By: Mike Reeber
If you stay in-tune with some of the more popular accounts on Instagram and Facebook, then you’ve seen the insane amount of sheds that get picked up starting in February. Doesn’t it always seem like those people just have some sort of magical power when it comes to finding freshly shed antlers? Have you caught yourself saying “why the heck can’t I ever find that many?”. The simple answer is that shed hunting isn’t as easy as it sounds and takes time to improve your game. But, it can be done and once you get the hang of it, you’ll be surprised with just how many sheds you start to find. So, if you’re looking to become the new Shed Czar of your ranch, check out these simple shed hunting tips below and start stacking up the bone this spring.
1: Always walk back out using the same route that you took in
Whether you’re riding around or walking in the woods, one of the most important tips that I can share with you is to exhaust yourself looking on both sides of the trail. As hunters, I think we’re wired to always walk in big circles, looking for new pockets of land, which usually means coming out at a different point than you started. When shed hunting, I find it really helpful to stick to one path each time you set out in a new area. No matter how much you convince yourself to look on both sides of a trail, it’s human nature to favor one side. So, to make sure that you’re not missing anything, always walk back to your starting point on that exact same trail. This will increase the amount of land that you’re able to search through.
2: Look 360
Sometimes, we all get lucky enough to find a matching set of sheds laying right next to one another. And, when that happens, it seems like the stars have aligned. However, you’d be surprised with just how many matching sheds are laying within 15 yards of the other. An easy mistake when you see an antler is the go pick it up, examine it and keep on walking. You could be missing the matching side, which is laying right around you. So, each time you locate a shed, walk directly to it, mark the location and then walk in a circle around the area. You’ll be shocked with how many sheds are laying in the same general area!
3: Stick to the game trails
When I first started looking for sheds, I walked in some of the gnarliest brush around and basically always came out empty handed and scratched half to death. The truth is that deer will always walk on the trail of least resistance, if they have the choice. And, after hunting season closes and the pressure is off, they’ll almost always stick to heavily used game trails to get to food and water sources. Stop spending your time bushwhacking through the thick stuff and find a well-worn trail or field edge to walk.
4: Look right to left
From the time that we’re just little kids, our eyes are trained to always look left to right. But, reading and writing requires different skills than shed hunting. It’s strange to think about, but because your eyes are conditioned to look left to right, oftentimes this will cause you to overlook an easy shed laying in open sight. So, when you’re walking, try to look the opposite way that you’re used to. Oddly enough, your eyes will pick up on things that normally you might just glance over.
5: It might not be a branch, afterall.
How many times have you found yourself looking at a branch, only to realize that it isn’t a shed? Happens to us all and sometimes it just seems like it happens far too often. And, when it starts to happen to you alot, it’s easy to see something and then just discount it to a branch in your head, when in reality it might just be a shed. So, even when the going gets tough, always run down your leads and double check to make sure that it’s not a branch laying there. Remember, sheds are not always laying out there on perfect display for us to pick up!
On one last note, I should mention that you don’t need to be a hunter to be part of this addictive hobby that consumes so many of us during the spring season. Picking up sheds is a fantastic family activity, especially because the Texas spring weather is just so tremendous. My wife(who doesn’t hunt), is one heck of shed hunter, which oftentimes leads to a fierce competition when we’re riding around together. And, I have to admit, she has found some real whoppers that I’ve walked right past. So regardless of whether it’s a friendly competition or just a walk in the woods, having more eyes looking at the ground will drastically help increase what you haul back to camp at the end of the day.
Happy (shed) hunting!
