If you’re after a specific buck’s sheds, trail cameras are a great way to determine when that buck has shed his antlers. Bedding areas that provide good thermal cover are great places for bucks to bed during the frigid winter months. Between January and April, you are more likely to find deer antlers that have shed. Each season the deer's antlers will typically get a little bigger and broader. Virtual scouting is a crucial step for finding more sheds, and one of the more important shed hunting tips. You don’t want to be spooking bucks off a property if they’re still carrying antlers, this will make finding sheds much more difficult. One area deer spend a disproportionate amount of time in is feeding areas. This saves you from walking up to every bleached stick or rock. Following the fall rut, male deer and moose will shed their antlers. Both the expanded archery and muzzleloader seasons ended Dec. 12. 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. Bucks don’t like the imbalance of having one antler, it makes their head feel awkward. In the northern regions deer congregate together in deer yards. When conditions improve in early Spring is a great time to start looking for sheds in deer wintering areas. It is not recommended to continually disturb deer that are in these deer wintering areas in the middle of winter. Deer (and other ungulates, like elk) shed their antlers every year, then grow a completely new set. How to Hunt for Deer Antler Sheds. When you begin shed hunting start tracking your path. More Hunting. Once the antlers have reached their full length, the blood … You can see old and new tracks in this travel corridor. February 1, 2007. You can get them pretty cheap on Amazon. Filed Under: Deer Hunting, Maine Hunting News Tagged With: antlers, deer horns, maine, sheds. By Michael Hanback. The glare from snow during sunny late winter or spring days can make finding sheds difficult and can give you a headache. Shed hunting isn’t easy. From pictures it appears there’s no way this is a doe either, because … One of the most important Maine shed hunting tips is to make sure you are searching at the right time. It is really easy to miss sheds. Often when bucks lose one antler the other is not far away. Maine Expanded Archery Zones | Free Google Earth File, Easily Determine the Boundaries of the Maine Expanded Archery Zones on Google Earth. Search this Site. One of the most important Maine shed hunting tips is to make sure you are searching at the right time. Using aerial imagery you can often determine bedding areas, feeding areas, and travel corridors. I prefer polarized sunglasses to really help cut down on the glare. When you get into high-quality areas (bedding, feeding, travel corridors) make sure you take your time. Winter Fly Fishing: How to Catch Trout on Streamers this Holiday Season. There are many factors that influence when bucks will drop their antlers and it varies slightly from year to year. This is one of the best shed hunting tips in my opinion. Antlers do not always grow the same size each year due to fluctuations in a deer's food supply and health. Also, a lower percentage of bucks are able to make it to an older age class. Also, you can add a competition component to it, which turns shed hunting into a game that boosts spirits and helps to prevent discouragement. Guns. The numbers are in for Maine's 2020 deer season. Check out my About Page for more information. It makes the most sense to start shed hunting when the majority of antlers are off, and not before. I also offer Services, so be sure to check those out as well. Do you spend a lot of time thoroughly searching a single property or two? More often than not it’s an ear twitch or a tail wag that gives the deer away. You’ll want a backpack to put your lunch in and any other useful things you might want to bring. Not to worry though, the animals begin to grow new antlers almost immediately. I end up needing to retrain myself every year to look for sheds only. 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! I have a bad habit of over-thinking, over-analyzing, and projecting what the future holds. Virtual scouting will save you a lot of time and energy. If your sole reason for shed hunting is to find sheds, scouting will be counterproductive. Antlers that have been shed are often sought by hunters, but it helps to know where to look. The antlers begin to grow at a rapid pace. A few years ago, I had a discussion with a Michigan naturalist, who claimed that most whitetail bucks lose their antlers by mid- January. Recent Posts. 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. In Maine, bucks start dropping antlers around mid-December with most antlers off by mid-March. Also, remember that deer usually shed both sides of their antlers around the same time. Additionally, if you start sweating you’ll become cold when you have to slow down in the high opportune areas. Having the proper attire when shed hunting helps to keep you in the woods longer. Cedar is a great late season food source in Maine. 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. But most importantly do not forget to follow all the tips I have highlighted above. Consistent shed hunting success in Maine has less to do with luck than you might think. Some of these antler hunters we have known for 15+ years. Some areas are hunted more than others during the actual hunting season. Every year during winter and early spring, groups of adventure seekers take to the woods in search of moose and deer antlers, also known as sheds. Bringing a backpack is very helpful. Although this sounds a little odd, it actually does help. The more time you are able to spend in the woods, the better your chances are for finding sheds. In late winter, after the rut is over bucks shed their antlers. Once you have determined the bedding and feeding areas search the area in-between where deer are traveling. It makes the most sense to start shed hunting when the majority of antlers are off, and not before. It takes a lot of walking in the right places to find them. This is still really difficult for me to do. Bucks have antlers throughout spring, summer, and most of the winter, but shed them sometime between January and April (depending upon the animal and latitude), after the rut and breeding season comes to an end. 7 Tips for Catching Big Cold-Weather Bass. Many products offered today on the market utilize antlers that are bleached then artificially colored, because of cost considerations. That being said, you don’t want to dress so warm that when you have to pick up the pace you overheat and sweat. 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. In Maine, bucks start dropping antlers around mid-December with most antlers off by mid-March. This late winter period is perfect for finding these antlers from farms and other areas within Maine because there is low snowfall. There are more than 2,000 on the Maine Shed Hunters Facebook page and more than 300 on the Maine Shed Antler Hunters page. Shed hunters have to figure out where the bucks have been resting, feeding, and find the paths that they travel on. This way I can mark the locations of sheds that I’ve found and can refer back to the area if needed. I’ve trained myself to look at tracks and rubs when I’m in the woods during hunting and scouting season. Shed hunting requires your full attention. Shed hunting in Maine has become a mainstream activity. Snow conditions dictate our luck and abilities to navigate the back country. 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. To do this effectively, leave your cameras out after hunting season is over. The late-season is energetically expensive for whitetails, especially in Maine because of the harsh winters. Welcome! 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