Shed Hunting Strategy
Massachusetts
I think we revisit this yearly... But thought I'd start it again for any who are new/ish to shed hunting.
This year I'm still with an zero burger on the shed finding, so be it. It's not an easy deal. It's also a situation where finding the sheds of a 4.5+ YO are a lot easier than the sheds of a 1.5YO, the opposite of hunting :)!
That all said, historically, my best places are:
1.) S or SW facing slopes.
2.) Those slopes being super ideal if they have hemlock cover on them or adjacent to them.
3.) Pockets of heavy mast, especially in years when the overall acorn production is ok. The best trees tend to have deer on them much of the winter and those areas become great to check.
4.) Obstacles on well used winter runs. IE, stream crossings, wall crossings, log hops etc. Anything that causes deer to perhaps speed up or slow some what quickly - even gully crosses or the short steep hills they may trot down v walk down.
5.) Bedding areas
6.) Apple trees in heavy apple years - they love them once well frozen.
7.) around bittersweet vine, they love the berries and the vines are so nasty they can tangle with the antlers and pull them off.
8.) While it's not worked this year for me, I know a lot of folks finding antlers this year around powerlines, clear cuts / slashes done recently. With so few nuts in the center/west of the state this year, that browse is all they have to key on so those have been relative "hot" spots this year.
How about you guys - any areas you love to check most for sheds?
Thanks Will for all these tips, I'm terrible at she'd hunting. I'm like a child at a carnival when she'd hunting I'm all over the place! Wish I could add some tips but other than from what I hear from successful she'd hunters is put in the hours and Miles!
I have been out hiking 4-5 time since season is over. I have found a set and a side but hey, I'm thinking with all the bucks taken this year the sheds will be fewer! I always seem to stumble onto them, kinda like deer all of a sudden they just there! Usually find them in thick wet areas were late season bucks go to hide.
Hmmmm that's a good one DD... Especially with the early drop a lot of bucks seemed to have this year. Escape cover. I like it!
Idk much about shed hunting just my experiences. I guess a dog would be a huge help! Last two sets of 8 points I found were in swampy thick areas. One set was perfectly placed next to each other. I kinda look for them as I hike , more for exercise . It amazes me how they just appear.
DD - it is funny isnt it. You look at 40 sticks and think they are antlers... but then you see an antler and realize there is NO doubt how they look. It's like, when you hunt, and every squirrel sounds like a deer, then you hear a deer, it's 250yds away and takes 10' to appear but at no point was there a doubt, they just sound different :) ha ha ha!
I haven't been very successful finding sheds for the most part. I have however found two sets of sheds in the exact same bed, two years in a row. Not just the same bedding area, but the exact same bed. It's a little hemlock thicket on a point that extends outward from a steep ridge.
Thanks for those tips, Will. I'll definitely be trying to put them into practice.
Yea I could only dream of hearing deer! Hell I can barely hear squirrels. Is that bad? I have to see them . My hearing has always been bad, and my eyes used to be 20/20. I wear glasses now. About 10+ years ago before I had a lot of stands, I was ground hunting with bow and I came up to edge of swamp quietly . As I scanned the swamp grass I thought I could see a deer bedded and looking right at me, I stared for minutes thinking is it a deer or not ? I stayed locked on it, seemed forever , then it got up! it was a deer a 6pt. It stretched took a few steps turning broad side. I instinctively knocked an arrow drew back held my 45 pin 1/2” over the back and touched it off . I heard it hit , wack! The deer walked a few steps and disappear behind brush I could see a tree shakin , I’m like wtf is that? I wait a few minutes and trudge though the water get over there . I find my arrow all bloody. I follow his trail into brush 10-15 yards and there he is leaning up against a tree looking at me . It was heart shot. Deer did not go 10 yards. We stared at each other for over 15 minutes. I was not positive it was a deer until it stood up, very fortunate. I practice. If one puts their boots on the ground enough sooner or later you will experience some memorable hunts!
This year because of the lack of food fields have been producing well and with the long lasting rut found a bunch on scrape lines cloudy and rainy days make spotting them alot easier also
