Sheds
Needle in a Haystack
A nearly impossible task. But yet, all over social media everyone is showing off their massive sheds they seemingly just stumbled on. So how do they do it?! What’s their secret? Well, as with all things in the whitetail woods, those who succeed have a strategy, a plan, and more than anything, a supreme understanding of whitetail physiology and behavior. Below we’ll discuss the why, the where and most importantly, the when whitetails shed their antlers.
Why
Every year between January and March here in the Midwest our bucks shed their antlers. And with that thousands of people take to the woods in hopes of finding that bone they chased all season. But first before we dive in we must ask the why. Why do deer shed their antlers? The answer, it has to do with two things, testosterone and the overall health of the buck. As testosterone levels decrease after the rut and all hope is gone for those yearling does to drop into estrous in December, your shooter buck’s testosterone levels begin to decrease. With that the pedicle, which is the area on their head where the antler is connected becomes weak and in a matter of days, their antlers painlessly fall off. And surprisingly they typically fall off within a short time of each other. So, when you stumble across one shed, take some extra time to look around for the other, chances are it’s no further than 200 yards away.
As for the second factor, typically bucks in peak physical condition shed their racks later others, and injured bucks will shed theirs first. So before you hit the woods right after the season ends in January, think twice and keep reading to better understand when you should take your shot at finding those sheds.
The Where
Where do bucks shed their antlers? The great question, if we just knew where that special place was.. Well, there are certain areas around your hunting property where bucks tend to shed their antlers but it’s up to you to be savvy enough to know exactly where that is. The answer to this question is simple, where are bucks most during the coldest of the winter months? Bedding, trails to food, trails to bed, and bedding again. Ok, that was a pretty simplistic answer. Let’s get more specific.
Bedding- To help preserve their fat stores and stay warm whitetail deer spend a lot of time in their beds during the coldest months of the year. Typically winter beds can be found on South facing hillsides. Due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis during this time of year the sun will rise in the southeast, travel low across the sky and set in the southwest. This effect causes the south facing hills to be the warmest and the most desirable for bedding. Seek out those South facing hill sides that are often easy to find due to their lack of or reduced amount of snow and scour them to increase your odds of success.
- Trails to and from Food- Other high opportunity areas are the trails in between bedding and food. But instead of walking those entire trails, you can save time and key in on the areas along those long travel routes that have the possibility of jarring their antlers loose. Creek crossings where bucks have to jump over the water, climb steep ledges, or hop drainage gaps are all areas that could jar their antlers loose if they are nearly ready to pop off. Another obstacle that can be beneficial to your success are barbed wire fences. Walking the entire length of these is a great strategy for finding sheds from bucks jumping them on their way from bed to food and visa versa.
Food- Ag fields are great areas for bucks to drop their sheds in the cover of darkness as well. During the cold months deer seek out food sources that offer high levels of carbohydrates such as corn and beans. Searching these fields is often the first area to be checked for sheds due to their minimally intrusive nature which translates to your risk of spooking deer being low.
Bedding AGAIN- South facing hillsides or not, we have to remember, those old monarchs like the thick stuff the stuff you can barely crawl through, they like to be alone, not bothered by doe family groups their offspring’s or people, and they love a quick and safe get away. So what does this mean for finding his sheds? Identify those areas of your farms that are the thickest least pressured areas. Brush or fallen trees often make great backdrops for a bedded buck, especially those atop of ridges where he can look downwind and into a ravine or creek bottom and smell what is approaching him from behind in case he needs to dump down into lower topography for a quick getaway. And finally, you have to be willing to go beyond. As I mentioned above mature bucks love to bed in solitude. Away from the cluster of the doe family groups, so if you find yourself walking through bed after bed all in the same area. Keep going, head toward the “thick stuff” to get beyond that first layer of bedding and into buck territory.
When
Finally the most important factor of your shed hunting success. The when. Too early, they haven’t dropped yet and you will do nothing but put unneeded pressure on your property and bump those mature bucks to the neighbors. Too late and often times all you will find is a few toothpick like skeletons of that rack you once knew thanks to the local mice and squirrels. Timing is crucial but when will you know the time is right for your area? Here at TPO we rely heavily on trail cam data to help us make educated decisions to predict deer movement all year long. Knowing when to hunt down our shooter buck sheds is no different. If you are fortunate enough to have a historical archive of trail cam pictures from previous years, they can help pin point the perfect weekend for you to get out there and give it your all without putting undue pressure on your antler harboring bucks.
Often we aren’t that fortunate given the reality that leasing opportunities change, properties get sold and bought every year and permissions are often lost or gained from one year to the next. So how can you best collect trail cam data without putting too much pressure on your property? The answer is simple, play to their weakness, their stomach. Find your most easily accessible field or open area on your property that can be driven to by truck and dump a few bags of corn out over a trail cam. This will help you collect data on which bucks survived, put minimum pressure on your area, continue to provide good nutrition to your deer herd during the toughest time of the year, and most importantly, it will provide you with a date and time of when shed bucks are starting to appear for you to utilize this year and for years to come.
Conclusion
Most importantly, you just have to be willing to get out there and make it happen. Never give up hope and be willing to walk miles and miles. So whether it be a strategically planned group shed hunt, or a quick few hours you get permission to run to the woods during nap time, ensure you are increasing your odds of success by knowing those high usage areas on where to look, and utilizing trail cam data on when to plan your attack. Oh, and one final tip, plan for success and bring a backpack :-).
