With deer season winding down in most states many people think that their time spent outdoors will end until the warmer weather arrives. But this cold, balmy weather is just what I have been waiting for. It signifies something that I love to do almost as much as sitting in a stand. I am talking about looking for that “white gold”, or as most call them deer sheds. With the rut over and bucks concentrating on building back their fat reserves that they lost during October and November, their testosterone levels plummet. Depending on the year they may start losing their antlers as early as December or as late as March.
I covet these sheds. They allow me to know which bucks survived the hunting season and provide me with the only opportunity to place my hands onto them. It is a fun way to keep active during those cold winter months and provides a great chance to get out and thoroughly walk the properties that I hunt, including public land. My first year looking for deer sheds I was lost. How was I going to locate an antler in so much timber, prairie or food plot? It was the process of knowing where to look that I gained during the first year and the years to follow. Even now I am still learning.
The easiest way to get started is to walk crossings that you know deer frequent. This can be a creek, fence or even a road (I have come across two shed antlers this way). Many people find a well used trail and begin to walk, usually upset when they find nothing. Many must remember that well used trails are frequented by does, though bucks will occasionally use them. I have my best luck on the edges of timber, right inside the “staging” area. Another place to look is within food plots or harvested fields. South facing slopes of hills or even grassy fields has been my best luck in finding them as the deer will bed in the tall grass for cover with the sun helping to warm them on those cold winter days.
Never underestimate cedar thickets, which help keep a deep warm during snow or rainy weather. And lastly, if you practice prescribed burns always walk your woods or fields when done. I have found some of my biggest sheds to date in such places, which are often overlooked.Have fun and make looking for deer sheds a family activity. I keep a log book of the miles walked and sheds found, with dates of course. Many call me obsessed in shed hunting, I just call it keeping active and fit.
Happy Shed Hunting everyone! 
