After deer season is over and the bows and rifles have been put away, hunters who don’t want to spend the dreary late-winter or early spring months indoors hit the forests and fields in search of deer antlers. Not only are antlers a thrill to hunt and fun to find, but they can offer a lot of important information about the health, age and travel patterns of the bucks in the area that can be used the following hunting season.  

Antlers, even the big ones, can be difficult to locate, especially in areas with dense vegetation. This guide to antler hunting is ideal for those who want to spend less time looking and more time finding antlers. Follow these shed hunting tips to put more antlers in your pack.

You won’t find many sheds if you’re not looking in areas that hold many deer, especially around the time that they drop their antlers in the late winter months. Whitetails typically lose their antlers between early December and early April, with most dropping their antlers between January and March.

Areas that most consistently hold numbers of deer that time of year contain winter food sources, such as wheat, forbs, grasses, brassica, alfalfa, soybeans and clover. Scan natural food sources for deer sign, such as tracks, game trails and bedding areas. Bait sites, in states where baiting is legal, are also a great place to locate antlers. Baiting can hold numbers of deer in a small area, giving hunters a more defined location to find their antlers.

During the late season when bucks are beginning to shed their antlers, place your Spartan cameras near food sources, bedding areas and travel corridors. The more trail cameras you put in an area, the easier it will be for you to narrow down a general area to search for sheds. Scan your video footage and images for bucks with single antlers or visible antler pedicles, which means the shed season has begun. Use binoculars to glass these same areas for single-antler and antlerless bucks, but make sure you keep a far enough distance as to not spook the deer.

Next is timing. If you start hunting for antlers too early, you risk bumping bucks out of the area that haven’t yet shed their antlers. If you wait too late, then you risk other shed hunters finding the antlers first. You also have to get to them before critters, such as chipmunks and mice, chew up the antlers and before the spring growth conceals them. Make sure to check with your state conservation department for local laws on shed hunting. Some states and public areas only allow shed hunting during designated shed hunting seasons.

Once you’ve determined the antlers have dropped and you have an area you plan to search, it’s time to start hunting for them. The more ground you cover and the more time you spend searching, the more likely you are to locate antlers. The best method is to use a grid system, making multiple passes through an area until you’re sure you’ve covered it completely. Consider carrying binoculars with you during your search to reduce the amount of walking, especially over difficult terrain, and to cover more ground. Pay special attention to bedding areas, as that’s where bucks spend most of their time. Also scour trails that link bedding areas to winter food sources. Walk slowly and don’t get in a rush. Look to the sides of the trail and behind you at times to make sure you didn’t miss one. Check the food sources and look for areas where a deer would have to jump a creek or fence to continue along the path. Bucks often lose their antlers when a jump jars them loose.

Consider searching for antlers on cloudy or overcast days because the even light distribution eliminates harsh shadows and reduces glare, making it easier to spot antlers that would otherwise blend into the background. As you scan the ground, don’t expect to see an entire antler just lying on top of a pile of leaves in plain view. Instead, look for bits and pieces of an antler sticking out from the underbrush or from beneath dead ground cover. Look for glints of sunlight reflecting off the part of the antler that is exposed. As with anything, the more you practice, the more skilled you’ll become at picking out antlers.

To enjoy shed-hunting success, you must train your eyes to find antlers amongst the ground debris. Consider bringing along an antler when you go shed hunting. You can throw the antler out in front of you 15 or 20 yards just to train your eyes on what sheds may look like in certain areas. Also, consider taking a friend or trained dog with you. Not only can antler hunting with a friend or dog be a lot of fun, but more eyes on the ground can result in more antlers found. Lastly, keep a journal to record the dates and locations of the antlers you find. Bucks are creatures of habit, so there’s a good chance you can find antlers in the same general area year after year.

Don’t forget to use the time searching for antlers to also gather information for the following deer season. Look for travel corridors and funnels. Take note of the heavily used trails, food sources and bedding locations. This information will come in handy when setting up and hunting the following season.

Most of all, when hunting for antlers, keep your expectations in check. Some days you may fill your backpack full of sheds and other days you may not find a single one. Just enjoy the experience and remember that you’re gathering important information that can help you during the next hunting season and having a good time in the process.