Shed Hunting Question
 

i am from northern ny , when in ny do the bucks start to shed their racks ? i want to do some serious shed hunting this year and i didn't know when this usually starts !

Thanks guys - Art :)

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

any time now

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

here in wv from mid jan to end of feb most are eaten up by mice ad other rodents by then

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

I'm in Central NY and look for sheds every year.

I'm sure you know guys that have taken bucks in December that dropped their antlers already, My buck this year (taken Dec 16th) had dropped within a couple days of being shot. He had a serious foot/ankle injury though - which sometimes can make them drop early.

For me - I like to get out every thaw - after Mid January. Most deer in my area are shedding Jan15 - Feb15. Though a few times I've seen bucks with Anlters in March (not usually though). My problem is that - we usually have alot of snow- and even a big thaw - it won't all go, so if I check an area with snow, I always have to back to that spot when it melts completely. So - I only look for antlers in the winter in High Percentage spots - like apple orchards or Field Edges. I usually go back to these spots anyhow.

I get Serious in April before Green-up.

These were found in a clover plot in Late March a couple years ago.


FH

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

Many bucks are already shedding here in MA. As was said, Mid Jan to Mid Feb is when most are dropped. I look in the bedding and feeding areas. if the snows are deep that winter, I look in the yarding areas...

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

Where I live, bucks don't usually shed before March unless they are juveniles.
I have seen bachelor groups near the house in the first week of March in different years.
All had racks except for the young bucks, and some of them had a half rack.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

ok i am having a blonde moment here , what are "yarding area's" ?

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

I would think the deer up your way should "yard" in the winter.

Basically - its an area that the deer congregate in deep snows or very cold weather. Our yarding area on our hill has an older Hemlock cover - that they center around.

People should stay out of Deer Yards when the Snow is very deep - and probably altogether during the time they are used.

FH

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

Great finds farm hunter!

They should be dropping in your area thinktwicez71,I've found one already here in western Ny.This is going to be my 20th shed season in 08,and I have found that they will start dropping good around the last week of February.Good Luck this year guys!

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

Here in Maine some have allready dropped them however, it is not eay to find one with over 4 feet of snow on the ground..

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

I agree. I check the yard after the thaw/melt has occured. Not when snows are deep and deer are stressed...I should have made that clearer.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

kobear: Nice collection.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

yea, we were talking about it on another board. so i took a pic of my collection. this is from 1 year of serious looking and another year of casual looking.

i hopefully will double it this year.

some i gave away too to people making chandeliers.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

Great collection of antlers kobear!

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

here in WMU2G of pa. some lose their horns in dec,others by the middle of jan..
last year i found none and i worked hard at it.

we will be putting corn out on sat for deer.
sometimes you can find horns around feeders but people are looking now and deer are not as many as years ago to find horn...

thank goodness there is a edit button on here, man, i get off topic quick.:D

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

KoBear thats an impressive collection. Whats even more impressive is the number of matched pairs you have. Any guess as to how many hours you spent shed hunting?

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

unreal,something else..
did you find most of those horns on private or publicland..

i lived in newark, nj in 1978, i see you are from there..
i found horns around my office which was near newark bay all time...

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

I feed corn behind my barn, last night there were 5 bucks with both horns. None shedding here yet. One nice ten point and the rest are none legal scrubs.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

A good ole boy told me he always started on March 1st or close to it depending on the melt. I've stuck to his word and I've found 2-5 each year, which isn't bad for my area. Keep walking and walking, you may find a couple new hunting areas and all of the sudden boom!! There's an antler! I calculated one year each shed took me at least 3-4 miles of walking. Good luck!

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

I've been searching for sheds for 32 years.Its been my experiene over the years that the majoriety of shedding occursafter march.That being said I generally start my search the day after deer season closes. Some years I find a bunch right out of the gate but more often than not in the early season I find bucks laying dead usually hit by cars.And sometimes just from old age or the rigors of the rut.
there was also a comment about the rats and squirrels eating them up.The tree rats have to find sheds just like we do so yes they do get a few,but they miss alot. I've found huge sheds that have laid in the elements for several years that werewhite and cracked but without a single gnaw mark on them.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

for person like me that hunts on stateforestland,how do you go about finding a shed.
how do you start and know where to go.

thanks,sproule.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

I hunt 100 percent public land.I use a compass ,small pruning shears& a pair of binos.Start by identifying the food sources.Then follow the trails that run between bedding and the food sources.Check funnels,any edge cover you can find.I key on the edges that get the most sunlight.I also really like big oak flats.When you check the bedding areas keep in mind if the deer hav,nt shed yet you might bump them and never find his antlers.Once you start looking and find 1 or 2 you should start to put a pattern together.the best thing about shed hunting on public land is it is a great scouting tool.In over 30 years of shed hunting from georgia to pennsylvania shed hunting is directly responsible for most of the bucks and does I have harvested.Bottom line even if you dont find a shed you will still have learned your area better and that cant hurt.

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

found one the other day, but I would guess it is actually from last years shedding

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

i cant seem to ever find one here in WMU2G.
i could not believe the trees that blew down from last weeks wind here.

i did find a hind quarter of fawn hanging from a bush and 2 grouse laying below it.

i think someone is baiting in a coyote.:eek:

RE: Shed Hunting Question
 

Hey man, I grew up in Malone about as northern as it gets for sure. The bucks up there have started to shed, my old man had been watching a few bucks and a couple of hte nicer ones have been in with spots on their heads, others I know have found a couple halves, certainly they are in the fingerlakes area as i think they are everywhare. Based on their nutrition and stress I have seen a few hold on well into feb. and even into march once but for the most part the bulk will have dropped or will drop soon. It never to soon to be out even if you don't locate one it's a good time to scout areas. The challenge you have is the lack of deer, I have seen 20-30 bucks on the properties I hunt nad have yet to find a shed this year even know I know they are there, coming from up north you will be lucky to have 20-30 within 20-30 square miles. good luck