An Introduction to the Sport of Shed/Antler Hunting

Like most activities, shed hunting for dropped deer antlers seems pretty simple from the outside. Can it really be that hard to walk around the woods and stumble across a single shed antler? In my experience, that would be a resounding YES! I can understand why someone inexperienced in the world of shed hunting would think that it's easy to be successful. In the grand scheme of things, you really do just have to do your due diligence and spend hours and hours walking the woods and forests searching. Unless of course you have one of those paradise properties at your disposal that has dozens of bucks shedding their antlers and no other competition of people encroaching upon your territory. That is a completely different story but even still it's not a guaranteed success.

Why do the deer drop their antlers?

First off, antler sheds are a part of nature that happens to any male deer of any deer species. The shed antlers do not injure the deer in any way, they will bleed a little bit but that's it. a real basic rundown of the science behind antler sheds in one word would be daylight. Think of it as a certain threshold of testosterone. The amount of daylight drops the testosterone of the deer and once it drops below the threshold the antlers drop. This is also responsible for one of the most celebrated times of deer hunting...The Rut! The same situation the amount of daylight raises the testosterone of the deer, once it passes a certain threshold, the rut is on! Thats a very bland explanation but hopefully it gets the point across.

When to search?

I know a lot of men and women who go out searching for sheds come the springtime. But springtime is a pretty broad term. I have seen some start at the end of January. They have the time and the will power to put in the maximum amount of effort to find that FIRST shed of the year. They go early to avoid any competition of other people going to the same spot. Most of the time, across the country, deer start dropping in December or January all the way to the end of April in some cases. Anytime in between is a completely valid time to go take a walk in the woods and find your very own antler sheds. Personally though, I go the last week of February into early March. I am lucky enough to have some private land at my disposal, so I am not too concerned about other hunters coming on and taking the sheds I covet. On the other hand, if you are searching on public land, I will do this sometimes, you need to go early and often. Start at the first week of February and rewalk the same spot multiple times a week until well into March. Extremely competitive land coupled with never knowing what day a deer might drop its antlers forces you to go often.

Overall Thoughts

Shed hunting, like all nature activities is affected by many factors. How much competition do you have in the area? When was the last snowfall? How much snow? Snow means the antlers are buried until the snow melts again and unfortunately in the Midwest snow can last up until early April. When the snow melts GET OUT THERE!!! It is also affected by the laws of nature. Each animal has its own cycle. You won't walk in the woods and see every buck had dropped its antlers the same day. In the end though, miles of walking equals a pile of antlers. Take advantage of the good weather and go get that white gold!