Whats everyones favorite strategy for shed hunting? Time? Area? Setup? Im new to shed hunting and could use some pointers. Thanks guys!
Strategy? I don't know that one can have a strategy for finding sheds. But I guess it would be "boot rubber".. that's the strategy. Put on the miles and put in the hours and you will find some bone. What to look for? Preferred food sources. Where you have been seeing deer feed in during the winter is where you should start. Hit those food sources hard and about every 1 or 2 weeks after sheds start to drop. Only hitting the food sources so as not to push the already stressed and bedded deer. Once most antlers have fallen.. start trailing back into the bedding.. concentrating on the bedding that's closest to the food first. Paying close attention to deadfalls and the such on south or east facing hillsides. Anywhere a buck can bed and get sun. They LOVE the sun when it's cold. Continue these steps over and over and over again. If you're not exhausting your legs.. you're not looking hard enough. Good luck.. and remember.. sheddin' like pimpin' ain't easy.
What Dukemichaels said, but a few other things that help. Take a pair of binoculars with you. Will cut down on the false alerts. Get out after a fresh snow (within a few days) it will help figure out where the deer are, as opposed to looking on trails that have been established for a few weeks, but haven't been used for awhile. Even if you don't have fresh snow, don't be afraid to get out in the snow, (even if it is deep) you will then have an idea on where to look once the snow goes down and the old sheds start showing themselves. I found one last year in an area that was pounded flat once the snow went out, buried in the muck, The area I had found this shed in I had been through dozens of times, high deer activity, but the trails were basically ice they were compressed so much. If it is an area of alot of deer sign, work it over hard, pick a line on one edge and walk it, come back 10-15 yards deeper, then repeat, try to make sure you cover it all. I took about 5 hours last year and walked out a small pine stand (about 100 yards wide x 300 yards long) went every other row, ended up finding 7 sheds that day, nothing big, but I feel pretty confident I didn't miss any that were showing through the snow. Don't forget to watch your feet, I have found sheds while literally standing on them. Go slow, stop once in awhile and just look around from one spot, after you go through what you think should have been a promising area stop and look behind you, sometimes on the way through they are not visible until and you wont see them until you change your viewing angle. If you have access to a old shed, take it with you and throw it out in front of you, or if you are feeling risky, throw it over a shoulder, then try and find it, it will help train your eye to look for them. Southern exposures, bedding areas and food sources and all points in between. And be prepared to put the miles in
