Written By - Art Wedge - 05/26/2007
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Like many deer hunters, I hit the field just as much (if not more) after season is done. Getting out with my bow or gun is just a small piece of the hunting puzzle. I enjoy hunting for shed Antlers after the last of the snow starts to melt and the winter temperatures fade as spring rolls in. For those of you who may not know, male whitetail deer (bucks) drop or shed their antlers at the end of every winter and grow a new set of antlers during the coming spring and summer months. I love walking through fields and searching in the timber trying to find the antlers that bucks who survived the past hunting season. It gives me a chance to survey the woods, get close to animals (if I am fortunate) as well as (when all things come together) finding the antlers that I am hunting.

I am telling you what, those things are in no way easy to find; if you have ever been shed hunting you can probably relate to my last statement. You practically have to trip over the blasted things. First of all they are sitting on the forest floor potentially being covered by fallen tree branches, shrubs, bushes, grass or whatever else may occupy your deer woods. Now if you have been romping around the same patch of woods for a number of years and have found hot spots that traditionally hold holds, count yourself among the fortunate. For those of you who are like me, and have a heck of a time locating sheds let me give you a couple of tips on where to start looking on your property for the all elusive shed antler.

The first place I target is the core bedding areas. During the regular season these are no no\'s and are avoided at all costs where I hunt. Deer need to have a sanctuary that they can run to if they bust you. If you invade this area you run the risk of pushing the deer off your property for the rest of your season. After season is overÊI have no problem walking through these areas because there is plenty of time for things to settle down before I start hunting again. Plus they are great starting points when I go shed hunting.

The next area that I look for are thick transition points. These will generally be the travel routes from the buckÕs core bedding area to food or water. The reason I target these is because the thick over hanging branches have a good chance of knocking off a loose antler off the top of a buck\'s head.

Another prime area that I go looking for sheds in is areas of food, especially standing corn. If you have a standing corn field on your farm, you can just about count on finding sheds in there - you just have to look closely. The deer have plenty of cover to feel safe in and have food all in one spot. Take your time going up and down corn rows; there will probably be a needled or two in the haystack so to speak.

The last areas that I target right away are small open fields in the middle of the timber. If you have these little honey holes you can just about guarantee bucks are traveling these grassy fields on a regular basis. Deer prefer the path of least resistance, and will travel through a set aside field or open grassy area (especially in the evening hours when they can move easier without being seen) because of the ease that they can move. Sheds are especially hard to locate due to the fact that they will probably be covered up by grasses, so you will want to take plenty of time covering these sections.

One other thing I keep my eye out for (especially in the first few weeks after the beginning of the New Year) is blotches of blood near deer beds. This is a clear indication that a buck has recently dropped his sheds and you are probably in the right area.

Shed hunting is not easy, but it sure is fun. Not to mention that it gives you another reason to get back out in the deer woods and \"hunt\" after another quarry of sorts.