Shed hunting

[YosemiteBen]

Good morning all from a chilly Yosemite.  Had a small winter storm drop a little snow - ice on the waterfall - Rainbow too!  I noticed last week that one of our smaller bucks has already dropped his antlers, so I am looking for y'alls tips on hunting sheds.  I got 7 square miles of flat lands to go over. I have unsuccessfully follwed rub trees from tree to tree - I have found year old or older antlers while not looking for them - usually a bit chewed by then - bear cubs led me to a skull once.  I have also noticed that as our deer get older their antlers begin to twist. I think I have a piece at home and will try to remember to post a pic to show the twist.  Any thoughts on finding those antlers is greatly appreciated.
Ben

[Buckeye Guy]

Places where they jump like ditches ,fences are good spots !!
The edge of fields or openings of clearings also !
Have fun !!
Guy

[Pat B]

Ben, deer have different patterns for different times of year. Following most recently used trails, finding fence crossings and thick bedding area should be good places to look.
 I never find sheds here. In the almost 25 years we've lived here I found  a small piece of antler(about 4" with the rosette) and my wide found a still green, quite impressive shed that must have just fallen off when she found it. It already had some pretty bad chewing on it. I think our rodents eat them as fast as they fall off.

[Fred Arnold]

Never had much luck myself while searching for them and have found most of mine next to the creek bottom. In fact I've never found any while actually searching. Mine have all been happenstance.

[osage outlaw]

I have never found a pattern or certain area where they drop them.  Me and my son spend a lot of time each spring looking for them.  He found his first one while riding his tricycle in the yard when he was little.  This year me and me Dad have each found an antler in his yard.  We find them in fields, along the road, by a pond, around an oak grove, just about everywhere.  Some of the bucks around here still have their racks so we are waiting a few more weeks before hitting the woods.

[darwin]

saw on a tv show that a guy had trained his dog to look for and retrieve them. i thought that was niffty

[TRACY]

saw on a tv show that a guy had trained his dog to look for and retrieve them. i thought that was niffty

I had a black lab that I would take out when checking live traps for research that had a real knack for finding them in the late winter. Sure miss her.


Tracy

[trad bow]

Deer this time of year spend a lot of time in bedding areas and feeding areas. These two areas are close to each other this time of year so look close in places that you find a lot of fresh droppings.

[darwin]

That's a useful dog mine would just run off