Tips to finding a few more sheds | Sports | hampshirereview.com – Hampshire Review

Throughout the past 10-15 years, shed hunting has become increasingly popular amongst hunters across the country. Once hunting season ends, shed season begins and if you want to find that white gold, here are a few things that I have found to work. With that being said, I am not exactly a master at the craft, but I certainly spend a lot of time doing it.

1. Scout Early - Theres about a 2-3 month period in which just about every buck in your area will shed his antlers and waiting until late March or April may not be the most efficient thing to do. In order to make the most of your shed hunting opportunities, you need to start scouting in January at the latest. If you hunt in an area that sees a decent amount of snow throughout the winter, January is the best time to scout. You can see what travel patterns the deer are on and which food sources theyre hitting the most.

If you wait until March, and base your shed hunting strategy on where the deer were in October and November, youre in for some potentially long and shed-less walks. But if you do your homework in January and know where the deer are traveling the most, you could have some of the best shed hunting days ahead of you.

2. When You Should Be Looking - Rainy days and cold days when the snow is packed down hard, are typically the best days to go shed hunting.

The gloominess that comes on rainy days makes the antlers pop out a bit more than on sunny or partly cloudy days. The rain might make the trip a little miserable, but once you realize how much better it is for finding sheds, itll pay off.

Another great time to look for sheds is in the hard-packed snow. This typically helps the trails, beds and feeding areas stand out a bit more.

Not to mention that any fresh sheds will usually just be sitting on the top of the snow, waiting to be found!

3. Always Have Binoculars With You - As a hunter and outdoorsman, its always a good idea to have binoculars with you when in the field, or in your truck. Being able to scan areas for potential sheds makes for less walking and more efficient shed hunting trips.

Even when driving around in your truck, its smart to have a set of optics handy. When something out in a field catches your eye, its nice to have some binoculars there to check it out, instead of potentially trespassing and finding out its just a stick. If you can identify it as a shed from afar, you can now find the landowner or farming and ask for permission to shed hunt. Regular non-hunters are more likely to allow you to shed hunt than deer hunt. And who knows, maybe after a year or 2 of just shed hunting, the landowner might allow you to start deer hunting that spot.

4. Look for A Piece Of An Antler, Not The Whole Thing - The most successful shed hunters out there, are the best at picking out a shed by just seeing a single tine sticking up, or the telltale curve of a main beam. If youre expecting to scan an area and see the full antler, youre going to miss a lot of those hidden gems.

Most of the time sheds are either buried in snow, covered in grass or leaves, or just stuck down in mud and dirt. So if you look for a piece of an antler, and not the whole thing, youre going to be way more successful doing it that way.

5. Start Looking In the Obvious Spots - Food sources, thick cover, heavily used trails... These are all some of the best and most obvious spots to start looking. Deer spend a majority of their time during the winter going from food sources to bedding areas. So hit those spots 1st and youll be able to find some of the easier sheds.

Another great spot that is often overlooked is any south-facing hillside. These areas get more sun during the winter and are generally used for bedding or browsing. After hitting your main food sources and heavily used trails, dont forget to check your south-facing hillsides.

6. Dont Be Afraid Of the Overlooked Areas - Dont be deterred by those odd spots, especially on public land. Why not check those trails that run close to the parking area? What about that big swampy area? If there are a couple of small islands of dry land amongst a large wetland, those could be the perfect spots to find a big old bucks sheds.

Even those little ravines in a big open field that youve never seen a deer use. Most of these places are overlooked by the average shed hunter, but they shouldnt be overlooked by you. Part of the challenge of shed hunting, especially on public land, is hitting those random areas where a desperate buck wanders around when looking for food in the late winter. So dont miss those overlooked areas.

7. Dont Be Afraid To Ask For Permission - You shouldnt be afraid to talk to a new landowner, especially a farmer. Shed antlers getting stuck in big, expensive tractor tires can cause major headaches for a farmer. Even if you are in an area that is heavily hunted, not every hunter looks for sheds. The promise of removing sheds from ag fields, and potentially saving a few tractor tires are bound to get you permission on a new piece.

And who knows, maybe that farmer isnt on the best of terms with whoever currently hunts there, and is looking for a way to kick them off his farmland. Landowners and farmers are more likely to allow you to shed hunt a spot once or twice, instead of deer hunt an area all fall. So dont be afraid to ask for permission. The worst thing they can do is say no.

8. Always Use A Mobile Mapping App - Using an app like HuntStand or OnX to keep track of exactly where youve walked, and where youve been, is the best way to stay efficient. Where you think youve walked, and where you actually walk, can be more different than you think. You may not realize it, but using an app can help you figure out all the spots that you havent checked, even though you thought you already did.

More often than not, youll come home after a long day of shed hunting, thinking that youve scoured your property from north to south. When in actuality, there are a few large areas youve missed. Using a mapping app can help you hit those spots and find the sheds that you would have missed if you werent using an app.

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Tips to finding a few more sheds | Sports | hampshirereview.com - Hampshire Review