finding deer sheds.

semologger · January 18, 2009, 10:34:34 PM

I went out the other day for a walk about. I was lloking for sheds its still a little soon but i needed out of the house. Instead of finding any sheds i found a carcas striped clean. It was a little basket rack a 7 point. I plan on going soon again out the farm. I have 50 acres at the house and there is almost 500 at the farm. Its going to be a long walk at the farm.

Any of you guys do any shed hunting. What kind of tricks you have. I am trying to teach my black lab to help but he is still new at it like me. I am going to take some of my racks i have and plant them around the property and see if he can find them.

Burlkraft · January 18, 2009, 10:56:39 PM

I used to make a woven wire container and put ear corn in it. About 3' across. The bucks would feed and get the horns caught in the wire and they would fall off.

Collected a lot of sheds that way. Lots of sets too ;D ;D ;D

LeeB · January 19, 2009, 12:44:55 AM

Any of those sets stil have a live critter attached?

SwampDonkey · January 19, 2009, 05:00:52 AM

Just walk the paths. ;D

Burlkraft · January 19, 2009, 05:14:46 PM

Quote from: LeeB on January 19, 2009, 12:44:55 AM
Any of those sets stil have a live critter attached?

No critters, but I've had a few displaced feeders ;D ;D

Never had one get hung up and take off with one. I was bow hunting once and watched a buck assault one of them.
Then he just walked away :

:

SwampDonkey · January 19, 2009, 05:25:36 PM

I've seen poaching snares on deer trails many times. It's not legal of course. I saw where one was snared in the summer when we was fishing a nice dead water full of trout. Someone came back later and hatcheted off it's antlers. It has been dead for awhile when I found it. Moose like following deer paths to it seems. :

That was a great fishing paradise until greedy forest grunts poached it to death. I mean instead of the legal 30 trout, ice chests full.

beenthere · January 27, 2009, 11:30:09 AM

Gonna look for some sheds (mainly that 10 pointer) when this snow melts down a bit... ;D ;D

ely · January 27, 2009, 11:37:49 AM

guys here will bury a five gallon pail almost to the top and put corn in the bottom of it. leave a little space under neath it and a couple drain holes in case it rains. deer hate soured grain. anyway they will get down on their knees to get at the corn and rub the antlers off on the bucket as they eat. usually from about now through feb.

i seen two really nice bucks sunday that were sporting their racks still yet.

semologger · January 27, 2009, 03:05:55 PM

Nice pitchures of those deer beenthere. Are they walking or laying down. If they are standing wow thats some deep snow. Hope you are a good shot. You are not going to get a broadside shot on them. Did you take the pitchure?

Never heard of the bucket idea sounds pretty neat i need to try that on. I need to do that during season maybe they wont run as fast if you miss one the first shot. I would like to put a game cam on a spot like that.

SwampDonkey · January 27, 2009, 03:14:10 PM

Was snow shoeing today, not near as much snow as that, maybe 18" and 3 feet in the brush thickets the wind drifts around. I did see where a moose walked about a week ago according to the last snowfall. Lots of coyotes and rabbits around (tracks). Saw 30 gold finch in the weeds eating seeds. A few chickadees, and blue jays. A raven followed me around, ever watchful for anything to eat. Too bad, no scraps this time.

semologger · January 27, 2009, 03:26:05 PM

Might be a stupid ? but do Moose and Elk loose their antlers. If so seems like it would be alot easier to find those big suckers.

SwampDonkey · January 27, 2009, 04:51:50 PM

Moose do yes. But, there is a lot more acres of woods versus moose carcass to look over. :D The other wildlife consume them quickly.

SwampDonkey · January 27, 2009, 05:07:22 PM

This guy got froze in solid.

ErikC · January 27, 2009, 05:58:38 PM

Elk also lose their antlers. I have found them a couple of times, But I'm not sure they are any easier to find. Might be less of them I guess. I was pig hunting in mendocino county this weekend, and found three sheds, all last year though. The bucks I saw while I was out still had them on.

SwampDonkey · January 27, 2009, 06:06:57 PM

As you can see in my picture, the coyotes were fascinated by that antler. Tracks all over.

Mooseherder · January 27, 2009, 07:24:00 PM

I know of some people who'll walk through the woods looking for Moose sheds.
They must find them because We have Moose all over at camp yet I have only found a half set.
My wife and I found this one down by the brook. It was full of mold and looked to have been nibbled on by something. We almost missed it. I bleached it, left it out in the sun for a few days and it has stayed white since. It gets use as a hat rack.

Corley5 · January 27, 2009, 08:26:49 PM

I found an elk shed with a tractor tire once. Wasn't pretty >:( I've mentioned before that I hate Michigan elk ;) ;D

ErikC · January 27, 2009, 08:39:52 PM

About a week ago I saw the dogs chewing on something in the driveway. It was an old small buck skull with antlers still attached they found out in the woods. I ran over it with my truck and popped a tire 2 hours later. No one to blame for that but me. >:(

semologger · January 28, 2009, 01:45:27 AM

my lab seems to find sheds better than me. i have got to teach him to find them for me.

Frickman · January 28, 2009, 08:22:35 PM

Mooseherder,

Mice, voles, and other critters knaw on shed antlers as they are a good source of calcium. That's why I rarely find them, they all get eaten first.

Bibbyman · January 28, 2009, 09:24:32 PM

I've found a bushel basket full of antlers over the past few years. Almost all were singles.

This summer son Gabe hit one with the lawn mower just feet behind the house. Then later the dowg came in with the mate to it. She may have found them both and brough them to the yard. She didn't want to give up the one she had in her mouth.

I went out walking one time this winter but the weeds are still too tall. I hunt along fences where they cross and in places that look to be bedding areas.

Here are a couple more I found on the same day about 50 yards apart in a new wheat patch. They don't match and I did not find either mate.

kderby · February 06, 2009, 03:47:30 PM

Looking for deer and elk antlers is like walking on the beach after a storm and picking up sea shells. If you are the first one there you can find some pretty special mementos. I like thinking about the buck or bull. I celebrate that if the animal shed his antlers, he is going to be even larger this year.

The best way to find sheds is to cover the most ground. Some people don't "get it" but it is a huge treat for me to go horn hunting.

KD