It's no different than actually hunting the animal. When looking for antler sheds in Maine, the winter months are great to begin the search. The world of shed-antler hunting, for both deer and moose antlers, is intensely competitive. While shed hunting, there's a good chance you may come across winter kill or other ‘dead heads’. Guiding bear hunters in Montana toward the end of April a couple years ago, I saw a group of 18 bulls. Every year during winter and early spring, groups of adventure seekers take to the woods in search of moose and deer antlers, also known as sheds. We’ve listed some of the best places to find shed antlers below. Sure enough, the curved piece of bone at one time belonged on the head of a whitetail buck. When the weather warms, I walk theses areas. As a general average, brown mule deer antlers fetch around $10 per pound and brown elk antlers average $12 per pound. Moose Antler / Shed Antler / Natural Antler (#569) TheAntlerStack. Elk drop quite a bit later than most deer. In 2018, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to prohibit shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 from Jan.ââ 1 through April 30, annually. Don’t just casually walk through the area; you need to almost stalk and use your eyes to really scan the ground for any part of an antler. Not all areas are created equal, but once you find a good area, it should produce for years to come. These are the first places I look. The best places to find shed antlers are areas that hold deer during certain parts of their daily routine, which increases the likelihood of you finding antlers. In most parts of the whitetail range, winter browse is actually a much more important part of a whitetail’s diet than any food plot or agricultural field. Tips on finding shed antlers for someone with an untrained eye. Other states simply won't let you take them. Now we’ll talk about the other main area you’re likely to find most of your shed antlers. Rather, itâs about the shed antlers of deer and moose that you may find while wandering around in the boreal forests of this continent. Rodents, squirels and porcupines will chew the antlers to gain the protein or minerals from the bone. You need to pretty much stick to trails and beds to find them. The majority of deer drop their antlers anywhere from mid-January to the end of February. It's no different than actually hunting the animal. Fields or thick cover that get plenty of afternoon sunshine produce better on these years. That particular “horn” just helped fuel the passion. Staring out the window of the enclosed tractor can get pretty monotonous while unseen groundhog holes will break you out of your zombie like trance. That’s a great way to really increase your odds of finding a shed antler! From shop TheAntlerStack. Once moose antlers hit the ground they will begin to deteriorate and loose the colour that the moose had adorned them with. Your email address will not be published. I'm assuming the younger bulls carried longer that year as they were all small 4 & 5 point bulls. In the winter, it’s pretty easy to find these bedding areas too because you can see the beds in the snow or matted grass. Be prepared for when these situations arise. What do we mean by browse? Whitetail antlers are definitely hitting the ground across the country, as you can probably tell from social media updates. One last thing, Spring is a great time to be outdoors. This shed antler hunting season, don’t take the scatter gun approach by looking everywhere. The best places to find shed antlers are areas that hold deer during certain parts of their daily routine, which increases the likelihood of you finding antlers. Starting with posts of the year!!! I checked it out and started to get my gear ready. That should be obvious, given how many mature bucks have been taken out of a Muddy Box Blind perched on the edge of a corn field. Ultimately that means you could find more shed antlers ⦠Those after moose antlers may pour over aerial maps or study GoogleEarth to find openings and disturbances such as recent logging ⦠Deer that don't live in ag country will winter in sagebrush flats. Spring also brings violent thunderstorms and blizzards that can leave you stranded for days. Many of the key principles that apply to whitetail, and mule deer shed antler hunting are also important when looking for elk sheds. True, the older bulls probably dropped in early April but waiting those extra few weeks will probably result in double the horns being packed out. There has been a TV show about it, hundreds of articles and many trespassing incidents that lead to arrests. In the winter, deer need thick thermal cover to protect them from the cold temperatures and winds. If you’re a deer hunter or any kind of outdoors-lover, you’re probably racking up some miles on your boots right about now in the pursuit of shed antlers. Every state is different on how to legally handle this. Location of prime shed hunting grounds usually revolves around snow. Somewhere between feed and bedding areas, there will be antlers. Some states require a warden visit the site of the find, while others require you to purchase a salvage tag when bringing it home. This is important since deer hooves sink right through deep snow; this sheltered spot offers a break from the otherwise difficult travel conditions. Always let someone know where you will be and what your intentions are. I have heard that, some guys were finding sheds around Christmas this past year. While you might be able to find young growth areas on your property, they will likely be scattered around and hard to pinpoint a specific location. The reason being that, it's easier for deer to eat browse that's 3-5 feet off the ground, than it is for them to dig through the snow to get to leftover corn and beans. I was addicted to antlers long before that find. Luckily, there are several great places to find shed antlers that you can pinpoint before you even leave the house. We clean and cut to perfect size! Our dogs are highly trained in locating shed antlers through the forests of Maine. Simply walk these corridors from one end to the other, paying particular attention to areas with obstacles across the trail. Browse and leftover acorns, beechnuts and moss growing on trees may be the only food source available. Among our products you will find: Trophy racks of North America, including: Whitetail and Mule Deer, Elk and Moose Trophy shed sets and single sheds Real Rattling Antlers for the serious hunter; All types of North American Craft Antlers ⦠I also follow likely travel routes back to bedding cover. Basically, any palatable woody species can be called browse, but some of the winter favorites include maples, oaks, basswood, fruit trees, white pine, and white cedar. It’s a warmer-than-average winter in many parts of the country, the snow has mostly melted, and it’s the perfect time to get out there and check the woods. You would have to sell an awful lot of bone to pay some of the fines that are being handed out. Deer are in survival mode and don't want to use any more energy than necessary. In areas where deep snow and severe cold cause deer to “yard up”, you may want to try thick stands of cedar or other evergreen trees. This is a great time to test out new hunting gear, especially boots. Deer may occasionally shift to bed on the southern edges of spruce plantations so they can soak up the sun’s warmth while being protected from the north’s icy winds. Fields of winter wheat or fall canola are probably the easiest places to find sheds. The Elk Migration: What It Means for Your Hunt, Let 'em Grow: Doe Meat Can Fill The Freezer. In much of the Midwest, corn and soybean fields are king when it comes to deer nutrition. I like to glass these areas once a week if possible. It was during one of these rough “wake-up calls” that I glimpsed a curved white bone jutting out of the orchard grass. They feed in the warmest parts of the day, in the warmest locations that have feed. December through February is prime time to hunt for ⦠If you can find a standing corn or bean field in the winter, you can be sure the deer will travel for miles around to gorge themselves. Antler prices over the last five years have been averaging about $13.00 per pound. If interested in selling your antlers and to find ⦠They use these wintering areas year after year. 95 ⦠The last thing you want to do is go walking through their primary feeding grounds before the antlers hit the ground. EDIT: I have received confirmation from fish and wildlife that it's perfectly legal to pick up antler sheds. We parked at this little spot and found where a coyote had left a part of a moose skull. Trails and bedding areas should not be hard to define. Deer are adapted to rest during the day and feed throughout the night. These ridges have very little timber. On a previous years' bean fields, I walk the edge and glass towards the middle of the field. It feels like looking for an actual needle in a haystack after a while. With all the deer gathering in these fields, you have a much better chance of finding a shed. Low elevation drainages also produce sheds. I don't like going into good elk areas until after the 1st of May. Nine of them had new antlers growing; one of the nine had four new points per side, and the other nine bulls were still carrying last year's racks. Elk shed hunting is not that unlike finding shed antlers of whitetails. If you don’t have any fields, you can also try supplemental feeders. They are often planted with switchgrass, big bluestem, or Indian grass, which are very tall, upright, and clump-forming. Mule deer and elk often gather in wintering areas â making finding sheds ⦠After hours and hours of shed hunting, I found my first one from the seat of a tractor! Now, you can browse through a broad range of authentic moose antlers for sale. When to go shed hunting is a tricky question. Last year's white antlers ⦠$490.00 + shipping . People often overlook food plots for shed hunting. If they were cut a few years ago, there should be lots of additional growth too. Keep your distance so you don't disturb them. Pine forests with a tall canopy help filter out snow, which keeps the snow levels in the understory very shallow. It can be really intimidating if you own a very large property or look primarily on vast public lands; where do you even begin to search for something so small in an area so big? In addition, to further protect the Gunnison sage-grouse, the new regulations include a time-of-day closure in the Gunnison Basin May 1 - 15 from sunset to 10 a.m. Walking around the flats and the barren hills could turn up a pack frame worth of bone. Between the bedding and feeding areas, there will often be pretty dominant travel corridors the deer use. But while everyone is consumed with the idea of looking for these magical shed antlers, they often get confused about where to look for shed antlers. If you can get to them before winter wheat and native grasses start to grow, you can cover these areas in a quarter of the time it takes once green up occurs. Shed antler ‘poaching’ has become a major problem in many areas, especially where trophy bucks and bulls roam. As testosterone surges in male moose, around September, the velvet will shed (see video) and the antler bone hardens. When you start searching in these high-priority locations first, you can eliminate huge areas that have very little potential. https://www.gomuddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/best-places-to-find-shed-antlers_Feature.jpg, https://www.gomuddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Muddy_Logo_shadow-Low.png. Cornfields, while often the most rewarding, are also the hardest because the stalks camouflage the ⦠Fence rows, overgrown ditches and thickets are good places too. They make up the majority of a deer’s diet during certain parts of the year, and are full of carbohydrates and protein, respectively. If not, I already have a good feel for where to start looking. Always ask permission before going. When you start searching in these high-priority locations first, you can eliminate huge areas that have very little potential. I stood on the clutch and brake to get the tractor stopped, threw it in neutral and jumped out the door! You'd be surprised at the number of antlers ranchers pick up in their hay yards. Since they are usually located in close proximity to agricultural fields and make for a convenient bedding area, it’s always worth checking out one of these fields. Since deer would typically drop their antlers in a feeding area during the night, you’d have a great chance at finding a fresh deer antler before anyone else if you’re up against other public land shed hunters. Unlike elk, deer drop their antlers before much of the snow melts off. © Copyright - Muddy Outdoors - Powered by, Shed Hunting | The Pros and Cons of Finding “Dead Heads”, The Power of Perennials | Spring Food Plots. Spend time looking through your binos to see where bucks and bulls are feeding in the evening. Take a look through and see if any places come to mind on the land you shed hunt. 5 out of 5 stars (150) 150 reviews $ 87.00. Running the animals around is not good for your shed hunting opportunities or their health. Deer will bed down in the same general area for the majority of the day. That being said, you’ll want to wait to check out any bedding areas for shed antlers until you know that bucks have dropped them, simply because you can chase them to a neighboring property before they’re ready. The most accurate way is to use trail cameras for shed hunting. If you are a moose antler junkie and marvel at the idea of finding antlers from these monarchs of the north woods then an antler hunt is the fix for you. But when they are harvested each fall, deer need to instead scavenge waste grain on the ground. As we mentioned above, recently clear-cut areas provide tons of downed trees and limbs to offer a lot of concealment for whitetails. It's a pretty safe bet to start walking your best areas out by mid-March. So this season go out there and find your very own antler sheds! It makes sense then that deer are more likely to shed antlers in one of these two areas since that’s simply where they spend most of their time. States that use salt and other ice melting chemicals often melt snow in the medians and on the grass just off the shoulder of the road. Make sure you check the regs before venturing out. Serious antler hunters have strategies for finding sheds. Deer will feed on the baled hay and eventually knock them off during the process. You want to wait long enough that most of the bucks have dropped but not too long that the spring green up will make them hard to find. If you hinge-cut the trees, it will become a thick area that can act as both a bedding and feeding area. Shed hunting has become very popular over the last few years. As males age, their antlers grow in bigger each year. Finding a moose shed is a great treat for anyone that is of a mind to find them. Travel routes between winter and summer hangouts is where I concentrate my efforts. Using that knowledge, we know that deer will spend the majority of their day bedded down somewhere and the majority of their night feeding somewhere. That makes Bloomquistâs benevolence to the Ericksons and Pionks even more remarkable. Focus instead on these high-priority areas alone and take the time you need to look more thoroughly. I like to follow game trails up the mountain as they parallel the creek bottom and zigzag the side hills on my way back down. Finding antlers before they become sheds can greatly increase your odds. Alfalfa and stubble fields of grain, are key locations. They provide plenty of browse and good bedding cover. More importantly, fields like these are such a powerful magnet for whitetails that you could find shed antlers from deer you’ve never even seen on your property before. High efficiency is critical if you’re dealing with huge properties and want to find some deer sheds before the mice, squirrels, and porcupines chew them up or another hunter finds them. If you are interested in looking for moose sheds, but have no idea where to start, check out my article on 21 Awesome Tips for Shed ⦠These places melt out quicker, therefore offering up new growth sooner. I have found antlers as early as mid-January, but Iâve found that March and April are the best time to find white-tailed deer sheds. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands ... Moose Antler Shed Set Horns Sheds ⦠These trails are very easy to notice in the winter, whether there is snow on the ground or not. We are starting off with Adam and Tana's shed hunting adventures for moose antlers. Finding antlers before they become sheds can greatly increase your odds. The Pro-Cam 12 is a great trail camera that you can use throughout the year to keep tabs on the deer herd. Ultimately that means you could find more shed antlers in less time, making you a much more efficient shed hunter. If you focus on the areas above, you should come out ahead when it comes to the search for shed antlers. Thanks for the tips . You’ll want to leave most oaks and fruit trees that provide mast for deer, which will further enhance it as a feeding area. Country music played on the radio as countless windrows of hay were consumed by the New Holland round baler. The snow helps track the deer and ⦠Hazel or dogwood thickets offer a similar benefit on undisturbed upland sites, while alder or willow swamps are the equivalents for wetland sites. Points and I was baling hay for my uncle piece of bone at time. Whitetail antlers are purchased at a price per pound and brown elk antlers average 12... The brush that surrounds field edges prime shed hunting adventures for moose sheds just like you have. 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Bulls carried longer that year as they will begin to deteriorate and loose the colour that moose., corn and soybean fields are king when it comes to deer.. ¦ Our dogs are highly trained in locating shed antlers that unlike finding shed antlers recap on deer.
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