When is it too early to start looking for sheds?

Hey guys just wanted others opinion on Shed hunting during the winter... Is it a bad idea to look for sheds of some bucks while others are still carrying thiers? Can they get spooked out of an area never to come back again? My personal opinion is no, but my brother disagrees with me every year when i'm out stomping around in Feburary. He says to leave them all alone untill the snow is all gone. I say well then the tree rats and porkys are gonna eat em before we find em! Let me know what everyone thinks! Thanks guys!


Adam

 

I'm waiting until 1 March. I don't want to run them out of the area since I'll be tromping through their bedding with no regard to stealth or scent control. I'll have my dog along as well.

 

Leave em alone until they all shed.

 

Or if you have a spot like I do that is 300 acres and they use as the home base and dont leave them I say search away!

 

November is too early. I've found sheds in December, early and late.

 

I start when I hang the bow up at the end of the season. I found a shed last year tracking my buck I shot on Dec. 9th. I then have picked up a few in Jan with Feb and Mar being my big time shed months.

 

Thats kinda the dilemma I'm having cause during the winter I practice scent controll just as I do during bow-hunting or any other hunting... After the snow is gone and all the deer are moving out to farm country, is when I bring the Dog with. so is me being in the woods scent free, and stealthy as possible, going to scare bucks out of the area? I just hate the fact of knowing there are some bucks who have shed and there is probably a smart @$$ little tree rat out there feasting on a 60" shed and using a spike for a toothpick!

 

If you are worried about pushing them I would go in then stay out for a while then go in again! I hit my hunting spot really hard due to it being a funnel area. I also hit the property that boarders mine not as hard and jump deer every time. I say every 7 to 14 days I check it! The deer come right back due to it being a home base for them. I dont worry about sent either. The herd of deer will watch me due to me grid searching. I walk back and forth and not push them. Once they realize you are not after them you might be shocked on how close you can get to them. I have been within some deer at about 20 yards this year before they trot off and stop to watch me again. Dont push them let them watch you.

 

Ok, thanks for the helpful insight Dawg. I'll try that.

 

Unless you go in there every day I wouldnt worry about it. You may spook a buck jump him out of bed but an occasional visit isn't going to ruin yuor chances of him being back. I would search once in a while and then hit it hard when you know the time is right.

 

I agree with dawg. Deer just kinda know when your after them or not. When ever im shed hunting , the deer never are that afraid of me. As soon as season is over, im out in the woods looking. The earlyier you get in there, the more you will find. I find lots of dead bucks right after rifle season, and I find lots of sheds from the prior year, from bucks that dropped late. Even if you do spook the deer, they will be back. They know where home is.