Hunting for Deer Antler Sheds

Hunting for deer antler sheds doesn't have to be like looking for a needle in a haystack!

There are several places to scour, that can give you a higher chance of finding more sheds.

Bucks tend to stay in thick cover, so this is where you will find a majority of them.

Check well traveled paths, especially if those paths lead through heavy brush, which makes it easier for an antler to get knocked off.

Anyplace that a buck has to jump is always a great area to check.

This includes creek beds and fences. The jarring of their bodies, as they jump, can cause a loose antler to detach.

Where they bed is also an excellent place to find sheds. I once found a matched set laying together, in a deer bed, that was in thick brush.

Another place to look, is where they feed, be it a bait pile, a deer feeder, or crop fields.

When bucks are eating, they bend their heads down, then will jerk them back up quickly, if they hear or see something.

This quick motion can cause a loose antler to come off.

This beautiful shed was found on top of one of our bait piles. It looked as if someone had just placed it there. Matter of fact, at first, I thought that someone had actually dropped one of their rattling antlers!

Instead, it was from one of the bucks, that I had been watching and getting photos of, on my game camera. Unfortunately, we have not found the other side, yet.

While you are hunting for deer antler sheds, use a zig zag pattern, as you walk.

Though you are looking ahead, also turn and look behind you, as this will change the angle of your sight.

A shed can be hiding in plain view from one angle, but show up nicely, when seen from the other direction.

Darker sheds will show up plainly in the snow, but lighter colored ones would be harder to spot, so this is one of the reasons you should always look from different angles.

As you are looking for antlers, remember that this is a great time to learn about your hunting areas.

During hunting season, we try to stay out of the core areas, as we do not want to disturb the bucks.

When season ends, and the hunting of deer antler sheds begins, we can learn a lot about the travel routes and bedding areas of our deer.

If snow is still on the ground, it makes it even easier to discover some of their hiding spots.

If you have any shed antler hunting stories, we'd love to hear them! And if you have photos of the deer sheds you've found, we'd love to see those too! Please see this link to share them with us!

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