Sweetwater

I am an avid deer hunter living in Tallahassee, Florida. First of all, I am thrilled to find the site & look very fwd to getting to know all of you as we share hunting tips, stories, and our overall passion for what the Good Creator has given us!

My family has a farm outside of Tallahassee & our deer season just ended last Wednesday (gun season). I am always saddened to see it go, but I am also looking fwd to making the off season improvements that my Dad & I always strive to make. Soon we' ll be planting & doing other necessary particulars to get those wiley bucks growing for next fall.

In all my years of deer hunting, I have never found a shed antler! I have not always done a lot of post season scouting though, so hopefully this spring I can find one or two. Can ya' ll tell me the best way to go about it? Are there certain areas or spots that I should check, or is it a matter of happing across antlers in the woods? I know the varmits get to them in a hurry, so I want to get out there when they start falling.

Thanks & as I said, I eagerly anticipate getting to know you & hearing your stroies of the great, elusive whitetail (or other varieties of deer).

Sweetwater

Wickman (Buckmaster)

I just want to welcome you to the message board, the guys on here know alot about what they are talkin about. As for shed hunting, ive never found them myself, but have never really went out looking for them. Im hoping this year to find some on my own, i remember awhile back their was a post about shed hunting and their was some good tips. So im sure you will get some good shed hunting tips coming your way.

121553

Sweetwater, now is the time to start looking for the sheds before the rodents have a chance to cash in. You are in a great place to find sheds, I have hunted extensively along the Wakulla and Panacea areas of St. Marks. You are within an hours drive. When the Wakulla section first opened up I found dozens of sheds within the hammocks out on the flats, by the the way Fla. state record comes from right there in Wakulla, good luck.

deershed

Sweetwater-Welcome to the boards!! I' m new here myself,but I' ve had a passion and love for shed hunting for years.
To find the sheds you have to figure out where the deer are hanging out when they shed.Late winter up here in Md. it' s close to food sources.
I' d check out food sources and bedding areas and trails in between.Anywhere that buck goes could be a possible place to look.Once you figure out where the deer are, do a grid pattern search of the area.Go back and forth though area til you cover every last inch of ground.Don' t make your passes too far apart or you might pass a shed.Sheds don' t stand out like most people think,I' ve found most of my sheds are within 10 to 15 yds. before I see them.Look for parts of the shed like a tine or the curve of a antler.Even sheds in the
Good Luck and Enjoy.......

skeeter 7MM

Food is always a good place to start, then back track to bedding areas on heavy used routes. This will pretty much cover their daily routines in the winter months. Oh also check watering holes and trails leading to it. Basically as much walking as you can muster in their prime areas, and keep your eyes peeled, they can hide pretty good.

creek

I found a nice 5 point last weekend. I start out walking fence rows and creeks. When the bucks have to jump sometimes this will knock the antler loose. I then start walking the trails and find most in the thick bedding areas. The other thing that I would add is to get your eyes use to finding them. Once you find your first one the easier it gets to see them. Also take a pair of binoculars. This will save you some steps because if you think you see one from a distance you can check it out without having to walk the distance to see.

woodseye

These posts have pretty well covered shed hunting.Up north we have the advantage of the snow pushing the deer into areas of dark growth and cover for shelter so we look hard in these areas.Travel corridors between bedding areas and winter time food sources are also good bets.Any place they jump something in travel lanes(fences,blowovers)can be extra good.I have found some sheds in my travels but never a matched set.Here is a matched set my hunting partner found of the buck I shot the next year about 30yds from where these sheds were laying -






The bottom pic is a large single shed found a little north of where I live.






woods

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