Finding the Match

[Shag]

I'm new to this site and shed hunt in upstate New York. Last Feb I observed a dandy buck carryiong both sides on Feb 8th & 9th. I went on vacation in AZ but rushed out when I got home on Feb 14th and found one side immediately in the hayfield he was foraging in. I hunted like a dawg for 7 weeks but in early April I found the other side across through a thick woods, across a powerline right-of-way, and in the next woods, a good 3/4 mile away and our cover is kinda thick. I was ecstatic to have come up with the other side after that kind of effort. I've found 4 large (for this region) matched sets but learned a few things in the process of all that looking. Basically, if you're finding the small ones you're looking good enough and your technique is probably fine. If you're not finding the big ones on the second or third pass thru they're probably not there or you just havn't looked in the right spot yet--expand the search area. Good luck all.

 

[RSB]

What no pics?

Shag
Welcome to Jesse's

Congrats on your find .

 

[Shag]

Thanks RSB. I'll get the digital going and get something posted by the weekend hopefully.

 

[deershed]

Shag-Welcome to the boards!!
You really wanted that other half pretty bad.(7 wks.)

It's always good
when you can find a matching set.I found two last year and neither set had both halves
close together.I was about ready to give up on the other half to the one set.Looked
everything I thought it might bebut one place.The day I went to look we got a snow storm,
60 degrees out and snowed about 2" in about a 1/2 hr.It was a winter green field so I figured
if it was there I'd still see it.Well,it was there.Couldn't believe my good luck when it was there.

 

[Shag]

Hey DeerShed, nice lookin drop in that pic. How many do you find in a season of looking in MD? Just curious. I have a cousin down there that lives in Cordova but I've never been there and I don't think he even deer hunts or looks for sheds. It's tough up here in upstate NY as it gets hammered pretty good and the buck harvest is heavy. It took me a long time to be able to find any but eventually I got the feel for it and now find some nice ones despite the fact that it's hard to find any at all. I average only 4 or 5 a year but have found as many as 14 my best year. I've never yet run into anyone else looking for them. What's it like as far as the abundance of sheds and popularity of the hobby down your way?

 

[deershed]

shag-thanks!! The competition is bad down this way.It wasn't too bad a
couple years ago,but everyone is getting into it now.
Last year my total was 31,not my best year either.
I look for farm deer sheds,but look alot for suburbia sheds.

If you have any big cities close,find some areas close to it that don't
allow hunting.Check areas inside city limits,The more deer that survive the
winter the more sheds there'll be to find.No hunting means more deer.

Good Luck Shed Hunting!!

Don't forget to post those pics