Shed Scavengers

 

Shed hunting has become increasingly popular and is a vital aspect of your preparation for next year. Shed hunting can achieve several objectives in addition to helping pass the time between now and next season. Primarily, shed hunting allows you to identify which bucks made it through the season. By now, many of those bucks that dodged your bullets, arrows and efforts have started dropping those old antlers in favor of the new growths that you'll begin to see in the coming months. Rounding up those old antlers can be a tremendous aide in not only identifying which bucks you may want to target next year, but can also help you track the growth and progress of the younger bucks that you're managing. On a recent shed hunting excursion I even found the carcass of a cull buck that I was unable to harvest during the season. Not sure what his ultimate demise was but now he's no longer part of the herd and won't factor into next season's game plan. 

 

So what's the most effective way to hunt sheds? There are several tips that can be helpful as you head out on your search. First, make sure you have a good pair of binoculars. Binoculars can save you a good deal of time and many wasted steps as you glass an area looking for sheds. While hunting deer during season, the eye becomes trained to search the horizon and tree lines for silhouettes and movement. In shed hunting, adjust your sight line down to the ground while looking for those two or three tines sticking up in the grass or the curve of the main beam with the tines resting on the ground. Another popular and effective method is to train your best hunting dog to seek out those sheds as well. A good dog that knows how to find sheds can be rewarding on several fronts and keeps the dog keen even in the offseason. 

 

Next time you get bored and have a hankering to prep for next year, head out to your spot and gather up those sheds. You'll surely find it a fun and rewarding way to pass the time while at the same time aiding in your preparation and management for next season. Now get out there, find those sheds and send us some pictures of what you come up with!