Antlers are Dropping
Posted By
Missouri
at
2/6/2010 12:00:00 AM
Antlers are Dropping
Did you think the season was over in Missouri? The season never rests in my mind. I go from one part of the year to the next in my pursuit of whitetails. Right now all I am thinking about is shed antler hunting. Did you not get to fill your tag on a buck this year? Did you miss a specific buck you were after? If you have done any recent scouting then you will know that the antlers are dropping from the bucks in your area. Here are a few tips to help you find those treasures in your neck of the woods.
#1. Use trail cameras to your advantage. Do a late season inventory to see if they are still carrying their antlers before you go out stirring the herd.
#2. Where you find the deer this time of year is where you will find the sheds. If you find where they are bedding or where they are feeding then you are bound to find some sheds.
#3. Look at good intersection points such as creek crossings, fence crossings and steep ravines.
#4. Binoculars are your best friend. At my farm we have a lot of bottom ground and you can scan the fields with your glass eyes saving you precious time and steps afield.
#5. One last tip. If you know its getting close to them shedding, then be on the look out for a storm. When deer stand from bed they shake vigorously sometimes, but always when they are wet. The shaking can jar them loose right there. Just visualize a dog after he’s gotten wet.
My family and I ended weekend #1 with 8 sheds and 2 matched sets. It was so nice to actually get to touch and hold the antlers from the deer I had followed all year long, not to mention my dad and I passed on many of these deer during the season. Most of us have probably been trapped inside the past few weeks with the bitter weather we had recently. So now it is time to get out, stretch the legs and look for some bone in the woods from that buck you were after for so many months.
-Andy Yost
