You can spend all the time in the world shed hunting, but if youâre searching at the wrong time your success will be reduced. Check out my About Page for more information. Following the fall rut, male deer and moose will shed their antlers. This information can be used to improve future shed hunting excursions. Bucks in heavily hunted areas just arenât as numerous as they are in lower hunted areas. Anderson has ruled out the antlered doe theory himself, as he’s seen the buck chase does during the rut and knows Potential has had normal antler cycles every season prior. I also offer Services, so be sure to check those out as well. Enter your email below and I'll send you the cheat sheet for free. The Warring Two Beasts and the Sheep December 14, 2020; 1 Corinthians 12 King James Version December 10, 2020; Prophetic: The … Once you have scouted the high-quality areas of a property, leave and scout a new property. Scrolling through social media during Maine's most popular hunting season, you may see an endless stream of downed deer. You may want to bring extra gloves if it’s rainy or there is snow melting off trees. Surveyor flagging is a very bright-colored ribbon. Virtual scouting will save you a lot of time and energy. Having the right state of mind plays a big role in shed hunting success. This is still really difficult for me to do. One of the most important Maine shed hunting tips is to make sure you are searching at the right time. You can do this without even getting off the couch! You can see old and new tracks in this travel corridor. If you wait too long, you may miss out on all the antlers that were on the ground waiting for you. The Short Answer Most deer will shed their antlers pretty soon after the rutting season is over. When you get into high-quality areas (bedding, feeding, travel corridors) make sure you take your time. Everyone wants to find those giant sheds. Less snow means sheds will be less buried offering better opportunity.Â. ***All sales are final so please ask any and all questions before bidding. These areas include food sources, late-season bedding, and travel corridors between these two areas. Shed hunting requires a lot of walking, and walking at variable paces. Therefore, if you want to collect your first antlers, I suggest going antler hunting either in mid-December or mid-April. Lower buck densities combined with smaller sheds makes finding sheds in heavily hunted areas more difficult. Google Earth and Google Maps are my favorite tools for virtual scouting. If you’re after a specific buck’s sheds, trail cameras are a great way to determine when that buck has shed his antlers. When antlers get a sheen of water on them they tend to shine and glisten. Bucks are known to annually grow and shed their large sets of antlers, which serve for sparring and “to attract female deer for mating,” according to Sciencing.com.. It can take as little as 24-48 hours for the antlers to actually fall off, but the shedding process takes between two to three weeks and then new antlers will regenerate throughout the summer. To do this effectively, leave your cameras out after hunting season is over. Welcome! If you’re curious about how to use dogs for shed hunting check out; The Basics of Shed Dog Training and The Best Shed Hunting Dog Breeds. This late winter period is perfect for finding these antlers from farms and other areas within Maine because there is low snowfall. From pictures it appears there’s no way this is a doe either, because … Page said shed hunting in Maine seems to have gained more followers. Safety glasses/sunglasses will allow you to plow through thick brush without taking a stick to the eye. The more time you put yourself in the high percentage areas the better your chances will be of finding sheds. The velvet has blood vessels, a very sensitive … The dense vegetation in the distance provided good bedding and screening cover. Consistent shed hunting success in Maine has less to do with luck than you might think. “Widespread early antler casting (in your area) may signify a nutritionally stressed herd resulting from too many deer for what the habitat can support.” Also, Kip says that in northern states mature bucks typically shed antlers earlier than younger, smaller deer. December through February is prime time to hunt for antlers shed from moose. You donât want to be spooking bucks off a property if they’re still carrying antlers, this will make finding sheds much more difficult. For this reason, bucks like to bask in the rays during the cold months to warm up. Bucks shed their antlers between January and April, depending upon many factors including the animal’s age and the latitude at which it lives, after … For additional/interesting information on sheds and shed hunting tips check out these articles: The QDMA: 6 Things You Can Learn From Shed Antlers (And 1 You Canât), The Portland Press Herald: The Search For Sheds Has Become a Popular Pastime, Outdoor Life: Bone Guide: How to Estimate the Price of Shed Antlers. The reason to flag sheds is because, as mentioned above, many times bucks lose their second antler not far from their first. Our passion for moose is what got us started in this business and we look forward to sharing the benefits and the joy of Maine Moose Antlers with you! The antlers primarily serve to allow bucks to spar over females during the breeding season and serve little purpose once their task is over. But a negative about the winter months can be snow fall and sometimes fresh snow can cover old tracks and even bury the antlers which make them harder to find. I prefer polarized sunglasses to really help cut down on the glare. Dogs are very effective for finding sheds. A typical day may consist of riding 50 – 100 miles on snowmobile finding 2 -5 antlers per day; if you are lucky enough you may find a matched set or a whooper weighing over 20 lbs. There are many factors that influence when bucks will drop their antlers and it varies slightly from year to year. While it may seem like every hunter that ventures into the woods returns with a big ol' buck, in reality … Instead of looking for an entire shed, look for parts of sheds. The deer antler shed will take two to three week before full completion. By focusing your efforts in late season bedding areas your odds of finding shed will be much higher than aimlessly walking through the woods hoping to stumble upon a shed with no plan. You can spend all the time in the world shed hunting, but if youâre searching at the wrong time your success will be reduced. In the northern regions deer congregate together in deer yards. Having snacks out in the woods will satisfy your hunger and allow you to spend more time in the woods. Recent Posts. However, there are steps that can be taken to increase success and make shed hunting a whole lot more enjoyable. Spend time looking in the areas where you found the first shed. Having an extra pair of gloves is nice after wearing wet gloves for a while. A few years ago, I had a discussion with a Michigan naturalist, who claimed that most whitetail bucks lose their antlers by mid- January. To learn more about scouting deer using these platforms check out my post: 15 Best Tips for Scouting Deer Using Google Earth. Binoculars are also nice just to have to observe deer if you bump any, and for observing wildlife in general. The concentration required to be good at shed hunting is very similar to tracking deer, which requires you to be present and in the moment at all times. These 30 shed hunting tips will enable you to get results by putting the odds in your favor in Maine. If you're searching for whitetail or mule deer antlers, the time when you're most likely to find some are between the months of January and March, so try to do the most shed searching during those times. Antlers have a covering of living skin called velvet. How to Hunt for Deer Antler Sheds. Fresh set of wild Maine deer sheds that are webbed and nicely palmated. Human Competition: In addition to rodents chewing up antlers, you also need to worry about other shed hunters. I have seen bucks that have shed their antlers in early December, and at the other extreme, I once observed a large 9-point still holding his antlers in early April. Safety sunglasses reduce glare, making shed hunting easier and more enjoyable. Areas between bedding and feeding areas also provide potential to hold sheds. This saves you from walking up to every bleached stick or rock. This is one of the best shed hunting tips in my opinion. your Maine Recreation Land Specialists, Find out what your loan payment will be with our Seller Financing Package, East Grace Pond Road, Upper Enchanted, ME. A true hermaphrodite is a buck that has both male and female sex organs with antlers, but these deer typically stay in velvet and shed their antlers early. 3. It makes the most sense to start shed hunting when the majority of antlers are off, and not before. Once you have determined the bedding and feeding areas search the area in-between where deer are traveling. Search this Site. Having the proper attire when shed hunting helps to keep you in the woods longer. Being careful not to spook deer out of the area, check your trail cameras a couple times between late January and mid-March. However, the antler regeneration can take around two to four months before it is completed. Not every area will be able to produce Iowa sized racks. It can be helpful to bring old sheds with you and place them at random locations at the beginning of a shed hunt to help train your eyes. 15 Best Tips for Scouting Deer Using Google Earth. Mule deer, whitetail deer and other ungulates shed their antlers once a year. As a deer or moose ages, the antlers get larger and develop more points. The season for shed hunting begins in February – when most bucks around the northeast lose their antlers –and continues through April. Binoculars are a useful tool for scanning fields and for confirming a visual on a potential shed in the distance. These deer yards are found in areas that provide good shelter from the snow. Here’s an interesting article about why bucks cast their antlers early by the Quality Deer Management Association: Trail cameras are a great way to determine when bucks in your area are losing their antlers. Last weekend, the Maine deer hunting season came to a close. The force of jumping increases the likelihood that an antler may be knocked off. 7 Tips for Catching Big Cold-Weather Bass. Here’s an interesting article about why bucks cast their antlers early by the Quality Deer Management Association: Causes of Early Antler Casting. You can get a pair of polarized glasses for around 15-25$. Waiting until most antlers are off will make sure you have the best chances for success.Â. In Maine, bucks start dropping antlers around mid-December with most antlers off by mid-March. In an attempt to reduce energy expenditure at this time bucks are looking to keep as warm as possible. Get e-Sword . Enjoy! Late season food sources and bedding areas are explained in greater detail below. Between January and April, you are more likely to find deer antlers that have shed. Shed hunting is very much a numbers game. Get the facts about sheds, and learn how to find your own. Often when bucks lose one antler the other is not far away. Having company makes shed hunting more enjoyable. Iâve trained myself to look at tracks and rubs when Iâm in the woods during hunting and scouting season. Triggered by day length and maintained by hormone production, antlers begin growing in April, and are nurtured by a velvety outer network of skin tissue and blood vessels. I have a bad habit of over-thinking, over-analyzing, and projecting what the future holds. One suggestion – any place a deer has to jump, like a stream, that could jar antlers loose. For this reason, places where youâve found sheds in the past are likely to have sheds in the future. One of the most important Maine shed hunting tips is to make sure you are searching at the right time. These areas are great places to check for sheds because deer are congregated in these deer wintering areas. There are more than 2,000 on the Maine Shed Hunters Facebook page and more than 300 on the Maine Shed Antler Hunters page. You can do this without even getting off the couch! Highly traveled corridors are also great places to find sheds. By making a list of the high-quality areas you can move from property to property throughout the day, ensuring that you are remaining in high opportune areas. The same can be said for shed hunting. Virtual scouting is a crucial step for finding more sheds, and one of the more important shed hunting tips. How to Call More Coyotes into Shotgun … Check out my About Page for more information. Shed hunting in Maine has become a mainstream activity. This shedding procedure takes two to three weeks to complete, while the regeneration takes an entire summer to complete — before the cycle starts all over again. The numbers are in for Maine's 2020 deer season. When you begin shed hunting start tracking your path. Youâll want a backpack to put your lunch in and any other useful things you might want to bring. Because of the sheltering effect from the softwoods stands the snow depth is much less. The late-season is energetically expensive for whitetails, especially in Maine because of the harsh winters. Once you start noticing most bucks have lost their antlers you can determine when to start shed hunting. In late winter, after the rut is over bucks shed their antlers. Also, a lower percentage of bucks are able to make it to an older age class. This ribbon can be used to flag trees over sheds that you have found. Bringing everything you need to make a day out of shed hunting is a great way to improve your odds of finding sheds. And share your pics and stories have highlighted above of time and hard work be. 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