Kurtish's 08' Shed Journal

[Kurtish]

So now I'm feeling really good, its amazing how you can start doubting yourself and all of a sudden you get into sheds one after another. So I continue on back to my truck without any more but I jump into my truck with anticipation about the next spot. From there I drove about a half a mile to a ridge top that Is planted with pines, spruce and is surrounded in switchgrass. I had a real good feeling about this spot as it's a great bedding area. The snow was still drifted pretty deep up there but I did manage to pick up this little 3 point that didn't have a browtine.

[attachment=50336:jessies4.jpg]

I got back to my truck and headed to one last spot as the light was starting to fade on me. It's a 50 acre alfalfa field that I just wanted to do a quick walk on to see if it had seen much deer activity. The deer aparently hadn't used it much over the winter, one less spot to waste time on in my upcoming shed hunts. All in all I ended up walking 6.5 miles in 3 hrs and 15 minutes, it was a great day to get out and I was happy to scoop up four more for the shed pile.

Sheds:14

 

[TazBux]

Great shed.Nice matched find also.

 

[Predator 1]

Sounds like a good fury at the days end!

Great pics!

 

[MULIES4EVER]

Looks like success. What a great feeling. Congrats on the sheds.

 

[deershed]

Glad to see that first matched set showed up for you!!

Finding them together like that is the best way too.
I had a day like yours yesterday,looked a couple hours with nothing and looking bad when I walked up on a matched set.
Great pics as always and sweet sheds!!

 

[Kurtish]

Last week on wednesday the 23rd I headed out again. I went to an area that I haven't been in due to the snow being so deep in there, well I had went along a little ways and I ran into 4 wheeler tracks from the landowner. I tried to head to little pockets that I figured he might have missed but everywhere I went I ran into more 4 wheeler tracks. I was getting pretty discouraged thinking that he probably picked up anything that was laying exposed on the fields that had just recently lost their snow. Every year he misses quite a few so I shouldn't get discouraged because he just can't see everything while moving quickly on his ATV, but none the less I was getting frustrated so I headed towards an area in the woods that was cut early this last winter. I figured that he wouldn't have walked it and the deer should have been browsing in there over the winter. So on my way I followed his tracks and was doing a little cussing when I looked ahead and seen this nice little 5 point that he had drove within 10 yards of the day before.
[attachment=50604:jessies1.jpg]

Well that picked up my spirits knowing that he had missed one that was laying right in a standing bean field. I then cut across a picked corn field and up to a ridge that the deer frequently bed on. I hadn't grid patterned the ridge for more than 5 minutes when I came across this little 4 point.
[attachment=50605:jessies2.jpg]

After a few ATL's I took off towards some blown down trees that I could see the deer had been feeding on. I crisscrossed the exposed area on the south facing slope without finding anything. I was just about to head across a ditch crossing when I looked behind me and seen this cute little dinker.
[attachment=50606:jessies3.jpg]

 

[Kurtish]

After the little dink I finally got into the cut over area that I had intended on walking. The area was chock full of deer sign but I wasn't able to come up with any sheds. My legs were starting to feel a little weak and I was thirsty so I started back for my truck. I covered some picked corn fields on my way back to my truck but with the sun sinking towards the horizon and shining right in my eyes I figured that my chances of picking something out of the corn were slim to none. While making my way along a strip of corn "Bingo" I seen tines sticking up in the corn and as I walked up towards it for an ATL I seen the match just beyond it on the edge of an alfalfa strip.
[attachment=50615:jessies4.jpg]

another view from the opposite side
[attachment=50616:jessies5.jpg]


With 5 sheds on the day and my second matched set of the season I was really pumped that my day had turned out so well. I ended up walking 6.1 miles in about 4 hours, this is the kind of day that I've been waiting for all winter

Sheds: 19

 

[deershed]

Congrats,Awesome day!!

Your ATL pics are putting mine to shame,Awesome pics!! That first pic of the set needs to be put in a frame.
Congrats on that second matched set,looks to be a real nice set too.
Looks like you've still plenty of snow.We finally got a little cold snap come through still green-up here is not that far away.

 

[Kurtish]

With the weather man calling for snow on friday I decided that I had better get out and pound some ground on Thursday the 24th. I first headed to my the same farm that I had walked the day prior but I headed to a new area that I thought might not have any snow but unfortunately it was still fairly deep on the hillside that I wanted to walk. So from there I headed back towards the farm that I live on and went to the only ridge that gets really good southern exposure. It's an incredibly steep hillside with an amazing view from the ridgetop so I figured that even if I didn't get into any bone at least I would get to enjoy the beutiful view. When I got to the top of the ridge I was walking a deer trail when I looked down and found this 5-6 inch spike
[attachment=50621:jessies1.jpg]

I was really surprised to find a shed up on top and decided I'd sit down, enjoy the view and soak in the sun for a little while. Here's the view from the top.
[attachment=50624:jessies2.jpg]

After taking a little break I headed back down the ridge and grid searched a few points that I thought would hold some antlers. No luck there so I headed back down to the road and crossed over to a small 3 acre alfalfa field. There was a row of hay bales on one end and I walked up to check around the bales. I had stood there looking the area over when I looked down and found this little two point. Amazingly it's the match to the spike that I had found on the ridge about a half mile away.
[attachment=50623:jessies3.jpg]

 

[Kurtish]

After taking an ATL of the two point I looked up and seen this laying in the field.
[attachment=50625:jessies4.jpg]

A little closer view
[attachment=50626:jessies5.jpg]

It turned out to be a pretty nice four point with a broken G3. I then headed back to my truck and headed to a different spot on the farm. I knew the deer had been using it pretty heavily and I had a good feeling that I might strike paydirt in there.

 

[Kurtish]

It didn't take long for me to run into this real nice 5 point. I haven't put a tape to it yet but I'm guessing that it will go a little over 60 inches.
[attachment=50629:jessies6.jpg]

i was so excited when I found it that I didn't take a very good ATL but I just couldn't wait to pick it up. I did a thorough walk over the surrounding area with out coming up with the match or any others but I was happy with my day none the less. My GPS had died early in the morning so I'm not sure exactly how much ground I covered but I walked from 9:30 in the morning till 6 at night and I'm pretty sure that I covered between 8-10 miles.

Sheds: 23

The Saturday before Easter I hid a couple of sheds for my niece and nephew to search for. I figured that my tracks in the snow would be a dead giveaway as to where the sheds had been hidden. My nephew was so excited that he was running and not doing much looking, but my niece picked up her shed in no time flat. I had to give a few hints for my nephew but he did manage to find his without any too much help. We all had a good laugh watching them search around the yard for their little treasures and my sister thinks I'm trying to train them to be my "shed dogs" LOL. Here's the little tikes with their Easter sheds
[attachment=50630:jessies7.jpg]

 

[Kurtish]

I've been real busy and haven't had much time to get out searching or check on things here but last week I made it out for a half day walk and then a full day (16.3 miles total) and managed to come up with a few more. I walked for just about 3 miles before I came across my first of the outing....it would be a nice 5 point but his brow tine is only 1/2" long.
[attachment=51149:jessies1.jpg]

After that I covered some other likely areas but came up empty. It was just about dark when I got back to my truck and I drove down the driveway of the farm that I had just walked to turn around at the old homestead. I looked off to my left and could see what looked to be a tine or beam on a small bank below some pines....I looked through the bino's and thought it looked like a rib from a winterkill, but figured I better get out and at least check to confirm what it was....sure enough it was a little spike.
[attachment=51150:jessies2.jpg]

 

[Kurtish]

The following day I went to a co-workers farm and covered alot of ground without finding anything. I was just about back to my truck when I poked around a small brushy patch and came up with a busted up 4 point side.
[attachment=51151:jessies3.jpg]

I then headed to a different farm and started searching an area that I've never walked. I was about to cross the berm of a water retention pond when I spotted this decent sized 3 point laying beam up.
[attachment=51152:jessies4.jpg]

 

[Kurtish]

A short ways after the 3 point I found this old one laying tines down in some tall grass.
[attachment=51153:jessies5.jpg]

I continued on in some other promising looking areas but came up empty the rest of the day.

Yesterday, I went out to the farm and was headed to drop one of my bow stands when I figured I'd cut across a picked corn field just in case I had missed any sheds earlier this season. Sure enough I spotted this little 5 point that had been all busted up. No camera with so just an at home pic.
[attachment=51154:jessies6.jpg]

Sheds: 29

 

[Kurtish]

I hate to say that this is the end for my season but I really have too many iron's in the fire this spring and I don't feel like i'll be making it out for any more shed hunts. I do have 9,000 trees to plant at work so the possibility is still there to come across something, but other than that my season is pretty well shot. It's been fun sharing with all of you again this season. Your journals and posts helped to keep me out there pounding the ground, and it makes it more enjoyable to share something that I love with like minded individuals such as yourselves. Here's a few season's end pictures.

[attachment=51156:jessies7.jpg]

 

[Kurtish]

One more with a celebratory cold one!
[attachment=51158:jessies8.jpg]

 

[Found one]

A mans got to believe in something.... I believe I'll have a cold one with ya. Great job on the haul this year. I love those whitetail sheds. I think my favorite part about them is the territory you find them in. Cheers

 

[TazBux]

Nice haul.Brilliant stuff.It looks like you did well with the freshies and sets.Great view pic.It would be interesting to see it in summer.Do you have a favourite? We should get a favourites thread going.With 3 favourite sheds of the year,small,large,sets or naturaly damaged.I hope you find a monster whilst planting.Cheers,congrats.

 

[Kurtish]

Thanks guys! Here's to it Found one

. That's a great idea Taz I'll have to try to take a few pictures of my favorites...

 

[Predator 1]

Great work man! I havn't been around for a while, so it was nice reading back on how the end of your season went. I had a good laugh at the part where your training the niece and nephew to find sheds...that was pretty funny!

You had some great finds and an aweosme season! Cheers to you!

Pred