Went for a short walk this past weekend down in MD. Only had about an hour to look and went to one of my best spots. Truthfully, I was looking for old sheds while optimistically looking for freshies... I cam up empty. On my walk I came across several nice rubs, a few carcasses, jumped over a dozen nice bucks and saw one of my target bucks. some rubs: Dead head and carcasses: The thicket has matured nicely over the last 10-15 years and should be really good this season!! Super excited to get back in there beginning of Feb.
here are a few pictures from yesterday.. just scenic, I didn't find any sheds. I havnt put a lot of time into NJ in the past. I grew up in MD and thus gravitate there when the antlers really start falling. IL holds another special spot in my schedule. That aside, I generally pick up 5-6 NJ sheds each year.. this year I plan on blowing that average out of the water!! Time will tell. Horizontal rub on a fallen tree.
I was able to get out for a few hours this afternoon and picked up my first freshie of the season. On my walk I saw 2 red fox, 30-35 deer, 5-6 shed bucks, 1 nice 8pt, 1 slammer by NE starndards (160 class 10pt), 3half racks, several dead heads and a few carcass's.
Very nice Dave and congrats on the first freshie! You took some great pics. I got on the board this weekend as well with an old chewed up one. All that was left was the pedicle and main beam. That horizontal tree rub is gnarly!
Last weekend we were down in MD. We were down for my cousins baby shower but I had to get a walk in. With my Mr. Man in tow.. I hit the woods last Saturday I saw 2 dozen bucks still backing but didnt see the big non-typical I was looking for. He might have dropped or was just being elusive. Here are some pictures from last Saturday. Big Rub: Doe carcass: no antlers but was only out for 1.5 hours.
Last Sunday I was able to get out again. Rather then head back to my honey hole after seeing all the bucks still holding and the fresh blanket of snow on the ground, I decided to hit up a new spot not far from my inlaws. It was a good walk that turned up a nice dead head and I was able to locate several bedding areas. I marked them on my GPS and will be returning in several weeks to see what I can turn up. This property is pretty big so next trip down I am going to check out the southern run of the property. the dead head: some big rubs and fields: Some internal fields back in the timber: some beds: empty shelter:
My wife had something to do yesterday but I wanted to get out and walk locally (NJ). My buddy Dave joined my Son and I yesterday which was nice. I headed to a spot that looked good 3 weeks ago and where I found my first freshie of the year. An hour or so into our walk and was able to turn up freshie # 2.. and the first shed I have found with my son. Also came across a few dead deer, a few nice rubs and saw plenty of deer (most were shed out except a few small bucks). Old dead head.. one side was sawed off and the other broken side remained: New carcass since last walk in this spot 3 weeks ago: Bunch of deer and a little buck reminding me its still a bit early: This rub was really worked: On the way out I wanted to hit this spot where there were a bunch of deer bedded around a blow down 3 weeks ago. Some of you may know that Hurricane Sandy left a mess of tangled tops and trees through out the woods. The deer seem to be gravitating towards these new structures like this dead buck that found his final resting spot among this top. His antlers lay just feet away. His bases were red but not bloody and nothing was obvious as to what killed him. It was cold, my son was sleeping in on my back, the sun was setting and it wasn't the time to be rolling around a dead deer. I was going to go back today and check him out but with the fresh snow on the ground, I didnt feel up to it. Group shot:
Made it out this past Saturday. New spot produced two sheds from last year. This one had been sitting next to a trail. Left a mark on the ground when I picked it up so I am sure a coyote or other animal didn't move it here recently. The match was in some ivy under some pines. The match together again. Another dead shed buck. The other antler was pretty secure so its still laying there. Weird fire pit I came across. Not too far away was this little shelter. Not sure if its kids play or something else. I really liked the area this trail back trailed into but will need my knee high boots to get back in there next time. This is where the trail comes from but it gets really swampy real quick on the other side of that blow down. Heading down to MD this weekend and hopping to get some shedding in. Up to 7 for the season but that's half of what I had this time last year.
Feb 23, 2013 Was down in MD for the weekend. Headed out early in the morning because we had plans to meet up with family in the afternoon. Went to a farm I used to pick up 25-30 sheds a season at but no one answered the door. Decided to head to a local farm and put some miles on but came up empty. Sure did move around a lot of deer and came across some really nice sign, didn't notice any bucks holding. creek crossing Cut Soybean Grassy knoll by a small vineyard Under-matured pine plantation Feb 24, 2013 Had some things to do in the morning before heading back to NJ but wanted to try knocking on the landowners door again at the farm. He remembered me after several years, told me the invite is still open, told me no one else shed hunts his land and pointed told me they they pulled an antler out of a tire a few weeks back running a trail in between fields clearing out the downed trees and branches. I was told to come back soon as there have been dozens of bucks seen in the lower rye fields and its been to wet to ride down with the truck to check for antlers. They do not collect antlers, they just don't want them in the tires. Can't wait to get back down there soon.
March 2, 2013 Stayed close to home this weekend. Meet up with a good friend Saturday morning and walked a few spots but came up empty. Good walk with my buddy and happy to see him getting around well. balled up hide from another carcass dead shed buck big hooves on this one but it was missing shoulders, neck and head dead doe weird growth on a tree.. it was the size of a beach ball In the afternoon I headed to a spot I always see deer while driving for work. Its a small piece but thought it might produce and produce it did!! I picked up four sheds in two hours. What I thought was a small property actually opened up into a rather large piece of land. bunch of purses?? rubbed up bamboo this grassy spot looked awesome an oldie but a shed coyote den beautiful brown shed bunch of rubs where multiple habitats come together I took this picture of shed # 10 and as I knelt down to take a picture of it from another angle, I knelt on the match laying just a few feet away.. the set as they lay.. I didnt see the one on the left until I knelt on it. hero shot
March 3, 2013 Did some things around the house Sunday morning and took my neighbor out for a walk with me in the afternoon. We couldn't be all day so we headed for another spot I have been thinking about. I don't know what I was expecting but this place was thick!! What looked like awesome cedar groves from afar and on Google Earth were actually jungles of blow downs from Sandy. This place was nasty but at the same time I knew if we found a shed it would likely be a nice one. The place just had that special feel to it. We walked through some of the nastiest stuff I have walked in a long time and made the decision to start looping back. My neighbor is not a hunter and although he was being a good sport, I knew it he wouldn't be able to take much more of the briars, swamp and climbing over trees. As we looped back we came across a oak ridge and I remember telling my neighbor, "you see how much better this looks? Leaf litter, Oaks, higher ground and laurel". We didn't spend a lot of time there but this ridge runs East and West and I know there are some sheds hiding on that ridge. As I was coming off the North side of the ridge working back to the truck I saw a nice antler laying up ahead.. man was I stoked!! Its a nice piece but really a light antler. I fully expected this antler to have some weight to it but its light as a feather. Another beautiful brown
With the snow on Thursday and Friday, we decided to head to MD for the weekend. It didn't take long and I started to come across dead heads and carcass's this one had been laying there awhile This farm was so different than I remember it. BGE had put a new pipeline through the property. This used to be a beautiful oak ridge and now has a fifty foot wide gas line cut This used to be a big bedding area where I would find 10-15 sheds each year more dead heads I don't know if it will show in the picture, but this is a really big rub!! Six miles and came across my first shed of the trip. Its an oldie but has good mass This used to be a hardwoods corner with a nice thicket over that little ridge.. good for a few sheds a year. Found this five point freshie with some dried blood on the base just up the creek That new gravel road sure did make a pretty creek crossing A few minutes later I came across this old rub and old shed laying next to it Up to 15 sheds now for the year and am heading to Illinois next week for a week of camping, shedding and scouting.
Great thread, your having a heck of a season so far! Congratulations. The purses and little meth den were strange, but the sheds are awesome! Keep em coming.
