Sheds and Scrapes

by
posted on March 11, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
mehall_ah2015_fs.jpg (4)

undefinedWhen you live in a place like Virginia, you really don’t expect multiple elemental blasts of pure winter. All we hear on the news is we’re over our snow-plow budget, schools are closed, events are cancelled and flights are delayed. As we trade our bows for shovels, it’s funny how I never minded a sore back when it was the result of dragging a deer.

But there are positives to all this snow. As the snow finally starts melting, antler sheds will sport a sheen—making them easier to spot—so if you’re like me, you’ve got some fun shed hunting excursions in your near future. Shed hunting is also a great way to kill two birds with one stone. While hiking your favorite hunting areas looking for sheds, as the snow disappears you’ll see right where the heaviest rut activity was last fall and pick up a few clues as to the whereabouts of what could turn out to be this year’s big buck. It’s also an opportunity to “rack up” information about the size of the bucks that survived last season. You’ll see that most trails, rub lines and scrapes are still visible in areas where you probably didn’t want to kick around during the rut.

Make mental notes and carry a roll of flagging tape. When you find that natural funnel or scrape, look around and try to find that perfectly straight tree for hanging your bow stand. This makes it much simpler when narrowing down the perfect spot for this year’s opening day.

As you’re searching for sheds, don’t just watch for bone on the ground. Pay attention—you’ll probably discover heavily used trails you didn’t find for fear of bumping deer from their core area. When you’re combing areas where you have particular bucks patterned, try to make sure they’ve definitely shed their antlers so you don’t end up pushing deer onto neighboring property where you are not permitted to roam. While you might think you’re good to go this late in the season, that’s not necessarily the case. My husband, Phil, and I live on several wooded acres in Virginia and just yesterday spotted an 8-point still combing the woods in all his glory. If I leave him be for a few more weeks, I’m hoping to be wrapping my hands around two pretty cool sheds by April.

I have two final shed-hunting tips. First, be sure to turn around and scan behind you once in a while, too, as a shed may be glaringly obvious if spotted from a different angle. Also remember to look down as you walk. I nearly stepped right on a small Shiras moose shed in Wyoming because I was so focused on the ground ahead of me.

Shed hunting is not only intriguing. It also provides good exercise during the off-season as you enjoy getting back outdoors. In the meantime, we snow shovelers could have it worse. I remember hearing about a snowstorm in Tibet in 2008 that dropped 6 feet of snow in 36 hours. Waiting for that much snow to melt took serious time—and sent prices on yak meat through the roof!

Latest

LEDE Thompson Center
LEDE Thompson Center

Thompson/Center Arms Celebrating 60th Anniversary

Thompson/Center Arms is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Since 1965, T/C Arms has built a legacy rooted in the pioneering spirit of American hunters.

Federal Ammunition Awards 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships

Federal Ammunition recently awarded the 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships to two 4-H shooting sports teen ambassadors: Lucy Evans from Georgia and John Bruner from Pennsylvania.

Head to Head: 7x57mm Mauser vs. .30-06 Springfield

I’ve had more than a few requests for this Head to Head, so I figured it was high time to pit two of the early 20th century’s most popular military cartridges against one another. Let's dive into the 7x57mm Mauser vs. the .30-06 Springfield.

NRA Hunter Education FREE Online Course Now Available in Louisiana

The National Rifle Association of America’s award-winning free Hunter Education online course is now available in the State of Louisiana, the latest addition as NRA works to make the course available to hunters in all 50 states.

Moultrie Updates Line of Game Feeders

Moultrie has expanded the capacity of its line of feeders, and bettered the cameras' integration with the company's connected technology to streamline the feeding process.

Building the Ultimate Elk Bow

Elk are remarkable creatures that dwell in some of the most hellish landscapes on earth. An elk bow needs to be tough, light, and ultra-accurate. Here's how to build the right one for you.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.