The sheds you find, where was that buck living previously? You shed hunters preach this allot that where you find his sheds Is key to next years hunting. I'm not sold on that. I think this only goes for areas that have great food sources that keep these bucks In there home areas In the winter months. Areas such as mine will get allot of snow In the winter and deer will yard up. I may find sheds from a buck that came from 5 miles down the road. Your thoughts?
Where I find sheds has usually no indication of where to hunt a buck. But finding sheds over the years and the 100's of hours and the countless miles gives one a perspective on the BIG picture of hunting a whitetail. An inside track on whats going on really.. as opposed to the picture one gets when he/she just hunts and scouts. Finding shed sides 1 mile apart gives you ALOT of info. on bucks in general. And why ones 100 acres may only be suitable to hunt at certain times of the year. A shed is like a rub or a scrape.. even a funnel.. but with the exact fingerprint of the buck who left it and why he was there. It allows the shed finder to stop guessing (which is whats happening when hunting) and start knowing.. possibly understanding. When a shed is found in a spot.. it's no longer well.. maybe this scrape was made by this buck.. when a shed is found.. it WAS the buck. You can't get this info. from anything else in hunting.. except maybe a photo... MAYBE. And even that's FAR from what you can get while sheddin'.
Isn't finding a nice shed In an area where deer don't group up something to me happy about? It's telling you something. Unlike In my case where I could have a buck shed an antler that's never been In my woods before being he's there for food along with the other 100 deer that grouped up there from miles away. Get what I'm saying?
Why do you assume whitetail do not yard near me as well? I said nothing of the sort. No.. finding a shed in an area deer are not grouping up is not always a good reason to hunt him there. When you find the shed.. you have to think about it a little and common sense will prevail.
Did I miss something? Sorry Schultzy if you took what I was saying as an insult.. it wasn't. I'm confused. Huh?
Schultzy This is going to be a bit long so bear with me. Shed hunting is a great scouting venture... 1. It tells me what bucks made it through hunting season. It will give me a good idea how old he is and if I want to target him for next fall. 2. While it doesn't tell me exactly where this buck is next fall usually... it does give me a good idea what area he is in for summer scouting. Granted I hunt a big area so it is more of a help then someone hunting only a few acres. 3. I get to know the area much better by tromping it. Great for learning new areas and refreshing up on old area. I don't need to worry about sneaking in as I would during summer scouting or during hunting season. Getting in and out of an area undetected is key for me in this open country during hnting season. Since it is so important to me... I want to know where the drainage ditches, knolls, dips and ect... are at. 4. We have found sheds of certain bucks 2 or 3 years in a row in the same area. It gives me an insight on where they like to winter for late season hunting. Also since I know he is still a live... I've got a good idea where to find him the next summer and fall from previous summer scoutings. Shed hunting is just part of the puzzle for some of us. Duke is spot on with his reply. It's how I look at it also. Tim
Guys, Thanks for your replys. The big reason I asked this question Is that finding sheds In states or area's that deer don't group/yard up In can be a great Inventory on whats In your woods or area. Most likely these are your bucks and not someone else's bucks from many miles away. When a person finds a shed In an area where deer yard up from many miles away you get wondering If that's a buck of your woods or from many miles away. Finding a 70" shed would get one's heart pounding but at the same time ya got to wonder how far away this deer came from and most likely will never be back In your woods again or maybe not again till next winter when the snow gets deep again and there's food at this same place again. I see It allot on hunting forums where someone finds a shed and most of the replys to the person who found the shed are "Good luck on hunting him next year". That statement to me Is sometimes funny when made, specially In yarded up area's. I guess what I'm trying to say Is the years that the deer don't group or yard up In my area/woods and I find a good shed It will excite me more knowing that the buck that shed this nice antler could very well be a buck of my woods and not one from 10 miles away.
Steve, I agree with you that what a shed will teach depends on a ton on where you are in the country. In the part of Illinois I am in, shed hunting is a very important scouting tool for several reasons. 1. This time of year, the deer are still using the same travel patterns/areas they utilize during the season (once crops are off). Summer patterns are so misleading because the bucks are grouped up and running together. Much different than during the season. 2. A shed will tell me what bucks I have to hunt next year. The deer do not yard up in this part of the State unless we get a really bad winter, which has not been the case so far. So, if I find a 70" shed, that will tell me that I have a 140"-150" deer to hunt next year, unless he is hit by a car or something along those lines. 3. Depending on where I found the shed, it can give me ideas (a starting point) for hunting him next year. It is a real big deal if I find them in a bedding area, but not so much so if I find them in a cut corn field, as crop rotation is something you have to keep in mind.
Sometimes it's just going out for the exersize and a walk in the woods. We've got a lot of forest preserves nearby. I use the sheds as decorations. It's not always about scouting.
Over half the gorund I shed hunt, I don't actually deer hunt. I like finding the antlers, I'm decorating my garage and my office with them.
Thank you kickin_buck and Jeff for your replys. Were on the same page In what I was saying from the start.:d
I live in one of those areas where a big bucks shed or sheds often identify a his core living area, a big shed is a great indicator of where a old buck calls home in these mountains, because he will almost always cast his antlers before the rigors of winter/snow levels move him out of his core area. If nothing else it serves as a starting point for scouting a bigwoods buck. As soon as I find a big shed I immediatly dissect the surrounding area in at least a mile radius by foot and by usiing google earth, elevated visuals (thanks to mountains) and try to identify the most favorable feeding areas a buck of these mountains here may prefer. Secluded clearcuts seem to usually make the top of the list. Anyway I immediately try to visualize where and how the big boy would use the area based on terrain, feed, water and logging access roads for hunters to approach during the hunting seasons. On the other hand I take very little stock in where I find young buck sheds as they often carry into mid to late February/early March and have been moved by snow and changing food sources by this time, often several miles from where they will call home. For what its worth I have killed 7 that are 4 years or older that I have picked up a shed or sheds from, most within 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile where I found the bones. Steve, the elk I shed hunt for here, dont shed 'tlll March/April, so they have definately been forced into wintering grounds miles aways from where they make home during the hunting seasons. A lot like what your deer seem to be doing.
