and found a nice one thought it was a match to one i found in jan. but its still a nice find, Also found two little spikes. Heres a pic of todays.

The one on the left was found in jan, the one on the right today. Here is a pic of the buck that it came from.

[scsavre]

Gone, nice finds. That is cool to see them on the deer that dropped em.

Shed, 2 1/2 months you guys must have your hands full.

It is river time, I have been seeing quite a few boats near the 35E bridge.

I am going to go look in the woods tomorrow. Maybe I need to go in deeper or something. Plenty of does and fawns where I am at. But that doesnt do much if the bucks arent there. I am affraid the sheds are in the cattails, which are not frozen anymore.

The white one I found was on the edge of a sunflower field in ND, the other was near a swamp in NW MN. So maybe it is the area.

I need to go back up north, it was so easy when i was younger up there, not too far from you Musky Buck. I cant believe I am struggling so much in the metro. I was seeing 5 to 6 big bucks a night all november and december and most of January. Hopefully I can figure it out. It is a huge area though.

[Jmnhunter]

hit one of the spots where deer have been everywhere, still no luck, too much snow yet out here!

[Monkster]

I also made it out this weekend. Only about 2 hours of walking, tons of sign, came up empty.

Congrats to everyone on the "future hunters"

My boys are 10 and 13. I have to say, I miss the times when they couldn't stand up, but they are growing into very nice young men. Now, if I could only get paid for coaching basketball and baseball... You guys have some fun times ahead!