shed hunting

[shedaddict]

Gone, nice shed and way to match them up!

I did not make it out around the metro, but I was able to sneak out for a few hours up at my hunting land. I went back to the area where I found a little 3pt and gridded the whole area. I found this little spike right away, about 75 yards away from the previous shed. The spike still had a little blood and hair on it, and you can smell the pine sap on there from when he was rubbing a tree. These are both right sides, so there are at least two more sheds out there. I have not found any big sheds this year, but I'm still happy with something. I also found a peice of a bone; I think a vertabrae that is all chewed up, pretty unusual. I'm hoping to make it up again sometime this week, but nothing set in stone. Good luck to everybody!

[Monkster]

Shedaddict, nice finds there. That does look like it could have been a vertebrae. Nice, different type of a find.

Good luck if you make it up to your land.

[buglefever]

Things are definately heating up here in NE Iowa! I've been out 5 times since wed, 3 of those days I found 3 antlers and the other two days I found 4. I found one set and matched up 2 others from earlier. Though I haven't found anything really big, my average size so far this year is really decent. There's also plenty of competition out there with other people and the rodents. Though I found several antlers within a few yards of where there were bootprints. Even though it's a bit discouraging to see other tracks, they might be hard of seeing!!!!

Also, DEER TICKS ARE OUT! I had 2 deer ticks on me last week. The last 2 years I found deer ticks about a week earlier, but either way, they're out now. Just want to give you all a heads up. Now I do a good spray down before each search.

Good luck guys!

[LOTWSvirgin]

Had some luck the last couple of days. Picked up 12. Post pics in a bit!!!

[LOTWSvirgin]

Total for the year is 18. My goal for the year was to find 10 so I say I am having a good year!!!!

[LOTWSvirgin]

Total for today

Total for the last 2 days

A freind of mine also found his first dhed ever today. Well luckly he did cause I ran past it to get a differant on lol

[shedaddict]

Bugle and LOTW, congrats all on all the sheds...you guys have been busy!!! LOTW, are you up in northern MN?

[LOTWSvirgin]

Nope I live in SWMN.

[gonefishing70]

Very nice sheds LOTWS, #6 is a really neat one. I have been out a little more this week but nothin for me.

[shedaddict]

Made it out again this past Thursday. I received permission to walk a neighbors land up by my hunting land. Walked a conrfield first and found the 4pt below. Just about walked on top of the thing. I was going to walk another part of the land, but a another guy who had received permission to walk the land saw me and then hiked through the area that I was going to next....I was a little [PoorWordUsage] off. I know he had permission just like me, but you'd think he would have waited??? He found one small shed. I talked to him, and he said that was number 26 on the year for him. Makes me wish I lived up at the hunting land for a month.

Also, talked to a coworker today, he said that he saw a nice 8pt this morning(South Metro) taking his kids to work; seems really late.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Been by far the best week I have had shed hunting!! Number 19 and 20.

I also seen a real nice buck today with both his future sheds still attached

[icehousebob]

Did any of you hear of the shed hunters' discovery in Rochester last week? a father and son were out looking for antlers and found a skeleton of a guy who had been missing for two years. The TV news bunny referred to the two as scavengers and didn't quite know what they were doing out there. You'd think her momma would have explained that to her when she was growing up.

[shedfreak]

hey its been a WHILE since ive been on, i have had a pretty busy year, and havent had the hours to walk this year. I posted my first 20 sheds, but nothin since. Ive only got 7 since then, and ill get up soon enough. Also to CERTIFIED JUMBO, i need you to do me a favor, could you either post a pic of that nontyp you picked up a couple years back, as well as the trail cams of him, either that or email it to me.... [email protected] Ive got a couple questions about it for ya :-) dont worry, im not gonna walk your grounds, but ive got some newly aqquired sheds from your area from a guy moving to FL and didnt wanna pack em along... anyways, DEFINITELY related...Talk soon man!

[lungdeflator]

Made it out in ND this last Wednesday. Found the first four of the year

[gonefishing70]

Those are some nice finds lung. LOTWS you are getting a nice pile of sheds, congrats.

[shedaddict]

Nice job Lung!!!

Is the matching set from this year?

[Musky Buck]

Found a matching set, yesterday found a nice 4 point side. The thing I thought I'd likely never find in my area would be possible wolf kills. Found 3 deer, could be dogs I guess but highly unlikely in this area, I just followed the hide chunks, hair trail to each of the carcasses. I have never in 28 years of walking that route found even 1 dead deer let alone 3. 1 was a 1.5 year old buck with antlers. My dad saw a lone wolf about a month ago back there, but who knows for sure. Each deer it appears fought and struggled to it's death.

[fireman]

Here is one I found last weekend. Makes a total of 5 for the year.

[perchking]

Good find right there...

[gonefishing70]

That is nice.

[lungdeflator]

my match set had been sitting there for at least a year. pretty chewed up and weathered. More snow melt out here should produce the other side of that 5 pt side.

I love looking at all these pics. Really makes a guy want to find some bones

[Monkster]

Nice find Fireman!

I have reports in my area of a "giant deer without antlers", so I better get out there. It's good to hear this one made it through the season! The hunt is on!

[leech~~]

Nice find fireman. I spent two days busting through heavy brush following heavy trails with the thought that maybe the heavy brush bedding areas would knock off some antlers. I found a little 8 point shed when walking out in the grass! Yuugg!

[CC Hurl]

Hey guy's i am going on my first ever shed hunt this weekend and am getting pumped reading your post's and looking at these pics. I have a question or two. The first one is am i running a little late on the timing and do you think the rodents have had much time to move them and or stash them?

I bow hunt this land and it is near Red Wing. I seen a few real nice bucks there last season. It would be awsome to find a shed or two. I have found a couple down there during the hunting season. One nice one that came from a ten point and another nice one that came from an eight point. Was not looking for them just happened upon them. It was cool though.

I like how you guys take photo's. Thanks for the idea as i will use it.

Any pointers as to were i should cocentrate my effroets would be appreciated.

This is bluff country.

[shedaddict]

Nice Shed Fireman!

CC, I would concentrate on whereever the deer have been feeding and then work my way back towards where the bed. The majority of my sheds are found either in the feeding areas themselves or on the trails leading back to the bedding area. For whatever reason, I've found very few sheds in the actual bedding areas themselves. Good Luck!

Has anyone on here found a "hanger" before or spotted a shed while driving? I've never found a hanger before, but I have spotted a few sheds while driving. I feel like I watch the fields more than I do the road!!!

[Monkster]

shedaddict, I am still laughting at your last comment. Wherever I drive this time of the year (even worse than hunting season!) I find myself looking down the trails! I also catch myself slowing down or even backing up if I drive by a beat-down trail in the metro. I slow and follow the trail with my eyes as far as I can! Now that the snow is gone, it's a bit tougher, but I still look.

Quite a few years ago, I watched a nice 8 with one side hanging from his head, dangling by hairs it seemed. That thing never did come off while I was watching. He was behind a fence, on private land. I am sure he would have shook it off if I would have chased him. Now that I know a bit more about sheds, I feel like there was something else holding that side one. No other reason for it to stay on.

[scsavre]

I found a nice 5 side on the road last year. Of coarse it was after walking for 4 hours and finding nothing.

I think i am out of luck this year in the Metro near my house. My entire woods is under water. I didnt think it could get as high as it did here. Pretty crazy.

[lungdeflator]

I dont know if you guys saw this post but here might be a better spot for it...

Match set we found in Canada last year. Hard to find info on how long it takes the moss to grow or how long antlers can sit out and withstand the weather. Ive found most sites kind of compile the mosses seen into "Reindeer Moss". How long have these been sitting here?

After more research I saw that the Reindeer Moss grows 1-3 mm a year. so they could have been there 10-15 yrs? What do you guys think?

[shedaddict]

10-15 years seems like a long time. The tines don't look like they saw too much chewing. I would say 3-4 years. Do you have a picture of the sheds once you took them out of there? Looks like a nice set.

[trolloni]

Hey HURL ! this year bedding areas have been better for me this year ,grassy areas with a few small evergreens here and there , southeast facing sides.When i look, im thinking points, thats uasaully all you see ,always keep panning as you walk and try not to cover the same areas twice,another trick is to go when its cloudy little rainy even better! ,the timber floor gets real dark cause of all the dead foilage and them antlers are white /bone color it really helps you to spot them.You guys talk about spottin them from the road i have a good story, two months ago there was a lot of snow here and i had been watching deer in this pasture for awhile, forgot about really,a week ago it was rainin so i just rode around and i went by it and stopped and started glassin it, its probably quater mile off the road and ill be ,there was a 6 point shed under a little tree!a good pair of binocs are invalueble in this sport save you a lotta walkin and eliminate unproductive ground fast, i use Zeiss compacts not the greatest in low light, but i have never regretted spending that money on theese things WOW!Been a good season this year 26, with 4 matched sets also found a dead buck 14 points 24 inch spread with 4 drop tines on the right side an awesome animal .havent had a chance to get out this week much due to work ,this weekend though!if ya go have good shoes water ,munchies, just like anything it takes time and patience but ill tell ya it is very gratifing almost as good as shootin a monster buck its right up there size doesnt matter either a sheds a shed !