Finding any sheds?
Wisconsin
Anybody finding any antler sheds yet?
Spent most of the weekend in the woods and came up snake eyes:(
Took a short walk yesterday, nothing. Still 3-4 weeks from prime time for sheds on our land.
Phil, I found this one tucked back in the woods, There are 3 sets of antlers hanging on the back wall.
Phil, I found this one tucked back in the woods, There are 3 sets of antlers hanging on the back wall.
Larry, somebody had to do it. You did not let me down.
heres my son w/ his first shed, the dog is really excited about it too. My brother hunting on the ground had this buck at 30yds buck it busted him drawing. We never saw this buck before, can't wait to find the other side
Anybody finding anything?
Trapper, you beat me to it.
Years ago when BOWSITE was first starting up I posted a similar post with an old shed and windows broken out. You should have heard the flaming I got for that post. Even then some guys could not take a joke.
Walked into my bathroom this morning and my moose toothbrush holder had shed his antlers ;^)
I introduced my German Shepard pup the day we got him to horns. He loves them and is constantly chewing on them or carrying them around the house. Later I began throwing them in the backyard and eventually hiding them in the brush for him to find. He just turned 1 yr old and he has found 3 sheds already this winter. Unfortunately I was not with him for any of his finds. Wife was with him when he dug first one out of snow, and son was walking him when he found a matching set. Wish I had been there, but he's off to a good start!
Lots of bucks still carrying here in Door/Kewaunee counties, I'd say majority based on what I've seen in fields (groups of up to five bucks with both sides out feeding). Did see a couple very large deer from a distance with "spread ear look" of a big old buck and nothing on top, and get a shot of this dandy, too, mid-month (buck in photo linked with article).
Linked the story on another thread, so no need to click that one. Here's the buck photo of the big half-racker. Looked super cool running off with just that one side. I was hoping it would fall with every bound!
I checked my camera this morning and had 5 bucks with full racks. The deer are in the radishes and winter rye fields.
we found the other side this weekend. I taught me daughter to drive the smowmobile so I could really look for horns. Sure enough found it tines down in the snow just 2" of curved beam sticking out.
WD, What's the story behind that sign? Lol
I was trimming some walnut trees today. On the way out I almost stepped on a shed. Average 8 with the G2 chewed off.
Two days ago I started trimming those same trees and must have walked right past this shed. That day there was no deer sign. Following day there were tracks, droppings, and beds all over the area where I was trimming. Didn't see that they browsed on the trimmed branches. Today I finished trimming and no new tracks found.
:) Kyle, that's a souvenir from bachelor parties past...
No sheds but spent the day Sunday prepping trees for next season, hinge cutting in bedding areas, clearing trails etc... The deer seem to be on our land pretty heavily this winter. It is probably due to all the thermal cover we have. Walked all the trails going into the neighbors partially standing corn. I leave a camera in a very obvious spot near the entrance to our land. Went to check it and the card was gone. Trespassers are bad enough. But thieving trespassers deserve an ass kicking.
RutnStrut,
What have you planted for thermal cover on your property?
Jackpine, we have 3 different "pine plantations" areas of varying ages. The oldest is 30 plus and needs to be harvested. One is about 19 years and another is 25. These are all old farm fields. They were planted before I had anything to do with the land. But I like how the two areas on top of the ridge were planted with other trees mixed in. Those areas are thick as heck and the bucks love it.
Off subject so I apologize in advance, but related to last post... speaking of pine harvest, can anyone recommend a reputable logger in the marquette/ green lake county area. Please PM me so as not to take this thread too far off subject.
"Woodsdweller, no pics of all the sheds that were jumping out at you?"
Come on WD show us pics of all your sheds.
will hopefully find some more but the snow will have to start going the other direction
Where are you finding all these sheds RC? Bedding areas, fields, corn piles?
I'm surprised about private property.
UTAH — In an unprecedented move, the Division of Wildlife Resources has issued its first statewide order closing all counties in the state to the gathering of shed antlers.
DWR Director Greg Sheehan signed the emergency closure order Thursday, superseding a Jan. 31 emergency amendment to the 2017 Big Game Application Guidebook. The initial order closed shed antler gathers in 11 of Utah’s 29 counties but the superseding order expands the closure to the entire state.
Closing shed antler gathering statewide “will eliminate a major source of human-caused disturbance to deer and elk during the periods they are most exposed and vulnerable,” states the order signed by Sheehan.
The Feb. 2 order closes shed antler gathering in all of Utah’s counties — on both public and private land — until April 1. Those caught gathering shed antlers anywhere in the state before April 1 will be cited, the order states.
Closing shed antler gathering should reduce the stress the animals are under and help more of them survive the harsh winter, DWR said in a statement.
Once the order is rescinded and antler-gathering on public land is again allowed, DWR officials remind the public to complete the required DWR’s free shed antler gathering course. The course will teach you how to gather shed antlers in a way that doesn’t disturb deer, elk and moose and doesn’t damage their habitat.
Still holding tight by us. I did have one that had lost a side, otherwise everything else had full racks. 2/10-2/20 is prime time for sheds on our farm.
I'm sure Woodsdweller, picked up a truckload of sheds yesterday.
Rjn would be nice to know what county,,,,,, thanks
Saw one that dropped, but haven't found his sheds yet.
So no one has any pictures of antlers except for Wausau and CH finding moose antlers? This year is weak. Bucks still holding on by me. April will be the time here.
Marquette county--checked all my cams last Thursday. All bucks still holding. Surprised me not one had shed a side yet.
In an effort to crack down on trespassing and the illegal collection of antlers in the western states, many sheds are now being "planted" which carry transmitters and microchips. This enables wildlife officers to track where they have been collected, and channels of sale. Pretty interesting. Wyoming has had some news regarding their efforts.
its very interesting how the drop dates are so different throughout the state. Southern Clark Cnty is always dropped by first week of Jan.
Looked all day Sunday and nada, zip, zilch. To rub salt in my wounds as I was closing the cabin gate last night two bucks that had dropped trotted across the road right in front of me! Maybe with the temps this week all the snow will melt and the sheds will stand out like sore thumbs....I hope....would be nice to find one.
I spent the weekend scouting in Iowa and I saw a big buck still sporting his headgear...
I saw four bucks together on Friday evening, two of which had their antlers yet... Spent yesterday afternoon out with one of my sons and didn't find a shed, however did see another buck on the hoof carrying a decent set around yet. South facing slopes are really opening up in a hurry with the sun we've had the past three days here.
Richland Cty, spent a limited amount of time looking for sheds and found none. However, saw two smaller bucks during the day with antlers and a couple very nice ones at night while driving.
Was pulling stands not looking for sheds, but little black dog was digging at the snow and this was underneath. She also found another small one.
I gotta get me one of those shed dogs!
I can hook you up South Farm . Summer of 2018.
You're killing me Trapper, I just had to put my best friend of almost 16 years down in September :^(
"I can hook you up South Farm . Summer of 2018."
Trapper if you have any that aren't spoken for I would be interested. I had to put my Lab down 2 years ago last month. Our Lab/Boxer mix is getting long in the tooth so the timing would be perfect.
Nothing better than a good Lab!!!!
We put our 7 year old female lab, Bailey, down on 12-5-2016. She had a fast growing and aggressive brain tumor. Three weeks from initial diagnosis until death. Started with partial blindness to full blindness to walking in circles to full blown seizures. Extremely difficult times. We still have her brother, Chip. We are going on our 42nd year of marriage and we have had lab retrievers all of that time. Great companions for us. I sympathize with everyone else that have lost their pet.
VERY tempting Trapper, but still not ready for a new dog after putting the old Beagle down a while back. I guess I just kind of like to dream right now..
Trapper....any of your labs find sheds buried in the snow? Do they find them by smell or by sight?
Went for a drive last night and the 1st deer I saw was a 17-18" wide 8ptr. Ended up seeing about 40 deer. I did find one 5pt side last weekend.
Found 4 today with the lil ones in southern sauk county. All 4 were within a 30yd area biggest about 40" second biggest 30" the best find was the my youngest found a baby fork and the oldest found the other half a minute later. 2.5 yrs of age and 8. Very good day for us
Big buck went down by my house the other day, via car, and of course they guy wanted it,,,, I was not there, but a friend who stopped on his way to work said, it was a high 140 bruiser, that crushed the front end bad
Going out this pm, for sheds and goofing around
Found half of a 6 pointer on my lawn yesterday. I bet if I went into the bedding area I would find a few but I am resisting going in there.
Kid found one this weekend along with his prize jawbones I couldn't convince him to leave behind. LOL! We walked and walked and walked but this was the first and only for us this year...and now they're talking major snow for the weekend so might be a while before we find another one.
Great stuff, gents! Awesome time of the year to get the young hunting future out into the woods and teach them some valued learning points.
We put on a few miles here yesterday covering a few different types of terrain looking through beds as well as travel corridors. Lots of good sign. Finally, were rewarded near the end of the walk with a little five point, which will keep you coming back for more. One of my boys asked me whether the odds were better on trails, feeding areas, or beds... I didn't have a good answer as I have found probably equal or close to over the years. Any thoughts?
They are still rutting down here. He and another buck were pushing 11 does heavy for 20 minutes. He tried breeding the same doe multiple times and almost succeeded once until the other buck came into the mix. This is the latest I've ever seen
Most of the ones I've found were in bedding areas or anyplace where they have to jump...like over a big log, a creek bank, or fence. I've found so few in open hardwoods that I hardly bother looking there anymore. Having said that, I'm way behind on finds this season compared to other years...maybe less bucks around??
When I pulled my SD card last week I had two smaller bucks fighting, I thought that was odd.
Rjn are you in a area with a high doe population? That is my guess to the madness
Noc- our neighbor owns 380 acres and will only shoot a Booner or nothing, no does. So yes, there is between 30-60 deer in his field at night.
MF, By smell. See my previous picture on February 14th. The shed was the size of a cigar and a bunch of us were out for a walk and someone said I think Skyy is into something. We watched her nose around 6" deep leaves for a bit and she came back with that little horn. I was prouder than if she would have brought back half of a 10 point.
Rutnstrut, other than 2 close friends and my daughter no one else knows that I will be getting her bred next February. Shhhhh, not even my wife. LOL
Cheesehead, sorry to hear. I put down my 14 year old Brittany last March. Skyy is only 2 1/2 now.
MF, She found this one under snow this past weekend.
me and my lab just got back from being out all day, public land,,,,, he is an excellent bird dog, not bad on sheds, but he was trained well for birds,,,,,,, but he does pick things up, and guess what he screwed around with today,,,,, after rolling around on a dead deer he found, he also found an empty canister of nose jammer,,,,, too funny
I took another look at what I said was a half rack from a 6 pointer. The darn thing has 5 points on it and the 'main' beam is all of maybe 10 inches long. More droppings around here than I have ever seen. (in Minnesota, not Hayward)
Slightly off topic questions, I see all the dog photos and was wondering if there is any concern with dogs scent chasing deer away? Does it play a role this early on? I know some guys who won't let people let alone dogs near their hunting spots.
No offense, but if deer ran every whiff of canine they'd be running all over non-stop where we hunt. I don't think in the off season it really much matters as there's plenty time for the deer to settle down before season. I wish I had a shed dog. Someday!
So far only found 1 - a nice big one - 1st week of January.
Willert, As much as I love having my dog by my side, 30 days before Bow season opens I do not take her along any longer. Actually I limit myself to just before a rain storm for camera checks etc. also.
Thanks for the info trapper, maybe I'll take the pup for a walk with me.
Got One! Out with 1.5 yr old Brittany.
While on stand one year, during the prime rut, I had two dogs scent trail me to my tree stand just after sunrise. I did not alert them to my presents as they sniffed and walked all over the vicinity. Although extremely disappointed I had deer walk by all day, including a very nice buck that I would have shot if it would been any closer. Not one deer seemed alarmed by the fact that dogs were just there only hours before. Had the same thing happen when coyotes travel through the area, deer just don't pay attention or are alerted to the scent. They face danger every day of there lives and know when danger is close that they should be aware of or concerned at the time.
Found this in a pasture a week ago.
I've never heard of people "trapping" sheds before but then I ran across these photos.
Thoughts?
How did the sheds get into the enclosed portion of that? Not saying it's not real but doesn't make sense. It's a great idea if it works. In addition can you do this in a non baiting county after season?
In my experience those enclosures don't work. The timing has to perfect for that buck to drop when there feeding there. In fact, I'd say there actually kind of dangerous, because a buck most likely will get his horns tangled in those and it could get ugly fast. One hour his horns are firmly attached, next hour they fall off. It happens that fast folks.
If you have a buck visiting regularly, I would walk the trails to and from and nearby bedding areas to find horns.
I'm finally on the board. After walking 10 miles on public in the last week and finding 0, walked our private today and was finally rewarded with these.
Nice job grunter.... always nice seeing pictures.. Were they laying side by side?
Yeah the pair was sitting in his bed. He was laying on top of a knoll, getting good sun and had a excellent view of the surroundings. Definitely not a spot to be if it's super cold or storming, as there were no thermal advantages or wind blockage. I should note there was also a down tree, which I'm sure help make him feel safe. I've found a few nice horns next to down trees on a south slope. Even if it's just a slight south slope, those bucks realize they can get alot of warmth laying there.
Not to often a guy gets to see a match laying side by side. I've covered a ton of ground already. Mostly scouting but trying to find some antlers too. I'm at a big zero so far. Usually I would have found something by now.
My dogs are not like trapper's. We grid walked my entire 50 acre hunting area and came up w/ a total of zero. Then made a quick pass through the 38 acre SNA and got skunked again. Next weekend we are going to grid walk that same SNA and I'm hoping that a more thorough inspection of that area will yield at least one shed. I'm still 0for lifetime on shed hunting.
Woodsdweller, based on your previous posts on this thread you should have a nice sized pile by now. Will you share a pic or two?
Still early for us Crusader
Don't loose heart yet.
Woods,,, Glunker, Grunter, trapper and wound channel have all posted pics of their success without any negative comments. Those guys have only found one or two. I don't see how posting a pic or two of your finds would cause someone to have anything negative to say about you. If anything it may shut some of your anti's up. At least on this thread. But, your antlers, your choice.
Tweed, this was only my first time out this year so I'm not losing heart yet. I was hopeful though because I haven't seen any antlered deer on my early morning drives in a couple weeks so I am figuring chances are good of this being prime dropping time for us down here. I was also hoping one of my dogs would surprise me and make a find like trappers.
Kylet, did you have to saw them off or did they pull right off? Where there any visible wounds on that buck? It's kinda sad when you find one like that, he'd have been pretty nice this year.
Woods, it's not that big of deal. I like seeing them but not that bad. I already get too damn many emails.
Nice job kylet..
They're still holding on by us crusader. I wouldn't stomp the ground just yet or you could hurt your chances when they do.
I put 10 miles on foot scouting yesterday in the big woods and didn't find any sheds. Although I stomped new ground. But..... I'm a terrible shed hunter anyways.
I could say I filled a truck pile full of sheds but you guys wouldn't believe me unless I had a picture. Right woods? Hahaha!!! Jk..... I'll start finding some sheds here in the next 3 weeks or so.. I'll be taking a week off of work starting Friday to finish up my scouting efforts for the upcoming season. Good luck guys. Noc out....
$20 a pound!!! Screw that. I'm keeping what I find. My wife actually let me put the one my son found this fall on the fireplace mantle. Our deer heads are relegated to the basement office. I'm going to search again next weekend. And all subsequent weekends until I find a shed (or summer comes). I am on a mission now!
CD, you need to start a Crusade to recover your forfeited man card!
I'm just going to go out on a limb and assume that, Mrs. Crusader provides things that are much more pleasing to Crusader than whatever satisfaction one can get from looking at some old antlers......
You old guys remember what that was like??? 8^)
SHE SHURE DOES Tweed! I'll never pay money for a shed antler. Even if it takes my whole life to find a damn spike that would be worth more to me than buying one someone else put the work in for.
BOHUNTER, I gave that card up a long time ago. No regrets. As long as I can hunt in the fall and golf whenever I want(aside from sat aft and sundays) I am a happy man. I've attended all four of my guy friends weddings as a married man and I've now seen the last one sign his divorce papers. I'll give up that card every time if it means having the life I do! She still lets me pretend to be "the man" at the poker table and on the golf course.
Actually Golf courses are great places to find sheds. Next time you slice one check the brush for sheds instead of your ball. Imagine both at the same time and then going home to your wife....Priceless. BTW.....Call ahead so I can get out on time...........Just kidding. lol
Right on Crusader, happy wife, happy life. I was just pulling your chain. Good luck shed hunting!
+1 crusader about to donate my man card this summer and you nailed it.
It's easier to ask for forgiveness. Than it is for permission.
Veteran of 37 years of marriage.
Ah words to live by Drop Tine. I say that often
I'm on the board with two so far
Another. Good run. With my. Latest invention. The Antler. Findanother. 79.99. Three day delivery guaranteed!
Some great horns guys!
Mindbender-those are really nice! Funny how you found 5 left sides and only 1 right side. What County? Man I'd be out there trying to match em up.
Noc-congrats buddy, I bet you were pumped! Those look real nice too!
Kylet-you also found some dandies. And a hanger to boot! That one by the tractor looks really nice
Still a zero for me. I think my dogs like rolling in fresh deer pee more than searching for their sheds;-) they had a great walk and so did I.
A couple of proud labradors with their finds.
Finally starting to see some half racks. But a few still holding. I think after we get our rain we should start seeing a big drop.
I was out at a few different properties with my dogs for four hrs Sunday. Nothing.
Played 27 holes of golf yesterday and spent a lot of time checking the woods next to the course but found none. I'll be going again this Sunday if weather permits.
My hunting partner on his way to work yesterday at 620am had to stop for two deer that crossed the road in front of him. First was a doe and second was a 6 pointer still with his headgear attached. That's the latest I have heard of a buck carrying here in Calumet County.
Found a small half of an eight point and lots of big wolf tracks around yesterday in an afternoon of scouting in northern Bayfield. Also, pulled a trail camera that was out all winter and batteries were still going strong. My second trail camera was stolen. There is some real low-life out there. Surprisingly, the ticks were not an issue.
Here's one of four I found while scouting for turkeys. Third biggest for the year. . .
If that is the 3rd biggest I'd like to see the 2 that are bigger. That one is big.
