Hiawatha

hey i'm lookin for a website or a picture of one of those net like or whatever contraption it is that catches the bucks antlers so the leave them there. Not even sure where to begin looking on the web. I did a few searches but got nothing. Please help out if ya can. thanks a bunch.

bearklr

The bast antler trap I ever used was pretty easy to make. Here is a pic of what it looks like (don't laugh, I just made it in a minute right before I posted). You just take three wooden stakes and pound them into the ground. Then you wrap them in chicken wire so that there is a 90 degree angle. just like the inside corner of a room. Then put some type of food inside the corner such as apples. When the bucks go to eat the apples their antlers will rub on the wire and fall off. If you make them sturdy enough they last for years and all you have to do is put food in them when they are ready to drop their antlers. I saw this in a bowhunting magazine years ago. Good luck, I hope this helps a little.

Runningun

Thats pretty cool !

Shotgun stalker

Thats pretty cool I think im gonna try to set that up this weekend to see if I can get the antlers from the big buck I missed this year.Thanks

Duffy

Do the deer ever get caught up in the wire to the point that they are injured?
I make a device that has rough wood on the sides that may not get every shed but will not "trap" a deer.

Robin

powderburns

I shed hunt also, + have heard of these contraptions + have wondered. What if the deer is not quite ready to shed?, Is there any chance the buck can get tangled up, injured or possibly starve or be easy prey for predator's? I wonder whatever happened to the old fashioned way of shed hunting (walking, biking, snomobiling).

Outdoor writer

Rather than using chicken wire it is much better to use a heavier wire like the fence panels for livestock or concrete reinforcing wire or wire from an old corn crib .. and forget the wooden stakes, use steel fence posts.

Hiawatha

i also think that a deer would possible get caught in the wire if it wasn't ready to shed. My problem is i was tellin my dad about these things and he just wanted to see a picture of them. I really don't plan on using one but he just wants to see what the thing looks like. Thanks again

bearklr

Never had any problems with deer getting caught. I don't let the wire loose, it should be pretty tight. Unless he is really pissed and goes to town on it I can't see him getting stuck. You have to remember, this thing isn't huge (only about a foot and a half tall) and it's not like his antlers get tangled until their stuck and then ripped off. The tips of the tines just brush against the wire and are knocked to the ground. If their not ready then he gets a free meal and maybe they'll fall of the next day. Wooden stakes also worked fine for me but I guess metal ones would work too. This entire thing is up to you. I'm just letting you know what worked for me, you can make any changes you wan't if you think it will work better. Good luck and if you get any antlers post some picks so we can check em' out.

shedhead

I like to shed hunt and have no problem with finding sheds without the use of antler traps. Guys that I know in my area that have antler traps are to lazy to really look for sheds. Looking for sheds also improves your woodsmanship and helps to find areas where deer are.