As obvious as this sounds, you need to see a shed to find it. When you’re deer hunting sometimes you can at least hear one snort as it spooks and runs away. Sheesh. On Tuesday my friend Sam picked up a shed that I missed by 10 feet. Yesterday I went for a little walk. Here’s the thing. I had just spooked a couple deer and was watching them. I should have been looking down, not at the deer. As I was getting ready to leave, I spotted a decent 4-point shed lying just at the edge of the trail I’d walked in on, right where I was when those deer jumped up. The snow revealed I’d missed it by 3 feet! I poked around a bit in the twilight, hoping to find the match, but didn’t find it. Today I went back for the match in the daylight. I was coming along this hill on kind of a narrow path and up ahead and spotted an antler just below me. Right away I could see it was a 4-point side. I could also see it was a right side, just like the shed from yesterday. Not a match! I scoured the area hard. I pretty much covered everything. As I was leaving, I walked through an area of heavy deer sign. This is the first place I tried earlier today because I knew it was getting dark when I went through there last night. Lying just on the other side of a fallen tree was a shed, partially buried in snow. And a foot away from the shed was my track from last night! I had literally stepped over it in the dark! It was a match to the shed I found earlier in the day. So my mission to find a match to yesterday’s shed failed, but I got a match today. And I saw two bucks carrying full headgear. Can’t wait to get a crack at ‘em! I’m going to try to post three pics here. In the third pic you can see my footprint from last night at the top of the photo!
Well, the good thing is that you still found them. I can’t believe you walked right over it. Makes me wonder how many people step over or next to one & never see it. I like what you said and it’s true. You do have to see a shed, to find it. Good stuff, as always. You are a loco-motion shed hunting machine.
Comment by Bethe — February 5, 2010 @ 4:19 am
I bet people “walk over” sheds without seeing them more often than you’d think. I always have to remind myself to keep looking down and concentrate. All it takes is a few seconds of looking up and daydreaming to walk right past one. Good work Joe!
Comment by Dan — February 5, 2010 @ 10:25 am
Sweet finds! Match for the bonus. It haunts me to wonder how many sheds I have stepped over…or ON! I know I have personally kicked two sheds before seeing them! It’s crazy how our eyes just miss them sometimes and other days they’re just popping out. I think I’m gonna hit it although we just got 5 in of fresh snow…hoping for some tines stickin up. 8 browns and 3 whites so far. The sheddins gonna be gettin good here I think!!
Comment by Jeff — February 5, 2010 @ 9:02 pm
LOL, don’t be too hard on yourself there Joe, you’re still doing fantastic for the year already!
Last summer I was out doing some plant survey work with a co-worker from my office, and looking for sheds as we worked (as always!). Anyhow, I was watching the feet of my co-worker as he lead the way out of the area we had finished, and he stepped right over a very old decent 4 point antler from a nice buck! I picked it up immediately and, laughing, showed it to him—he was pretty shocked he hadn’t even noticed it.
Keep posting updates, you are great motivation: I actually went out hunting today (much earlier than usual), busted a snowshoe, and spent 3 hours tromping through calf to knee high snow, but success! First shed of the year,a beautiful large mass 4 point left side with incredible color, and still a little blood on the base as well as skin ring.
Good luck!
Comment by Sara — February 6, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
Hey Sara,
Great job on your first of the year! Sounds like you had to put some serious effort in for it! And nice going on grabbing that one your co-worker stepped on. That had to be pretty sweet! Sounds like there’s a lot of snow in your area. I got into a spot today that had great sign last year and I found a nice shed there last year, but today when I broke through the crust, I was up to my knees and the deer were smart enough to avoid it entirely! I’ve got a hunch I know where they moved to. Thanks again for posting the link to those locked moose. Amazing!
Joe
Comment by joe — February 7, 2010 @ 2:37 pm
You’re very welcome for the moose post: what a feeling that guy must have had finding those two!
You know, you are totally right about learning new things every time you head out shed hunting: the area where I found that nice 4 point shed is barely over a quarter mile from where I had my trail camera all last year.
I had 8 bucks showing up on that camera, and this antler isn’t from any of them! Makes you wonder where this deer came from and where he goes during the summer.
Have a great week, fingers crossed for no more snow!
Comment by Sara — February 7, 2010 @ 4:52 pm
I envy all of you who don’t live in the Mid-Atlantic! In DC, we got somewhere between 20 and 30 inches of snow last weekend, and tonight and tomorrow, we’re expecting a whole bunch more. As Joe put it, shed-hunting has come to a screeching halt. Alas, I guess the antlers will wait — either in the snow or on the foreheads of their growers. Good luck to everyone else! We’ve got a great hobby.
Comment by Roger — February 9, 2010 @ 8:34 am
Hey Roger,
I feel your pain, at least a little bit. We got a decent amount of snow last night. Not sure exactly how much, but it was significant. I guess this will be a work week!
Joe
Comment by joe — February 9, 2010 @ 12:03 pm
Snow is defenly not your friend in the shed hunting game! In PA right now we have 24 inches on the ground.
jake
Comment by jake mooney — February 9, 2010 @ 1:51 pm
24 inches??? Wow, you really did get dumped on Jake! Pay attention to how this affects deer. Then pray for a heatwave!
Joe
Comment by joe — February 9, 2010 @ 4:14 pm