TACTICS FOR MORE SUCCESSFUL SHED ANTLER HUNTING

Trodding deliberately through an oak grove and the dynamic air of a fading season, swollen neck and tined, bone-white crown extended in hot-blooded search, the majesty of a mature, rutting whitetail buck commands a certain level of reverence.

As an unshakeable characteristic of our animalistic nature, we calculate a buck’s stature as a product of that mesmerizing, ivory headdress.  Yet, such materialistic obtainments are fleeting, dropped after their mating purpose is served and testosterone levels dip post-rut.  Yes, deer also suffer from losses of manhood—yearly, in fact.

    In the mid-south, this period of antler-dropping typically occurs in late winter, while bucks exhausted from the reproductive ritual aim to consume scarce food while expending as little calories as possible.

    Luckily for us, shed antlers allow us to continue to indulge our infatuation with bone long after the season ends and well beyond what a typical big game license affords.

Local shed hunter Bill Weigold with a couple of
impressive 1/2 headsets.

    Over the past decade, it seems, the practice of taking to the woods after the last of winter’s snow melts in search of these dropped treasures has taken off.  Popularity has grown particularly in the Midwestern states, where food plots—late season feeding stations—concentrate deer movements and provide clutter-free arenas for searching.  In the East, where expansive oak forests generally replace food plots and agricultural fields, shed antlers can be a bit harder to come by and spot, and the game become even more about covering ground. 

    Utilizing a tactical approach and some basic knowledge of season deer behavior can substantially up your bone count this spring.

Check the Weather

    Bucks will drop their antlers as early as December and as late as April, depending on a host of hormonal and chemical factors within an individual animal’s system.  However, most bucks in Virginia drop their racks between January and late March on intermittent snow cover.

    Seasoned local shed hunter, Bill Weigold, recommends timing your hunts when snow is no longer present, simply for ease of sighting white antlers among brown leaves with no distraction.

    Other times, melting snow can influence deer movement by providing a rare feeding opportunity, providing hints as to where shed antlers might lay.  “One particular winter we had quite a bit of snow and a couple warm days cleared out some hillsides.  I figured the deer would go where the food was available, and I found quite a few there,” Weigold remembered.

Weigold with an impressive collection of large
shed antlers.

    When snow is finally out of the equation for the season, Weigold looks for certain weather patterns to create optimum shed hunting conditions.  “My favorite time to look for sheds is on a cloudy day after rain,” he said.  “The lack of sun eliminates distracting, bright glare on the ground.”  Moreover, leaves dark from rain and light antlers contrast much sharper than dry leaves illuminated by bright sun.

Go Small

    Shed hunting in the eastern, heavily-forested states is a challenge because of the distribution of deer across a wide range and because of a cluttered forest floor that distracts the eye.  So instead of covering miles and miles of ground aimlessly, it pays in antlers found to search small wildlife havens. 

    Several of the best shed antlers in my own collection were rummaged from a narrow swath of creek bottom forest pinned between a busy state road and my childhood subdivision.  Deer hunters also know these small woodlots to be concentrated with deer.  Human dwellings displace deer, pushing them into these areas of relative seclusion.  You’ll be surprised what you might find in close proximity to development.

    Shed hunter and outdoor writer, Mark Taylor, of Roanoke has likewise reports success in scouring the small urban lots and parks of his home city. 

Search Escape Cover

    Like any species of wildlife, prime habitat will be comprised of feeding stations, transitional bedding and nesting grounds, and escape cover.  Because late winter bucks are weak from the rut and wary from months of hunting pressure, thick escape cover in relative proximity to available food—such as grass in a field or on a hillside—will house bucks during the antler-dropping period. 

    Naturally, areas where bucks spend the most time this time of year will be the shed hunter’s best bet for success.  Weigold, who holds quite a collection of finds, says, “I go to the thickest stuff I can find!”

     Search escape and wintering cover thoroughly and if you’ve got bucks, you’ll probably find antlers!

Weigold with his complete collection 

     As with other outdoor pursuits, shed hunting can be quite rewarding, and even an unsuccessful hunt is nothing worse than a walk in the awakening spring woods!□

*Originally published in the Rural Virginian

HUNTING HEADGEAR

    It was the first real week of spring.  The warm sun bathed the world in light, warming the water in local streams and allowing the dormant frames of trees to make considerable progress towards green, lush life.  I was 12 years old and out of school; and Winter’s grip on the fishing action was finally beginning to slip.

    My closest fishing hole was a dynamic warm-water creek, brushy and impenetrable about the margins, which just brushed the outer boundaries of our rural subdivision.  From the inside, the subdivided world was veiled, and an adventurous boy and happy-go-lucky black lab were free to fish and explore in what seemed a vast wilderness.

    Perhaps I was slightly optimistic, for the fish were absent from the frigid waters on that first trip of the year.  However, just before packing up for home, sunshine illuminated the tip of an ivory jewel shaded by a streamside root wad and caught my eye.  I quickly made my way over to half of an old “mountain eight’s” headpiece, and my bounding companion came over and inspected it with like enthusiasm.  I was awestricken and inspired by the thought of such an animal inhabiting those woods, and the course of the rest of the day was set.

    According to the DGIF, bucks began dropping antlers in mid-January, and some may have.  But reports from across the state suggest that many bucks may have either just recently dropped their racks or are still clinging to them, which was likely the case surrounding my first find.

    When deer shed their antlers is a concept dependent upon several variables, which effect individual animals differently, and make it hard to calculate just when the majority will fall.  However, there are some hints and facts to help guide you in your search.

    A male fawn will show indications of gender within several months of birth.  What hunters refer to as “buttons” atop these yearlings’ heads are called pedicels, and the thin layer of skin that covers them serve as the starting points for antler growth when certain hormonal triggers occur.

    Coming with the hormonal catharsis that follows the mating season, and in response to lengthening days, a layer of bone at the base of the antler and above the pedicel begins to weaken.  Eventually, the antler will fall away altogether.

    Therefore, good places to concentrate shed hunting efforts include fence and creek crossings—anywhere a powerful leap or landing might compromise a buck’s frail crown—and areas of thick cover traversed by game trails, where bucks will retreat to in hiding from late-season hunting pressure, and where the mass of branches and briars make it difficult to hold onto a pair of fleeting antlers

. 

    Still, not all antlers are lost at these “pinch-points.”  Your goal should be to cover as much high-percentage ground as possible.  In doing this, take into consideration where deer are likely to spend the majority of their time.  South-facing slopes make great expansive locations to scour because they receive the most sunlight—think, warmth—over the course of a cold winter day.  Bedding areas, key winter food sources, and popular watering holes are also prominent potential resting places for antlers by the same line of reasoning.

    It falls to reason, in deciding on a general location to hunt for sheds, that you seek an area with a high-density deer population.  While this is not always true (high-density doesn’t always mean lots of bucks), it’s a good piece of logic from which to build.  If you question that even a single deer has set foot on your hunting lease by the end of the season due to high hunting pressure, consider areas nearby that may serve as a haven for wary bucks.  Landowners are more susceptible to a sportsmen asking for property access for shed hunting than those asking to hunt and carry a firearm, so don’t let nerves deter you from asking.

    In terms of public land, federal- and state-managed properties are great habitats to walk, but don’t rule out the smaller overlooked tracts.  Little, tucked-away natural areas or public parks with lots of wooded cover likely harbor a large deer population because they prohibit hunting, but are also less likely to attract other shed hunters.

    A piece of land inhabited by deer, a map, and a backpack prepared for a day’s hike are the only necessary ingredients to successful shed hunting.  Keep in mind the habits of whitetails and their movements, and focus heavily on areas of high promise.  Walk slowly, and be thorough.  Shed hunting can be a great way to experience the woods as they come alive, and can provide insight into the life of a much sought-after animal.