Philip Sparn | ClarksvilleNOW.com
@PhilipSparn – #SouthernBackcountry
Shedhunting? Its basically hiking with added benefits…
To sum it all up quickly White-tailed Deer drop their antlers every year in the late winter and early spring.as the seasons change. These bucks drop their antlers due to a seasonal testosterone drop and they to grow a new and stronger pair the following season.
Antlers or “sheds” fall from the small yearling “spikes” and even the biggest 10-point “king of the forest” bucks, leaving rewards for people and wildlife in the backwoods and backcountry.
Off-season hunters, hikers and basically all nature-lovers enjoy finding these hidden gems dropped wherever white-tailed bucks roam, eat and sleep. Animals also enjoy finding sheds and nibbling on them for much-needed nutrients after a hard winter season.
As the hunting seasons wind down and just a few sunny Sundays before fishing heats up, outdoor enthusiasts hike miles and miles. Mainly to enjoy the natural scenery and wildlife but also with the hopes of finding a freshly dropped shed, or even better, a freshly dropped pair of sheds.
Bucks start dropping their antlers in late winter around February and some bucks have been seen with their antlers still attached in late March and early spring.
After finding an antler, shed hunting becomes addicting to outdoors enthusiasts who simply just want a reason to get outdoors during the cold and sloppy late winter – early-spring season.
Many hunters shedhunt while they scout wildlife patterns for the upcoming spring turkey season and future deer hunting seasons. Wildlife-lovers also track a deer’s growth and health by collecting a single buck’s yearly drops.
Novice Hunters to amateur hikers can find nice sheds. All you have to do is hike areas heavily trafficked by deer and look for signs of bucks, which includes scrapes on the ground, new droppings, fresh rubs on smaller trees and large deer tracks. The easiest place to find sheds is on the edges of grassy fields and cultivated food plots (soybeans, corn and winter wheat) near wooded areas and game trails.
Shedhunters can even find dropped antler in urbanized areas with a small wooded plots. Basically anywhere deer can sleep, eat and hide you can find sheds in their most frequented areas.
And, I’m sure you’re asking… what are you supposed to do with sheds after you find a good one. The answer: you’ll find a place on your mantle to proudly display that memorable hike’s souvenir and reward, once you get one.
Happy #Shedhunting!
