Okay, I've about tore all my hair out of my head and I didn't have much to begin with. For a number of years on and off I shed hunt a good sized state park nearby Syracuse (Greenlakes). Found a couple the first year, looked for a few years with no luck. Found a 2 point side last year and a 4 point side last friday. This park is full of deer and buck sign like you wouldn't believe. Signpost rubs about 12" diameter are present and rubs in the 4" to 6" diameter are relatively common as are average smaller buck rubs. The big sign is in there every year. Tons of deer (does) and in many areas it's like walking in a freakin sheep pen with all the droppings, trails and sign. I've found about 70-80 whitetail sheds over the years in hunted areas with much fewer deer than this park which is not hunted, so am not exactly a rookie. There is ample winter cover of dense stands of cedar, hardwoods and brushy reverting areas full of Russian Olive, briars, alder and other thick cover--virtually everything. When walking the area you're expecting to find sheds...at any minute, yet they don't seem to be there. This is the first year I've seen sign of another person possible looking for sheds but even so, I would think there ought to be enough to go around. I never see any bucks in there but not unusual to see 40 or 50 doe in a few hours walking. Lots of dead fawns in the park this spring, ALL fawns, no adult casusalties as far as I can tell. I'm just going crazy wondering why a place that obviously has large adult buck(s) and ought to have a reasonable number of just average bucks is so totally devoid of sheds. What are the possible reasons? There is no hunting in the park. There are not many areas where bucks could move off the park lands as it's bordered by golf course and huge condo complex on one side. Water & canal system on another, etc. And, why would bucks move off the park while all those other deer stay? I wonder if the bucks come from off the park and put all that sign down during the pre-rut and rut but winter elsewhere...?? Let me have som ideas. I'm ready to give up here but the little voice in the back of my head tells me there's huge sheds in there SOMEWHERE. Thanks.
- Thread starter Shag
- Start date
Shag-welcome to shed hunting.lol I've been having that problem all season long.That golf coarse won't hold the deer back or keep them from crossing though it.I found 2 in fairways and one on a tee box this year.What's on the other side of the golf coarse and the canal?If there's even the smallest piece of cover leaving that park those deer know of it and will use it.
My one area has a creekbottom running up the middle with houses on one side and apartments on the other side.There's a small finger of trees that cuts out on the side of the houses and ends where the houses begin.Those deer keep going where the finger ends and go between two rows of houses on both sides.From backdoor of one side to backdoor on the other side can't be 80yds wide.I found one of my yard sheds this year here.The shed wasn't 20 yds.from the houses back door.
I had another area just like yours,never found a shed or saw anyone in there.I got tired of not finding sheds so the one year hit it early in the year and hit it as often as I could.I started finding sheds then.Two years ago I quit hitting that area so early and quit finding sheds again.I'd bet you have a couple local guys that hit it hard and often.
My one area has a creekbottom running up the middle with houses on one side and apartments on the other side.There's a small finger of trees that cuts out on the side of the houses and ends where the houses begin.Those deer keep going where the finger ends and go between two rows of houses on both sides.From backdoor of one side to backdoor on the other side can't be 80yds wide.I found one of my yard sheds this year here.The shed wasn't 20 yds.from the houses back door.
I had another area just like yours,never found a shed or saw anyone in there.I got tired of not finding sheds so the one year hit it early in the year and hit it as often as I could.I started finding sheds then.Two years ago I quit hitting that area so early and quit finding sheds again.I'd bet you have a couple local guys that hit it hard and often.
Shag
Just curious, how big is the park?? I sure don't figure you as a rookie and know areas that are loaded with deer sign, yet won't produce many sheds if any. Feel your pain as it bugs the heck out of you and you know you are probably missing the shed of a life time.
Find the food source they are hitting. The park probably has been over browsed by early to mid winter and the deer are feeding else where but going back to bed in the park. Walk the edges of the park and see if the deer are wandering off to feed. Glass the golf course. That probably was the latest lush greens if they watered at all compared to the park and surrounding areas. The deer here will dig through fairly deep snow to feed on lush lawn grass that froze green ( didn't brown up ) at the farm or even in town here. Don't laugh, but grass covered sewer mounds are great feeding areas for deer in town here. There isn't sewer mound in town here that hasn't been hammered by the deer this winter.
There should be young bucks hanging with the does. They do here and I can't imagine they wouldn't there. The older bucks are probably hanging in the thickest stuff in the park or areas bordering it that are thick. it doesn't have to be a very big spot as long as it is thick and people don't bother these areas. We had a big buck, a few young bucks and 15 does/fawns living in a small patch of thick trees within 60 yards of the farm shop one year. I figured his sheds were mine until the neighbor kid roared around the tree patch with his sled one day and scared them out. The does didn't even come back and the buck moved a mile away and shed in a jungle of cattail sloughs. Needless to say I wasn't happy, but it shows you how much bucks will and won't tolerate. I would imagine your park deer would tolerate quite a bit. The sheds should be there or near the park.
Tim
Edges are hot spots for us with reguards to ag fields, CRP, old farmsteads and the free tree areas we have. I would think edges/borders would be good for this area for you.
Just curious, how big is the park?? I sure don't figure you as a rookie and know areas that are loaded with deer sign, yet won't produce many sheds if any. Feel your pain as it bugs the heck out of you and you know you are probably missing the shed of a life time.
Find the food source they are hitting. The park probably has been over browsed by early to mid winter and the deer are feeding else where but going back to bed in the park. Walk the edges of the park and see if the deer are wandering off to feed. Glass the golf course. That probably was the latest lush greens if they watered at all compared to the park and surrounding areas. The deer here will dig through fairly deep snow to feed on lush lawn grass that froze green ( didn't brown up ) at the farm or even in town here. Don't laugh, but grass covered sewer mounds are great feeding areas for deer in town here. There isn't sewer mound in town here that hasn't been hammered by the deer this winter.
There should be young bucks hanging with the does. They do here and I can't imagine they wouldn't there. The older bucks are probably hanging in the thickest stuff in the park or areas bordering it that are thick. it doesn't have to be a very big spot as long as it is thick and people don't bother these areas. We had a big buck, a few young bucks and 15 does/fawns living in a small patch of thick trees within 60 yards of the farm shop one year. I figured his sheds were mine until the neighbor kid roared around the tree patch with his sled one day and scared them out. The does didn't even come back and the buck moved a mile away and shed in a jungle of cattail sloughs. Needless to say I wasn't happy, but it shows you how much bucks will and won't tolerate. I would imagine your park deer would tolerate quite a bit. The sheds should be there or near the park.
Tim
Edges are hot spots for us with reguards to ag fields, CRP, old farmsteads and the free tree areas we have. I would think edges/borders would be good for this area for you.
TJF, the park is probably 4 square miles at least. The side where the water, lake, and condo village would really pose a barrier as there's no place for them to go there...just get's more and more populated and congested. There is actually a golf course in the park and I've had zero luck there in past years even though it too is lousy with sign. I guess I have to admit there are some far reaches of the park I haven't searched really well yet that are where the park property runs back and borders on the nearest village. There are some significant areas on the opposite sifde of the park from where I look that border private property areas of farms, woodlots, reverting type stuff. I wonder if Deershed is onto something and that is that maybe because of all the does in there, the big bucks breed so much in there, that they get run down and shed way early? Then, it could be someone else is getting them because I don't look before late Feb or March. Also, I wonder if food pressure and breeding stress makes them shed early and someone I don't even know about is in there getting them early. Who knows. I'll go in and hammer the areas I haven't reached yet (big place) and give it a couple more trys.
Shag-I'd check out that area out on the opposite side of the park where your looking-the farms,woodlots,reverting stuff.That sounds more like areas I'm searching.I imagine that park has a browse line chest high.In my areas I have some pretty big woody areas and full of sign,but not many sheds.Seems the deer like it better the closer you get to people.Deer like edges where two different covers meet and you don't find many of them in open woods.That other area sounds like a good mix.
And I still think there's other competetion in there looking.I rarely ever see other shed hunters in my areas,but I know for a fact they're in there.I hit my easy to reach areas first hoping to find enough sheds that if competetion comes in it may discourage them if they don't find sheds.No matter what you do for the remainder of this shed season,next season I'd get out there in mid january and start looking.In my areas where there's so many deer some always drop early,get out early and catch the sheds on the bounce.LOL
And I still think there's other competetion in there looking.I rarely ever see other shed hunters in my areas,but I know for a fact they're in there.I hit my easy to reach areas first hoping to find enough sheds that if competetion comes in it may discourage them if they don't find sheds.No matter what you do for the remainder of this shed season,next season I'd get out there in mid january and start looking.In my areas where there's so many deer some always drop early,get out early and catch the sheds on the bounce.LOL
Deershed, I went for a quick run on the far side of the Park (during lunch break yesterday) where I have not been. The park butts up against some residential areas and I found a place to park where I could more quickly access the park. On this side of the park there's quite a lot of slope and southern exposure. It's kinda steep, where you basically have neighborhood tract of homes but steep wooded ridge immediately rising out of their backyards, rising up to the top of the ridge (very steep) with some benches just below the crest, oaks and hardwoods plus plenty of thick hawthorn, briars and thickets on the slopes in some areas. Deer sign everywhere. Got to the top of the ridge and several deer trails running parallel along the top in a strip of woods up on top, then open fallow fields, reverted old farm land. Again, the ever present clusters of large rubs and buck sign. I spent an hour, no luck. I gotta go back and beat it to death when the ground is wet. It was so dry and fluffy/sunny I really don't see sheds well when it's like that in hardwood leafy ground litter. Okay for seeing them in weeds and thickets. There are some magnum old deer in here and I gotta get onto their bedding areas somehow. I'm thnking they may breed out so hard in here due to the does that they may shed in Dec or January even,possibly. So, I gotta find late fall early winter haunts and pound them. We just got a shot of snow but should be melted by Sunday and Sunday will be perfect. I'll get at it at daybreak and see if I can't get lucky. Also, found a dead buck in my favorite shed woods. Old deer, teeth worn way down and good sized pedicles (had shed before he croaked). What do you think the chances are of this old guy having shed somewhere in the vicinity where he cashed out?
Correct if I`am wrong here but I thought it was ileagle to pick up sheds in state or national parks, maybe not state but I do know it is in national parks. The are considered Antiquities.
But then again different states have different laws. I say if its legal do it, just curious.
But then again different states have different laws. I say if its legal do it, just curious.
I hunt a lot of State Parks/Forests here in WI. Although a DNR warden told me it is legal to pick up sheds on state owned land, some of the parks have their own rules forbidding it. I slip the sheds into my daypack instead of toting them around out in the open just in case. Does that make me a bad guy? A poacher? Violater?
I don't feel like a bad guy.
Shag, I can totally relate to your situation with the massive amount of deer sign, buck sign, and the near lack of sheds in these big State parks. I've been following this topic closely to see if you guys have the answers. I think its a combination of the things you and deershed have discussed. For me, in a heavily populated area, I think two legged compitition is my #1 guess.
Shag, I can totally relate to your situation with the massive amount of deer sign, buck sign, and the near lack of sheds in these big State parks. I've been following this topic closely to see if you guys have the answers. I think its a combination of the things you and deershed have discussed. For me, in a heavily populated area, I think two legged compitition is my #1 guess.
Damnation.....two-legged competition....I HATE it when that happens. Unless it's one of my partners. All is fair in love and shed-hunting I guess. I really am just not able to admit that yet as, until last week, I'd never seen anyone off trail even looking like they were, well......looking. Maybe these old state park bucks crawl in the nastiest briar patches in there and I've got to get cut and bleeding to find em. Believe me, I'm pretty good on signs and the 4" to 12" rubs in the park are telling me we got some old gaggers that know the rules of survival. I'll keep trying. Gotta be there......
Shag-I spend alot of time during the week and weekends in my areas and I rarely ever see anyone else out looking.I talk to anyone I run into and ask in a round about way what they're doing.Alot of them are locals going for a walk or walking their dogs.The last two guys I ran into were walking the dogs.The one guy told me he use to shed hunt,but doesn't go out of his way anymore.Told me too many others are into it now and gave me some tips on other areas to look.Told me some were hunted hard and others not too many knew of them or too far out of the way to search.
In alot of my areas it's basically a creekbottom running up the middle with some flat ground on both sides.Then it hits hills with houses,apartments,etc.on top.As you walk the creekbottom little fingers or hollows run out the sides.Some areas of the creekbottom get wide and some small.In all my areas the deer always run the top of the hills bordering the homes.Ive found alot of sheds within sight of backyards and even in the yards.The deer know they're safe and have no problem feeding and bedding in yards.I think they like feeding on the green grass along with shrubbery.
The hills running up both sides have flats or benches and I've found the deer really hang on them alot.If there's a point there all the better.
Good luck with those sheds and hope you figure them out.
In alot of my areas it's basically a creekbottom running up the middle with some flat ground on both sides.Then it hits hills with houses,apartments,etc.on top.As you walk the creekbottom little fingers or hollows run out the sides.Some areas of the creekbottom get wide and some small.In all my areas the deer always run the top of the hills bordering the homes.Ive found alot of sheds within sight of backyards and even in the yards.The deer know they're safe and have no problem feeding and bedding in yards.I think they like feeding on the green grass along with shrubbery.
The hills running up both sides have flats or benches and I've found the deer really hang on them alot.If there's a point there all the better.
Good luck with those sheds and hope you figure them out.
