Hunting Shed Antlers

The question that often arises around this time of year is, "When should I start looking for shed antlers?". It has been my experience that it's never too early. I have found sheds in the past as early as January 5th. That is only four days after the last day of deer season in South Carolina. One memory that stands out is a set found in early January by my Dad and I.

Dad and I set out on an afternoon stroll one Saturday or as we like to call it, "a walk in the woods". We decided to walk the fence line that bordered the pasture behind my Dad's house. As we started out we fought through a thicket of small sweet gum trees and a briar patch that was too thick for the slickest of cottontails. We some how managed to squeeze our way through and found ourselves in a young stand of pines. We found a well traveled deer trail and began to follow it. It wasn't long when we spotted one side of a nice eight point rack. I had just read an article not too long before our "walk in the woods" that stated that the more mature dominant bucks often loose their antlers first due to their increased energy output during the year to maintain their dominance. I'm not a biologist but this makes sense to me. I also read that often a deer sheds both sides of its antlers in the same general area. So we continued our "walk in the woods" and followed this deer trail. As luck or fate would have it, we stumbled on the match to the shed we found earlier. It was only approximately 200 yards away from the first one we found. Not a bad day for just a "walk in the woods".

To me these sheds are a treasure. Although they hold some value if you search an auction site like eBay, it is more than just a price tag. It is like finding a lost piece to a puzzle. It offers a glimpse of the unknown, because these animals are so elusive. The shed that I found that day was from a deer that I had never seen and haven't seen since, but it's this clue to the unknown that keeps me hunting. So don't hesitate to take that "walk in the woods", because it's never too early to find that treasure.

Hunting Cut-Overs

As the sun sets over the distant treeline, a breath of steam floats like a ghost through shadows created from a maze of new growth. A lane of opportunity stretches through this maze and offers me a quick glimpse of what created the steam that caught my eye. As I sit perched high in my stand, I am amazed at the ease that these deer move through the woven undergrowth.

Over the years I've hunted various locations within this tract of land. This location has always produced a good number of deer but never to this extent. The increase in activity can only be attributed to the cover created in the third year of this cut-over. I am centered in a funnel of mature white oaks that split two agriculture fields. The fields have been planted with soy beans this year. In front of me is approximately 30 acres of cut over. I had a shooting lane cut that extended from my stand out across the cut-over. Beyond this cut-over that I'm looking at sits another tract of 30 acres that was clear cut approximately eight years ago. This clear cut was replanted with pines and now is a dense jungle of 15 to 20 foot trees. The deer that I've seen have used the cut-over as a shield as they can disappear in a blink of an eye.

Morning hunts are tricky because of the soy bean fields and oaks. I was only able to get to my stand once during the year without moving deer on the way. On this morning, I saw one of the biggest deer ever seen on this tract of land. Afternoon hunts seemed to be a little easier. Deer would move out of the distant growth of young pines and into the cut-over often in the early afternoon. They seemed to hang out in the cut-over until last light and then move into the fields.

What I Learned.
1. Shooting lanes are a must. $150 got me a 15 x 400 yard shooting lane.
Create these lanes early as new growth takes over quickly.
2. Hunt the funnel areas and entry points to the food source.
3. Sit tight because it seemed the deer moved throughout the day.
4. Hold on because the action is fast!
Good Hunting!