Shed hunting
Contributors to this thread:Connecticut
From: Brian M.
09-Jan-20
I'm training my son's Lab to find sheds. I placed a dead road kill 4pt in my woods a few weeks ago. Today I went and cut the antlers off, and dropped them at the edge of the lawn on the way back. When I let her out a few minutes later, it took about 30 seconds to find the first one. She brought it to me, and I sent her back to get the other. That one only took about a minute. Can't wait to get her into the woods. She's 11 months old.
Anybody else using a dog? Anyone hunting sheds yet, with or without dog?
From: Treebeard
09-Jan-20
Been looking but haven’t found any yet. I’d bring my dog but a hawk might fly off with him.
From: soapdish
09-Jan-20
I will be when I go
From: Bigbuckbob
09-Jan-20
Lab's are great dogs, you should do great and it's so fun to watch them work
From: ohdeer
10-Jan-20
Been out a few times. Nothing yet. I saw 2 bucks together a few days ago while I was out scouting. Both still holding antlers. My Dog has been very helpful shed hunting. Sadly one of my great local spots does not allow dogs so it's just me and the binoculars.
From: Brian M.
10-Jan-20
Today's lesson didn't go as well. Practically had to point them out for her. The first one she didn't want to give me, the other she just sniffed and wouldn't pick up (she chewed on that one for an hour this morning). She's been chewing on one since she was 8 weeks old. Some days I think she's a genius, other days as dumb as a rock, lol.
Then and now.
From: Brian M.
10-Jan-20
From: Bigbuckbob
10-Jan-20
Yeah but look how cute! You have to make it fun for them. Expect them to be a stupid puppy once in a while and she'll be more eager to please.
From: soapdish
10-Jan-20
Should have got a German shorthair lol...good times
From: nehunter
10-Jan-20
My buddy was training his retriever and only used sheds without human odor.
That way they are not searching for something you touched. Makes sense to me. So if you find a shed use rubber gloves and train without touching it.
From: soapdish
11-Jan-20
had a buck show back up on my camera last night, still has his rack
From: soapdish
11-Jan-20
As I was typing, my camera sent me a picture. I guess his ears were ringing lol
From: Eric the Red
11-Jan-20
Saw two bucks cross the road this morning on the way to work. Full headgear....
From: SmoothieJonez
23-Jan-20
Fair to say this buck is still holding his antlers
From: longbeard
23-Jan-20
There you go Smoothie! Get after him!!
From: Bigbuckbob
23-Jan-20
This reminds me, I gotta build a shed for my daughter. Thanks
From: SILVERADO
25-Jan-20
95% of my bucks are still holding both sides. I don’t even start til end of February/March.
From: InRut-KB-Bowhunter
27-Jan-20
i just checked pics from yesterday cam in Shelton all new 5 bucks all have both sides 1-26-2020
From: Will
27-Jan-20
Our new pup loves the shed's I let her chew. We got an "antler" training kit that she likes too. It's a little kit to help them learn to look for and track down antlers. Frankly, I got it before letting her play with some sheds, and I suspect doing the latter would be all it takes. She's only 17weeks old but can find an antler in our house any where, and at least on the couple walks in likely spots we have taken, she's very interested and clearly sniffing... So I'm hopeful. She's Blackmouth Cur, goofy little creature!
End point, for all my efforts to try and decipher good way's to find sheds... I'm already confident long term she will find more than I ever have!
From: ohdeer
27-Jan-20
Went out scouting yesterday. Saw 4 or 5 different bucks. All headgear still on. One buck was a huge 8 point. I'm really going to target those sheds!
From: N8tureBoy
27-Jan-20
I went to Hooters.... Still a lot of racks
From: Hunter3
31-Jan-20
Question: Do the bucks make rubs in an attempt to have the antler fall off? The last couple of times I've been in the woods, I've seen many more rubs in the areas I hunted.
From: 2bucks
31-Jan-20
I once found both sides of an 11 pt in a pricker bush looked like he stuck his head in a shook them off.
From: longbeard
31-Jan-20
No. Those rubs are without a doubt in response to a doe coming into heat late in the year
From: Notme
31-Jan-20
Shaking one off in a pricker bush is not advisable according to the cdc ..YAWZEEE
From: Bigbuckbob
31-Jan-20
Notme, wait! Then why do they call them pricker bushes?
From: Notme
31-Jan-20
I'm not sure but I think its origins are from slobavia..a term endearment a father would use towards his son
From: Rackem
01-Feb-20
It's because they prick you!
From: Sheds
01-Feb-20
Finally starting to pick some up
From: Sheds
01-Feb-20
From: deerstalker
01-Feb-20
Nice job with the sheds ! Never had much luck, Any pointers to improve? THX this time of the year it gets so boring, need something to do.
From: longbeard
01-Feb-20
Still packin as of last night
From: Bigbuckbob
01-Feb-20
I like getting them in November,..... when they're moving.
From: Sheds
01-Feb-20
Out of 27 cameras that we are still running more than 50% are on the ground alot fell in the last week
From: soapdish
01-Feb-20
Deer just showed back up on my camera tonight, antlers dropped.
From: Brian M.
02-Feb-20
Drove past my new property yesterday afternoon, six deer in the field. Four were bald, don't know if does or bucks, but the other two had full racks.
From: soapdish
03-Feb-20
Just got this picture this morning
From: soapdish
11-Feb-20
Still hanging on
From: soapdish
11-Feb-20
And this guy.
From: soapdish
11-Feb-20
Guess I'm not going shed hunting tomorrow lol
From: longbeard
11-Feb-20
Yup most of mine still carrying also Soap
From: Notme
11-Feb-20
No sheds only bone..4th one on this property..haven't seen a deer in months since the bobcat moved in
From: Sheds
11-Feb-20
It's getting better alot more on the ground
From: Sheds
11-Feb-20
From: Sheds
11-Feb-20
From: Sheds
11-Feb-20
25 sheds so far this season 16 fresh ones
From: Sheds
11-Feb-20
25 sheds so far this season 16 fresh ones
From: soapdish
12-Feb-20
Crazy
From: Bloodtrail
12-Feb-20
Sheds, you’re in NY finding these, correct? I thought you mentioned that a while ago. Lots of unbroken land to walk on.
From: Sheds
12-Feb-20
I have been back and forth between Fairfield county and Westchester
From: SILVERADO
12-Feb-20
All mine are still holding. Get pic ms every night of them on cell cam. Come on
From: longbeard
12-Feb-20
I haven’t gotten one confirmed picture yet of a deer that shed in both Fairfield and Westchester county where I hunt. In fact I got a picture on Saturday with 5 bucks in one picture
From: Sheds
12-Feb-20
There are definitely some still holding, but there are alot down. Between me and a few of my hunting partners we have a couple dozen fresh sheds from the local towns.
From: Bloodtrail
12-Feb-20
Sheds, what are some tips you can share? I’ve got thousands of acres of state land to walk. I imagine your properties are much much smaller and private?? I’ve only found few over the years and all by accident.
From: Rich
12-Feb-20
2 walks out in my woods last Tuesday and then Sunday, and 9 miles covered. Only found one and it was clearly a couple years old. Jumped countless deer and a full racked buck just before getting back to house. Northern Fairfield.
From: SILVERADO
12-Feb-20
Still holding
From: Gene
13-Feb-20
Found these about 8 feet apart while turkey turkey hunting in the spring of 2015. Never did see that buck although I tried! This was in Washington Ct.
From: Sheds
15-Feb-20
Quite day only two in a couple hours in Ridgefield
From: soapdish
16-Feb-20
Still hanging.....more impressive is the battery life on my spypoint
From: SILVERADO
16-Feb-20
Soap i love my spypoints.
From: Sheds
17-Feb-20
It's getting better a few more fresh one's today
From: Bloodtrail
17-Feb-20
Sheds, how much private land do you have.....or are you just walking wherever you want? I only ask because I know how much state land I cover and I don’t know anyone who finds what you find. Thanks for some tips.
From: Sheds
17-Feb-20
Most of the sheds this year are parks in Fairfield I haven't gone to far yet mostly Redding Ridgefield Danbury Wilton and a little bit north and south salem
From: Bloodtrail
17-Feb-20
Sweet. Thanks!
From: soapdish
17-Feb-20
I think that your walking through a game farm lol
From: Notme
18-Feb-20
I found 12 full Heineken bottles in a shed in Fairfield yesterday does that count?
From: BBB
18-Feb-20
notme, you have a problem! In order for those 12 heinies to count they must EMPTY, not full. Not sure what you can do about it ;)
From: airrow
19-Feb-20
airrow's Link
From: SILVERADO
20-Feb-20
First shed today, only part was his other side was attatched and so was the skull. Oh well cool find hope he’s bigger next year. J/K lol. Fortunately he was found on public lands, so not one of my bucks. Probably a roadkill.
From: soapdish
20-Feb-20
It'll make a nice European mount
From: Bigbuckbob
21-Feb-20
Went out today, nothing found. Beautiful day though.
From: SILVERADO
21-Feb-20
I went out as well, logged about 2.5 miles. Probably covering some of the same areas as sheds. Lol, no wonder I didnt find any.
From: Sheds
21-Feb-20
It's been quite for me too my last 3x out 31 miles and one old one that's it. I plan on doing at least 15-20 miles this weekend so hoping for the best I still can't find anything that might be big enough to hunt next year
From: SILVERADO
21-Feb-20
My bucks are still holding in my spots it’s insane.
From: Sheds
22-Feb-20
Only one fresh today
From: SILVERADO
22-Feb-20
Dang bud shed hunting machine.
From: Sheds
22-Feb-20
It's just alot of time and effort don't get discouraged if ur don't have alot of fresh sign leave and go somewhere else
From: Sheds
22-Feb-20
Two more tiny ones before the day is over
From: Sheds
22-Feb-20
Two more tiny ones before the day is over
From: 2bucks
22-Feb-20
found this 1 today
From: Brian M.
24-Feb-20
Went out yesterday after work for about two hours at my newest property that I picked up in Oct. Found 4 or 5 mylar balloons, 2 1/2 tennis balls, two golf balls, a jug, a few beer cans and other garbage, and a football in the field on the way out. I should've brought a bag with me. I turned one of the balloons into a bag but once full it started to rip. After throwing it all into the back of my truck, I headed in again in different direction for just another 20 minutes or so. I found a dead garter snake on the deer trail, looks like a deer stepped on his head. Otherwise I thought it was still alive. I don't get to find too many properties that have trails like this, I LIKE IT. The whole property is full of heavily used deer trails. A good problem to have, I just have to figure out which trails to use. This trail is only about 20 yards from the road though. I stepped off the trail to look over a marshy area and saw white. The only time I find matching antlers is when they look like this. Most likely hit by car.
