Trophy Hunting for Shed Antlers
B
uck season is closed, but you've
still got buck fever? Shed
hunting is a great way to get back
out into the woods.
Deer and elk grow and shed their
antlers every year. Often times, when
antlers are left in the woods over
the summer, factors such as time,
mice, squirrels and other rodents will
eat them for their valuable calcium
content.
Studies have shown that each deer
sheds its antlers at about the same
time it did the previous year, and this
antler drop is the result of declining
testosterone levels which weaken
the base of the antler. This timing
varies from geographic location, and
usually starts in late December in
the north and March or April in the
southern end of the deer's range. A
deer will also generally drop both
antlers within 3 days of each other.
Here are some helpful tips to get
some bones in your hands:
•
After the rut, the only thing a
big buck will care about is food and
sleep, so target those food hot spots
and well secluded south-facing
beds.
•
As a hunter, you already
understand that deer will not frequent
an area if you keep spooking them
away from it. Glass your feeding
areas and bedding spots from a good
distance and check to see if any deer
have antlers. If there are still antlers
up, wait for another day to check the
spot.
•
Travel corridors and obstacles
are great places to find antlers.
Remember, if the antlers are loose
and the buck is moving around, a
little jostling could easily knock
an antler loose. So check fence
crossings and ditches.
•
Go
shed hunting
after a fresh
dusting of
snow. A small flurry is even enough
to show new tracks, and following
these will generally lead you to
freshly dropped antlers.
•
Bring your family, friends and
favorite four-legged companion.
These extra eyes will help, but
sharing your appreciation for the
outdoors is much more valuable than
a few bones you might find. ■
Visit OutdoorU.org and start
your own pathway to exciting and
memorable experiences
in the outdoors. Get
outside and see what
the Nebraska Outdoors
has for you.
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By Dylan Tegtmeier
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 • NEBRASKAland 11
