Any of you guys ever try and/or have any luck with antler traps? Where I am primarily hunting is a small property and the bucks that I hunt are staying on the neighbor's land a lot (where I can't go). I haven't had much luck shed hunting there the last few years. I've seen pics of some traps using bungee cords, others with chicken wire and corn/bait around them. Any experience with them here? Waste of time?
Antler traps
- Thread starter Creamer
- Start date
I think a more natural setup would be more productive. Find an area with lots of saplings close together and fill the area with corn so they’d have to be banging that bone off of them too get too it.
I dumped corn in the branches of a downed tree. My best shed that year was at that set up.
I tried the chicken wire tied to poles played out in a zig-zag pattern about 20 years ago after reading about it in a magazine. Put some corn on both sides. Something got caught in the wire and ripped the wire into a balled mess and broke the poles. Didn't get any sheds. I like the downed tree idea.
Sgt Fury
Sgt. Spellchecker
Downed tree or an area with lots of saplings are good ideas. I’ve heard stories of bucks getting tangled up in the wire and pulling part of the skull off with the antler. It’ll get infected and they later die. Branches and saplings won’t hold onto the antlers. I’ll have to give this a try.
Buckmaster
Senior Member
OO2
Well-Known Member
I Like the more natural ideas. Same if you could make them jump into or out of an area. The more natural, the better.
I don't care for the chicken wire or hog fence ideas. It's not worth it if you're risking unnecessary injury to the animal, especially this time of year when their bodies are already taxed. Bungee cords have some "give" so my thought is they would be less likely to snag the antlers that aren't ready to drop. I've tried a couple traps with bungee cords and never had success, but I didn't give them much of an honest effort either. I don't mess with antler traps anymore. I prefer to walk and hunt for them... The search itself is what I enjoy most about shed hunting.
Agreed, cant go wrong with southern facing slopes, honey suckle and the occasional ag field. This doesn't really answer the creams question though as he is limited on search area. I'd say keep piling corn and keep them there as much as you can. Or try Rick's idea with the downed tree, never tried it but seems reasonable.