The world's biggest shed hunt, the Shed Rally, has got good potential. It is known for some great natural landscapes that are beautiful and wide antlers' vast arrays, be it small or big. Shed hunting is a sort of an unusual pastime which most of the Americans haven't heard of.
Between the cold shades of woods in the winter and the frozen farmlands, men, as well as women with their children, spread out between January and April to look for and retrieve the shed that is elusive. These sheds are left over by animals like mule deer, elk, and whitetail deer.
We have got perfect tips for you which would help you in your debut shed hunting voyage! Get set and pack your hunting equipment.
1) Gather sufficient info about the animal
The deer family usually sheds the antlers between mid-January and mid-March. Begin the process by searching the sheds near food sources that are generally preferred by deer. If you find that food source, you will find the sheds too. Since food is limited during winter, deer usually feed aggressively and the bucks usually shed during such processes. If you have been used to methods of hunting deer, you would know about the animal really well and that will definitely help!
2) Study the spot well
You might not be allowed to enter large private properties. It is completely okay as most people are not allowed too. However, public spots like national forests, state forests, parks could be searched. Most people don't go shed hunting in public spots as they think it will already be picked. This could not entirely be true. To begin with, you should first check back in a public spot while you go for shed hunting. You must look for remote places which are out of reach wherein a Buck could hide. With permission and legal allowances, you can go for shed hunting in natural reserves and public areas.
3) Find fence, find antlers!
You should try to relate to an animal, this is not really a hard deduction. For instance, if you walked 300 yards straight, but only come across one fence. When is it that you would lose something out of your pocket? When you jump a fence! Same is the case with the animals. Creek crossings, fence jumps, and steep ravines are places where the wildlife can jostle and let the antlers loose.
4) Carry necessary hunting equipment
Shed hunting may take you to open country as well as woods. Once you come across your first shed, you would know that you have accumulated a lot of knowledge about wildlife as well as their traits. Besides, you would get some workouts for your body too. You could use a pedometer that can track your shed hunting and would give you statistics about how much you could walk in a day and at what pace. Forests and fields are usually wet during winter and you must compulsorily wear boots so that your feet are kept warm and dry. Binoculars will help you cover the grounds quicker. Hence, such hunting equipment is mandatory.
5) Look for a pair
If you have been in hunting deer, you already know a lot about them. You don't really have to celebrate the victory the moment you come across an antler. Every antler would have a partner. You must find the other half and it could be found if you go around the place. In most cases, the other half is nearby only. It's just like knowing that the second shoe isn't really far if the person has lost one shoe. When a shed is dropped, the bucks generally get rid of the other.
6) Sunshine
At times, elks, deer or other animals are just like humans. They could be found in the places with ample amount of sunlight. Deer love to sunbathe and warm up themselves with the sunlight. You can search for sheds in such places too.
All set? If you have any queries, let us know in comments!
