New York Shed Hunters

[Shag]

It sounds like a couple of you guys are in upstate NY and like me, have not been able to pick up anything yet. Frustrating for sure. I went for about 2.5 hours on the south edge of Greenlakes State Park (just able to slog it without snowshoes), there's enough south exposure and slope that the depths are somewhat less there. It was drizzling and all the brush was wet and I got frickin soaked and I mean even wet feet full of snow inside my almost knee high boots. I'm tellin ya the areas I was in are being trashed but good, tons of heavily used trails, feeding and scores of beds, rubs, etc. No sheds! This is normal for me at this time of yearas I think up Syracuse way the bulk of the bucks shed after mid February and into early March. If this spot doesn't produce a couple sheds I'll be the most surprised guy in the world, but I'm gonna wait until the snow is off. Too tough, too early. If any of you guys are in that Syracuse area let me knowand maybe we can tag-team some sheds up in there. I was in a really brushy, reverting area that must have bee limestone quarry many years ago. I stumbled onto a archway shaped tunnel cut through a little ridge from one gully to the next. Maybe it was used for dragging out quarried stone or whatever. You wouldn't believe the deer were using the tunnel. I was surprised. It's like 6.5' tall and arched at the top. Inner portion was poured concrete and outter was laid-up limestone blocks. Deer cuttin thru there like you wouldn't believe.

 

[baddison]

shaq,

What are we seeing here? Is this the 6.5' tall tunnel. Somehow the picture makes it look tiny.

 

[Bill M]

I always knew those deer had underground tunnels they took to when the shooting started, now there's proof!

 

[Shag]

Yeah, the height of that tunnel is over 6' and the light at the other end looks small because it's a good 25 yards through to the other side. Like I said, there was just a huge amount for deer sign, a really pounded area but no sheds...yet. I see they're eating the bark off od sumac trunks, don't know if that's a starvation food or what.

 

[max]

That tunnel is really cool?Who do you think built it?and what was it used for? It would be a great place to set-up a trail camera....

 

[The Buck Stopper]

That tunnel is really neat! I agree with max, set up a trail cam there! So far no luck in NY still. Haven't seen any deer with antlers, but none that I can say are bucks for sure. I went out this week for a while, didn't find anything. There's another area I'm going to look in on Monday or Tuesday. I'll let you know if I find anything. It may still be a bit early in some areas.

 

[The Buck Stopper]

I'm getting dicouraged. I went out Monday for a couple hours, looking hard and covering a lot of ground. I searched the major bedding areas, the main trails, the whole general area, the food source, beds set apart from the others, and basically EVERYWHERE! Literally, I found about 150 beds that were all only a few days old (know this from how fast snow was melting, and by freshness of droppings). I found nothing, not a thing. Well, I did find one thing. Sticking out of the snow right next to a bed was a perfect tine. Excited, I reach down for it. I then find out it was a stick. Still, I couldn't believe it, I had to dig the whole thing out to find it was connected to a branch. This thing looked exactly like an antler. Not a bad day in the woods though. One neat thing was having a Pileated Woodpecker swoop down in front of me and start pecking on a large tree. I watched him for a while. The area seems perfect, but I'm not finding anything. I'm going to have to assume that they haven't dropped yet. I have a few other areas, that are not as good that I also want to search, but figure I will hold off until I know they've dropped. Does waiting two weeks seem reasonable before going back to this area? No one else is looking there besides me, so I don't have to worry about them being taken.

 

[Shag]

If the area is an area where squirrels will be active I wouldn't wait too long. Nothing worse than finding a beauty that's chewed up. I found that as far as my own shedding is concerned, if I go to an area several times and it's too early and I get continually skunked, I get burned out and discouraged. You might want to let it go a week and investigate new territory, a spot that looks promising from a drive-by or whatever--something fresh. Where abouts are you located by the way? We're going to get a good melt down from now on out thru next week, so I think it's almost time to get out there and get serious. I was holding off some in certain areas, not wanting to push deer out in the soft conditions but the recent weather has released them out to other areas and they seem to be moving around good now, so okay I think to go into some areas and look for em before the squirrels ruin them or a casual walks thru and beats you to one.

 

[shedgirl]

Hi Upstate NY Shed Hunters,

Yup, I've been out and been skunked of late too. I SCOURED a place (not far from Utica) on Saturday. Pretty exhausted Hemlock browse line, lots of bed-down areas, but nothing looking really "sheddy." Tracks looked largely doe. I required snowshoes the entire day.

I saw one post that suggested an upstate tag-team thing. I'd be totally game; please drop a line. I'm not hell-bent on getting sheds, simply love the search, even better if we match sets. I have a healthy collection of moose, mule, white, and elk, so don't really need "more."

This weekend I'm headed to PA, gonna get a line on those elk ... I don't know what to expect ... anyone?

 

[Shag]

Shedgirl, I e-mailed you and pointed you to the guy who's got the PA elk thing down pretty good (as good as you can get it I guess). Try him for some info--he's a good guy. Post up on here and tell us what the shed situation looks like out your way, what kind of shape your herd is in, the winter cover and size of the herds that are yarding out that way.

 

[Shag]

Two years ago we had a relativley open February and I was able to cherry pick this one out of a hayfield.

 

[The Buck Stopper]

Shag, I'm in Ulster County. The snow is down to 6 inches or less in most places. I've tromped through the area pretty well two times in the last month. Doesn't seem to disturb the deer very much. They're still using the same bedding areas, even after I tromped through them. Yes, squirrels are a problem, I saw several while there last. I'll probably go again in about 9 days or so. Hopefully I'll find something! I've seen bucks in the area, so I know they're there.

 

[deershed]

Nice pic Shag!! How's your snow situation looking?I had to work today 8am to 8pm.All I could think of was shedding and the next 3 days will be the same..With this weather were having down here that snow's got to be melting down for you.Time to start finding some sheds.

 

[IowaShedHunter]

Shag,

That is a good photo. The snow is melting fast here in Iowa. There are still a few places mainly North facing hill sides that have measureable snow. I hope to get out Saturday again.

Chris

 

[Shag]

Hey, the snow around here where I shed locally is now down to only about 2.5 Ft of hard frozen snow pack.

It's been nice up to the high 20's low 30's but near zero at night, so nothing begins to melt until afternoon and then the temps go the other way again. That won't keep me from looking in a few spots this weekend. I like it and hate it right now because the deer that were pretty immobilized a few weeks ago have now busted out and walk to some places looking for browse and can therefor dump a shed most anywhere (most generally places where a shed hunter cannot go or won't think to look, like in the clump of yews by someone's front porch). Down by Syracuse there are now bare patches coming through on south exposures or slopes and still pretty deep in north sides. Who the hell cares.....it's friday tomorrow and this weekend I'm bustin out. I expect to see some digital pics from Iowashedhunter & Deershed on Monday or Sunday night.

 

[shedgirl]

Hi Guys,

Yeah, I'm south (albeit only nominally in distance) from Shaq, but the difference in our snowfall amounts can be significant. He gets thoroughly nailed from Lake Effect snows in his neighborhood.

Anyway, I saw a town cop discharge his firearm as I was driving a rural road to work this morning. He shot a large doe that was injured and reported laying in a field. I REGULARLY have to stop on this hill on my way to work to let deer pass in front of me. On average I see 6-10 antlerless deer. Half look like like yearlings, in my estimation.

I've decided that it may be too early for PA elk. And it sounds like a strange situation besides ... very competitive. Where I just moved from in Idaho was fun because you pretty much found as much as you were willing to hike & carry. Out there the progression of drops last year was moose, mule & whitetail, and then elk. Elk were all at nearly the same elevation. Deer were definitely in bachelor herds.

So I'm headed south this weekend. Still too much snow here (getting CLOSE!), so I'll try to find better exposed slopes. Report pending ...

 

[Shag]

Looks like you're in Onondaga, so maybe we can hook up and I'll show you some of the better areas in Green Lakes (you may know them better than I).

 

[deershed]

Welcome to the boards shedgirl!! Those Pa. elk sheds are something else that's for sure.They can be found,but it's different.With the elk sheds alot of it has to do with timing,get in an area before the locals cover it and you can score.
My first year up there I was told by a local a possible spot to check.He told me he had searched the area a couple times already and had found a nice 7pt. side.He said that another guy was also checking that spot.My first trip though there after he told me about it I found a 6X7 set.
My boy last year found both his sheds in another area that gets hit hard by everybody.
I've also talked to many that have found them later in the year after the shed season was long over so not all of them get found.
Here's a few of my first year success.
http://img18.photobucket.com/albums/v55/de...ing_Up_2002.jpg
http://img18.photobucket.com/albums/v55/de..._Sheds_2002.jpg
http://img18.photobucket.com/albums/v55/de..._Sheds_2002.jpg

 

[shedgirl]

Here's a weekend report, hopefully others will have more to add ...

Because of a late start on Saturday, I decided to head down to PA, checking out one really nice area enroute. There were loads of deer all along 81, particularly near Cortland. The deer didn't look all that bad besides.

So I then decided to go to Benezette to check out the elk. It is kinda weird, seeing them all herded up near homes and such. If anyone has ever been to Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone in the winter, it looks a little like that. Several were hanging out on the slopes off Winslow hill, where it had been plowed so they could access ground cover.

I saw some nice bulls, all still carrying headgear.

Next day off to Nat'l forest lands, where I stopped a couple times in some decent looking deer areas. And these areas proved really exceptional with signs (and food!), but I didn't find a single shed. There was still a good bit of snow down, so hopefully I wasn't walking over the top of them, but that was likely the case. I would love to go back to one particular area again, it looked that good.

On up north to Alleghany State Park, which had significantly more snow. And it is such a mature canopy of trees, rangers were telling me the deer that are in the park had a pretty tough winter. I ran across two winter kills. Again, no sheds.

On the way home I saw tons of deer in the Genesee Valley area. I think any of them that could move were feeding on the now-open ground.

It is important to note that ALL the deer I saw were antler-less. No doubt anything to be lost is already down, waiting for us to beat the rodents to them ....

Shed Girl

PS - Shag, there are three primo local areas we should check out, if you're game. Let me know.

 

[Shag]

Shedgirl I gotta hand it to ya, you got that "travelin Road Show" thing going! That's a heap of traveling and some serious desire to look for sheds (and see America first )

Yupp, I'd be interested in tag-teaming some local hot spots. Uhhhh....are there any local hot spots? Me and my buddy hammered my favorite spot Sat morning out in Caughdennoy on the snowshoes and did manage to establish a few things. First of all, the deer did not really manage to yard as much as they usually do. What I'm finding is that small groups of deer got surprised by the extremely heavy snow and went to the best nearby available cover. There they seem to have been trapped and had to ride out the month of January wherever they found themselves. No gradual movement of different groups to a yard, where you would normally accumilate 15-20 deer or similar. What we're seeing is vast areas where there were no deer at all this winter and then you stumble into a one acre spruce thicket with 100 beds and deeply rutted trails in it where 6 deer hunkered for the month of January and part of February. I've found more dead bucks than usual, found three so far. One on Saturday was what I believe was an old buck and he'd already shed. From looking at the position of the carcass, it appears he was originally laying on less than a foot or so of snow (end of first week of january I suppose). The Yotes dug him up and dragged him to the top but part of him and his hind legs are still frozen in the snow on top of a foot of snow, the rest of him laying on the top (2-2.5 feet roughly). Maybe old or wounded. In good hemlock sheltering cover. Teeth are almost to the gum-line. I reckon I'll return to see if he bedded up and shed there in the immediate vicinity prior to checking out. Back near my home on Sunday morning the deer are all over the place foraging. They'd gotten into a couple apple trees sometime during the winter and were at them again Sat/Sunday. The branches were nipped off higher than I can reach and I'm 6' tall and was standing on 2+ feet of snow pack! Musta been deep when they were munching on those branches.