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Shed Hunting?

Ricer2231

Senior Member
I have never gotten serious about shed hunting and I am really wanting to give it a try this year. I have found a few sheds but I really never had a method of hunting them, I think it was more a matter of blind luck and just stumbling across them. I know there are quite a few guys and gals here that do hunt for them and I was hoping to kinda pick your brains and see if ya'll would share some of your techniques and methods. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
For me its just blind luck

Same here. I'm "shed blind" and have no luck! :(

Boot leather is my best advice and it would benefit me to take that advice. I simply don't put the miles in to find them. Check the usual feeding grounds, bedding, fence/creek jumps, and south facing slopes. Best of luck!
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
Most of the ones I've found (not too awfully many) have been found in feeding areas and thick stuff the deer travel through. I've found several walking just inside of wood edges, looking for trails leading out to the field, especially ones where they have to duck under brush or low hanging branches.
 

ImpalaSSpeed96

Junior Member
561
60
NJ
First step is you have to log lots and lots of miles. Second, learn to use bino's. I'm still struggling with this. Then you just have to know where the deer live, and where they eat. Many times you will find sheds in winter wheat/rye fields. You would think you would find a lot in thick nasty stuff, but we almost never do. Most are pretty obvious, relatively speaking. They're a major pain to spot a lot of times in the leaves...
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
First step is you have to log lots and lots of miles. Second, learn to use bino's. I'm still struggling with this. Then you just have to know where the deer live, and where they eat. Many times you will find sheds in winter wheat/rye fields. You would think you would find a lot in thick nasty stuff, but we almost never do. Most are pretty obvious, relatively speaking. They're a major pain to spot a lot of times in the leaves...

What do you mean by learning to use binos? We don't have a lot of winter wheat fields and pretty much no rye but what about picked corn fields? What about the perimeter of hay/alfalfa fields?
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
Just about any place deer travel is a good place to look. Best advice I ever got: "If it looks too thick to go thru, go anyhow" Found several of my big ones with this advice.
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
My best advise is find an area that is holding a lot of deer late in the winter. You can't just go pick out a woods randomly and expect to find some. You'll waste your time. Go out and do some driving around the first week of feb and go from there. That's when I like to start looking for sheds.
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Im no expert, but what jb said seems spot on.

A solid food source that is keeping deer tight in a area this time of year should equal alot better shot at finding sheds...

Just because they are there
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
My best advise is find an area that is holding a lot of deer late in the winter. You can't just go pick out a woods randomly and expect to find some. You'll waste your time. Go out and do some driving around the first week of feb and go from there. That's when I like to start looking for sheds.

It makes sense if ya think about it. Your chances are gonna be better if your hunting the places where the deer are spending the most of their time. I had read at one time that hunting the perimeters of fields is good TOO, is this true?
 

ImpalaSSpeed96

Junior Member
561
60
NJ
We find a lot of sheds by scanning slowly with binos. Just like they teach you to look for a tail, or an ear, well look for a tine, or a dark brow, or a white base. A lot of sheds are found in fields, so yes corn is a great place to look. But good luck finding them, corn is really tough. That's where a good shed dog helps.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I have found some in corn fields but you darn near have to grid search them in rows. Pick a stretch about 10yds wide and scan it as you walk from one end to the other. That is the ONLY way I have ever found them in a corn field. Probably the toughest shed hunting there is in my opinion.

Field edges are good as well as the edges of woods. We don't have too many hay fields around here. They are mainly ag fields. Not sure what to tell you in hill country. We have fields, small wood lots, and fence rows. Fence rows are good too.

Heavy cover (bedding areas around here usually) are good. Food sources, bedding areas, and travel corridors. Common sense it seems after I read this back to myself. Boils down to putting in the time.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
My best advise is find an area that is holding a lot of deer late in the winter. You can't just go pick out a woods randomly and expect to find some. You'll waste your time. Go out and do some driving around the first week of feb and go from there. That's when I like to start looking for sheds.

^^^^^^^That^^^^^^^

Bucks are usually yarded up together so if you can establish where they are feeding mostly you will find several there. Picked cornfields with snow on with a TC monitoring them is GOLDEN! Good luck Don!
 

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
I try to walk high ground and glass as much as posible. Like was said, Corn fields have been good to me but tough to find them.
Sheds could be anywhere, You just have to put some miles on.
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
What little bit of shed hunting I have done I have done in late winter around the middle of February or first of March. From what I have reads s heard I am looking at about the right time, correct?
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
Everything that these guys have said is true. Although, I have my best luck in cut corn fields. The brushy draws leading into and low depressions that are hard to see from any roads, is where deer like to spend most of there time. Bucks tend to get back in bachelor groups in the late season, safety in numbers I would guess. If you do strike pay dirt, concentrate your search because there maybe some more in that area. Some have said that binocs are a key to success and they are most important! Also, instead of looking for whole antlers, just focus on pieces of antler, white curvitures, tines , etc. good luck a d happy hunting!
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
One more suggestion? Most fields whether it be corn, hay , wheat and specially beans, have a staging area. What I mean, is a grassy place with honey suckle,crab apples or some abundant cover where deer like to veg just before entering or leaving the so called food source. I highly recommend the use of a ATV to cover as much ground as you can in short order. Once March arrives, hit the travel corridors and bedding areas more on foot!
 

Mao

Member
1,695
109
Coshocton, OH
I am not much of a shed hunter at all but I do it super lazy. I look wherever my 4 wheeler will take me. Found a few this way. There is one buck I plan to get off the quad for this year and would love to find his sheds for my old man.
 
1,746
67
ohio
Found this monster today, first one on the season!
 

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