I still can’t figure it out. Years ago, I was squirrel hunting a favorite patch of woods in October. I still can’t figure out how I found what I did. Stepping around a thicket, something lying at my feet caught my eye. It was an antler, a perfectly preserved heavy mast antler lying on the ground and there hanging in a vine directly over it was the antler from the other side.
This was October and bucks drop their antlers in late winter or early spring. How this pair remained intact for at least six months without squirrels chewing them up is beyond me. Dropped antlers I’ve found during squirrel season have all shown evidence of squirrels having found them before me with the exception of that pair from long ago.
Now that deer season is over – archery season ends January 31 - bucks are starting to shed their antlers, creating interest in another sport that more people are enjoying, shed hunting.
I have never gone to the woods after deer season in search of shed antlers. I have stumbled upon several during spring turkey season but I was looking for turkey tracks and not antlers.
Some folks eagerly await the end of deer season so they can hit the woods and look for dropped antlers. I did some research and learned how they do it, where they search along with tips for anybody going out with the express purpose of finding sheds.
First, it would be well to study a bit of deer biology to see why bucks drop antlers in the first place. In our part of the country, bucks usually begin dropping their headgear in January and may continue on until early March. A friend once told me of a big buck his son shot late in season and when he grabbed an antler to admire his buck, he was dismayed when it came off in his hand.
The entire process of shedding in a typical deer herd takes place in a relatively brief period of time, usually two to three weeks whereas re-growth of new antlers takes several months. A short time after losing antlers, a soft bump appears on the pedicle.
The velvet-covered new antler continues to grow throughout spring, summer into early fall when blood supply is cut off, the antler hardens and velvet dries up and falls off, usually with the help of the buck rubbing his new antlers on brush and saplings.
That being said, why should you bother to look for dropped antlers? According to several sources, finding a dropped antler is a great way to help pattern your buck for next season; in most cases, bucks drop antlers in areas where they hang out.
One particular hot spot to search for antlers is to walk over south-facing hillsides where there is thick brush. On cold days, deer prefer such areas since sunny hillsides are more comfortable.
Look for fence crossings. A buck will sometimes drop an antler from the jolt of fence jumping.
Look for buck trails which are usually 30-50 yards parallel to a more heavily used doe trail. Old rub lines will help identify those dim trails used by bucks. Find a buck trail leading from a bedding area to a feeding area and you could be in business.
Another helpful tip is to periodically look back over your back trail. You might not spot an antler lying in the leaves as you walk by but looking back, it may be more easily seen.
If you’ve never gone to the woods specifically looking for shed antlers, you may want to give it a try. It helps kill time between the end of deer season and opening of turkey season. Plus, finding a shed of a trophy buck could improve your chances at bagging him next deer season.
RUSTON —
