Shed Hunting Problems

[BobGriffith]

Last year I looked for sheds at a park with a half decent deer population. I didn't find any sheds in the 5-7 trips I made. What did I do wrong? Where should I be looking. Theres no place that I can think of that they have to jump, like a fence, so i dunno where I should be looking. In the fields, pines for their bedding area, by the creek?

 

[MoSplitoe151]

Look anywhere between where they bed and where they feed during the time of the year for which you live. I live in missouri so I really don't start looking till the end of Feb. Find most of mine in the fields where they have been feeding, that to me is the best place to look to find some quick.

 

[deershed]

Bob-you may have other competetion besides the rodents?I hunted this one place for 2 years and never saw another person in there.I started going a little earlier one year and started finding sheds.When do you start looking?
This year the fever hit me bad and I started the second week in jan.I usually start the last week to the end of jan. I've made 5 trips total so far and had to fight looking in patchy snow 2 of those days.I also hunt parks and hit them first cause of the competetion.My total for the year so far is 11, 5 old sheds from last year and 6 fresh from this year.
I like to think if I find last years sheds,then I'm the first to look for the new year.
The point being,in areas with a healthy population of deer like parks that are off limits to hunting.There's always some deer that drop earlier then others.I usually start finding fresh sheds towards the end of jan. EVERY YEAR.
While I've been out looking this year I've seen alot of buck still carrying both sides and a small percentage that I could tell dropped one side.
If I were you I'd get out there now and check bedding areas and trails leading to feeding areas that was already suggested.Staging areas or edges where the deer hang out before it gets dark are also a excellent place to find sheds.
Hope this helps,Sorry so long!!

 

[Shag]

Bob, I found two in a State park a few years ago. Areas adjacent to the park are hammered but there is a concentration of deer in the park, especially during the winter because of the "CCC" plantings and generally thick cover off the pathes and camping and picnic areas. I found a spike and a decent 4 point side in a thin funnel of woods bordered on on side by a chain link fence which runs along an extremely steep ridge down to a lake and on the other side an open picnic and playground area. The funnel is only about 20 yards wide, a natural for deer moving through from one woods section to the other. It was in plain sight about 25 yards from a teeter-totter. I'm going back there this spring.