Is it time yet?

[toothwrecker]

Is it tabout time for bucks in the MO, IL, area to start dropping sheds? I always thouht it was a little later but my buddy saw one running around with just one side today. Wanted to know when people in the area were starting...Thanks

 

[deershed]

I'm from Md. just over the state line below Gettysburg Pa.
I went out today and found 3 fresh sheds from this year,two
big 4pt. sheds and a nice 3pt.
While walking around today I saw at least a dozen buck still
carrying both sides and 4 that dropped one side.If you don't
find fresh ones from this year and just might find some from
last year you missed.
I found my first shed this year jan.15th and my count is up to 7,
5 fresh from this year and 2 from last year.

Get out there and start looking!! GOOD LUCK

 

[Tsmola]

seems a little early still, my uncle's buddy saw 7 bucks in the same field with racks still and this photo was taken by my game cam earlier in the week showing they still have em here, that's here in Michigan I dunno about anywhere else..

 

[Shag]

Deershed, that's incredible---early too. Are you seeing all those bucks in the "burbs"? I don't feel it's even worth looking here until mid-late February. We've got tons of snow and it snows everyday so tought until the snow melts off. Post a few digitals, huh?

 

[deershed]

Shag-I usually don't start shed hunting,til now the last week in january.It's
been too cold for me to be sitting up in a treestand bowhunting so I
figured I head down the road and do some scouting for the shed season.

All my early season shed hunting is suburb hunting only.With the high number
of deer the odds are better that some will drop sooner then others.I really
only expected to find a couple sheds from last spring that were over looked.
With all the competetion where I look it's good to start early to find those
missed sheds before the others get out.Usually I don't start finding fresh drops
in any numbers til the middle of jan.
My first trip was snow free then before I made it back out it snowed again.My
last two trips it was half and half depending where I was.Walked though alot
of snow to cover the open areas.
Suppose to get some warm weather this coming week,in the 30's.Should be
enough to melt any remaining snow as long as it doesn't snow again.

How far are you from the Pa. Elk Range?? Benezette,Pa.

 

[1SoCalHunter]

Tsmola:
That's a nice picture, it looks like you have that trail cam right on their freeway....

 

[Shag]

Deershed, I'm probably 4.5 to 5 hrs from Benezette, maybe not quite 5 hrs. It's tough getting anywhere in Pennsylvania (have you noticed?). That's some kind of rugged country down in there. have you actually scored on any elk sheds down there? I hear their herd is 800 head and that's a pretty big haystack to look in. Have you had any luck getting onto the elk where they range in the winter and is there a ot of folks looking for the drops?

 

[deershed]

shag-it's about a 4hr. drive for me to drive up to Benezette the heart
of the Elk Range.Last year was my first try at looking for them and I made
out pretty good.Found 5 sheds,two of which were a matching set and the one
single 7 pt. was a monster shed.It had a main beam of 46" and weighed 11 lbs.
It had mass though out the entire shed.The locals said it came off a bull they
call Bill.He was the smaller of the two bulls that ran together,Fred was the larger
of the two and one of his sheds weighed 18 lbs.
If you don't mind climbing mountains all day,I'll be going up there later to
look again this year.If you think finding whitetail sheds is fun, imagine finding
a elk shed laying in the woods.

Here's a pic of my youngest
holding 6x7 set I found upstate Pa 2002

 

[Shag]

Count me in. Spending a day in the back country looking for sheds is definately high on my list. I assume you'll go when the snow is off. What did you say...April? Did you say some of the elk don't shed until late (March or April?). Let me know. I'd love to do a shed hunt down there. You pick the time and I'll take day off work or whatever to match up with you. My e-mail is in here. In the meantime I'll be in and out of this site too.

 

[Brian S]

I'm on the left coast here but I went out yesterday and noticed a single antlered Calfornia muley followed by a big bodied deer with no head gear. I saw a few more deer all were doe. Its going to be tough to find the sheds my local hills. We are having spring like conditions here and there is already a foot of grass from our rains last month. This will be my first time actually looking for sheds. The hills I go up in are surounded by suburbia and are off limits to hunting. I saw some bruiser bucks up there in the fall and I'd love to be able to find one of their sheds. Do the deer bust them off on purpose by rubbing them against trees or do they just fall off with normal activity.
Brian

 

[1SoCalHunter]

deershed:
That's a good rack you found there! Cute son too, congratulations!!