I found my first shed from this year the day before Christmas while I was walking out to my treestand. As far as the best time to catch a buck on a trail cam depends on where you are putting your camera. If it's next to a food source, anytime of year, but expecially early and late season works good. The rut is a good time to catch a buck on the move anywhere, but it's best to have it on a heavily used travel route when they are rutting.