Time to Hunt for Shed Deer Antlers
BuckManager.com | Breeding and Rutting Activity, Non-typical Stuff
If you’re like most deer hunters, you spend the majority of your time in the woods during the fall and winter of each year. However, the habitat that deer live in, just like the animals themselves, are found there year-round — so get out and explore it, learn more about it, and find some shed antlers!
With spring just around the corner and whitetail bucks starting to shed antlers, there is a good opportunity to learn more about your hunting area and the deer that live there. Most hunters get excited when bucks start growing their antlers each year — it’s a chance to witness the impact of past management and look forward to future harvests. It really is something to get pumped up about.
But on the other hand, there are those hunters that get excited as the hunting season ends. It marks the fact that soon bucks will be dropping their coveted antlers. You know, there are ways to get a huge set of antlers on your wall other than shooting the big boy. He may have eluded you during the season, but you can still find his shed antlers!
Click to enlarge.
Finding shed deer antlers not only ends with great rewards you get to take home, but also with some valuable information you can tuck away in your back pocket for next season. Information such as the quality of bucks that made it through the last hunting season, the number of different bucks that were in the area, and specific areas that these bucks used while in your area.
Shed antlers also allow you to physically track bucks that you may have been keeping a close eye on. Measurements that can be taken from year to year include common measurements such as beam length, tine length, and mass measurements.
A few tips to increase your chances of finding deer sheds:
- Look in and around late-season food plots.
- Examine travel corridors and water sources.
- Use a game camera to ensure most bucks have shed.
- Don’t wait too long. Rodents will eat and destroy antlers due to the coveted minerals they contain. In addition, warming weather will spur grass growth and make finding antlers more difficult.
- Keep an eye out for new hunting locations.
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This is my third year hunting sheds and I’m not about to get skunked now. Does anyone know if the Illinois bucks have started dropping their antlers yet or do you think it’s still too early? I know it’s not an exact science, but I thought maybe some of you more experienced hunters could help me out.
Al | Feb 12, 2009 | Reply
How about South Central Pennsylvania? Is it too early to find antler sheds? When do bucks begin losing their antlers in this area? Thanks to anyone with info on this.
Mike | Feb 13, 2009 | Reply
Bucks are dropping antlers in Ohio. I found a match set today.
Eli | Feb 15, 2009 | Reply
I live Northern Missouri and I’ve found fresh shed antlers already, have seen some whitetail bucks with half-racks, and seen big deer still with their racks. I’ve found most of my sheds just over fences they’ve jumped or tried to squeeze though.
Charlie | Feb 16, 2009 | Reply
I live in Ohio. When is the best time to start looking for sheds in southwest Ohio? Any help appreciated!
shawn | Feb 21, 2009 | Reply
I have found 2 nice sets of antlers and my dad has found some too. We went out in mid-January and into this month we are having great luck. It’s a great, cold winter this year.
Brian Wheaton | Mar 2, 2009 | Reply
I am in Iowa and I’ve found 35 sheds this year. One set scored 182 and the other good set I found went 160. Yeah, the bucks were dropping their antlers pretty early this year. Found my first one on January 1, but around this time its really getting good. Good luck everyone.
luke | Mar 4, 2009 | Reply
I have found 4 shed sides and even a complete skull already. And some friends have been finding sheds for about 3 weeks now. We are located in Fulton County, Illinois.
Mike D | Mar 12, 2009 | Reply
I have just started getting into shed hunting over the last couple of years. We have two different locations we hunt whitetails here in southeastern Arkansas. One area is a relativly narrow but long tract of old oaks and hickory surrounded by bean and wheat fields and cattle pastures. The other land is 160 acres of old hardwoods and thick bottoms with a large bayou running right through the middle of the property. Being new to shed hunting, I was just looking for some tips to improve our success rate at finding the sheds. Anyone with ideas can shoot them my way at shabbythat@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Chris Cunningham | Mar 28, 2009 | Reply
Hey man, there is very little chance of finding antler sheds in Arkansas. Too much cover for the deer, and also very few deer down there. But anyways, look in bedding areas, places where they feed, and deer trails moving in and out of food sources. You might come across a few sheds this way. Nothing big–the reason for that is you are in Arkansas man, not Iowa!
Luke | Apr 20, 2009 | Reply
I’m 14 and only found 1 shed my whole life, a five point. I got my first whitetail buck on December 29, 2009. It was a nice 10 pointer. I’m in Ohio, so what time do bucks lose their antlers around here? I’m kinda new at this so, I can use all the help I can get! Thanks.
Jensen | Feb 14, 2010 | Reply
White-tailed deer do shed their antlers at different times of the year depending upon where they live. Much of this has to do with the environment, which is related to latitude. In general, you have the best chances of finding shed antlers after the majority of bucks have lost their antlers.
If you head out too early, only a small percentage of bucks will have lost their antlers, making it difficult or next to impossible to stumble across any. If you wait too late, then the new-growth spring vegetation gets too thick, and you can’t see anything. As such, I recommend searching for antlers right at spring green-up. This gives you a good window because the maximum number of antlers will be on the ground and you will have your best chance at seeing them. When things just begin to turn green, brown antlers stand out on a bed of green.
This effect will not be the same in forested areas where the ground is devoid of growth, but it still offers your best shot at locating shed antlers.
Buck Manager | Feb 14, 2010 | Reply
The whitetail deer population in Arkansas is not the problem. We have good deer numbers. Landscape and groundcover, maybe. Just because we are not in Iowa does not mean there are no deer here.
Robert | Feb 25, 2010 | Reply
It’s Friday, Febuary 26th here in Arkansas and this morning 12 or better deer have just walked past my kitchen window. Nary a rack on any of them. A few have white “spots” where their antlers should have been, so I’m assuming that at least here in Northwest Arkansas the deer have shed. I’m going looking and will report back.
Steve | Feb 26, 2010 | Reply
Steve, thanks for the report. I’m sure the shed hunters in your area will appreciate the information. Let us know what you find!
Buck Manager | Feb 26, 2010 | Reply
Yeah, I know. I did too! Great find!
John | Feb 28, 2010 | Reply
Hello, I’m from western Maryland I just saw a buck tonight along the road and he was still carrying his rack. I was very surpised. I also hunt in Southeast Ohio, so anyone from that area please let me know if the bucks are dropping so I can plan a trip. Thanks!
Alan Crawford | Mar 8, 2010 | Reply
Hello, I’m 15 and have ben shed hunting many areas around southern Ohio and have yet to find one shed. This is my first year looking for sheds. I lived most of my life in Texas, but I did shoot my first deer, a doe, in Ohio this year. I was wondering when deer drop there antlers in Ohio and and where I should look to find them?
Tyler R. | Mar 8, 2010 | Reply