Found my first shed of the year.
Right where I put the grain down.
I have a rock about 3 feet high that is flat one side. I put some grain on that side. ;)
I have a couple more there too.Just not as high or flat.
I killed a nice antlerless deer several years back on 28 December that turned out to be a buck who had already shed. The last 3-4 days of December are a special antlerless season here in WV.
Have not found any bull moose sheds yet. You rarely find one.
Lots of 'yote tracks around this one. :D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/SD_Moose-Antler.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1192063241)
I sometimes find one in the summer when flagging off work strips and hang it on a tree for the cutters to find. :D The worst is finding a dead rotten calf in the spring. Stink!! The bears will usually find them. ;D
No antlers falling off here!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/A277BBD7-8893-4733-AF6B-1E246D369D44.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1672517463)
Not yet.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10007/Bigboy.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1672519739)
WOW!! Those are about 5 times bigger than ones I find.
I have never got one much bigger than a foot and that would be on the high side. 8 points would be a big one in my back yard.
The one I found only had 3 points.
I have been looking for more, but no more to be found.
Seems like I find one than I find more.
But not this year.
Still hanging on in southern WI. Picked up this trail cam card today, and this month has shown at least 20 different bucks for the month 12/1 - 12/31
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10180/Antlers_still_12_29.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1672539439)
Be like the lottery to even find one in these parts, hardly any deer let alone more than a couple bucks wondering out there locally. I've never seen any deer sheds around my local area in 50 years. Out in deer country 40+ years ago, I would find sheds on deer trails around the lakes and dead waters when fishing. Was lots and lots of deer out there. Chances were far better. :D
I've been feeding deer for 20 years here.
I only started to find shed in the past 5 years. ???
Not a one for 15 years. And yes, I had bucks coming to the feed.
Found 6-7 one year and that year grandson found a couple more.
Kinda odd most are found within a couple hundred feet of the feed. I walk the trails and may only found one.
Grandson and a friend come up and they may find 2-3 on the trails.
But won't find a moose shed on my land.
I did see one moose down by the bog this summer. I only saw it for about a minute and then it was gone.
Don't even see any tracks.
Most deer antlers I would find had been chewed on by rodents or porcupines. Moose ones, sometimes are.
Put new tires on your tractor Ray - you will find sheds that way.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34297/KIMG1203.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1623294392)
A shed finder. :(
I have found one in the summertime. This was about 40 feet from where I feed the deer. But not with a new tire.
It was chewed just a little on one point.
I've spent quite a bit of time in the woods but have only found a moose shed. They're still holding on around here as I've seen a couple bucks lately.
Saw a video the other day of a decent buck loosing one. He put his head up from feeding and gave it a little shake from side to side. That was all it took the left one came off and rattled into the right side antler. His response made me laugh,was a cross between getting scared and shocked by electricity mixed with embarrassment all at once. He ducked down ran a little bit then looked around as if to see who saw it happen. :D
Little does he know
A recent moose shed, not going to get any fresher than this. :D
Canadian Bull Moose Sheds Both Antlers...CAUGHT ON CAMERA!! (RARE FOOTAGE) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0R3dGm37oQ)
Just came in from feeding the deer, found a shed right where I feed them.
Got some snow coming in tomorrow night. That will cover up any that are on the ground. Dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home.
Hard to find them things with just a head lamp.
Good score!! Like I said drive around - and use your headlamp - you will find those sheds!!! :D
Went for a stroll and found a pair
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/58F9D4C7-C09A-4161-8D15-DD57E24C06E7.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1676146039)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/5D3E9118-E67B-4039-AD9E-7D2D6BFBCF11.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1676146063)
Notice the other side towards the back of picture
You're an antler hound now. :D
That's nice.
We have had snow off and on here. Them things are buried now. I have found one in a deer trail. I had to get a hammer to get it out.
Our deer migrate out of the area for winter. No tracks let alone deer antlers. :D
Must be no food for them?
The deer have been here for years.
I would snowshoe in sometimes to check on the deer. They go to the same places 40 years as they do now.
Never was many in my area, even 50 years ago. Moose country mostly. I see about 4-6 deer in a year, none in winter once the snow piles up. They migrate south of here, maybe 20 miles in the Hartland area. There are areas that had a lot more deer than here, the Tobique river watershed was full of deer. No deer yards in my area at all. Last deer yard in my vicinity was about 40 years ago until dogs found it in the cedar woods at the end of the farm next to Maine border. Used to be a lot of dogs run loose that chased deer. Wasn't coyotes, DNR would shoot deer chasers on sight.
Walked a small area of our acreage yesterday looking for sheds and with the deer trails and large numbers of tree rubs we should have found at least one. Maybe still a little early but we are seeing no antlered deer, just 8-15 or more antler-less grazing in the pastures.
I know what you mean! When you see tons of deer around and don't find any sheds! Keep your eye out 👍
We have lots of squirrels, aka tree rats and if they find them first the antlers are seriously compromised :)
I've come to the conclusion over the years that the antlers are chewed on by the rabbits, not the squirrels.
I thought squirrels for years, until I started hanging the sawed-off antlers in a bush or tree up off the ground.
Maybe mice too, but they should be able to reach them in the tree or bush.
Video from trail cam 10 days ago, these bucks still hanging onto their racks. But have seen one buck without antlers, only the scars were left.
https://rumble.com/v29g5es-young-bucks-feb-8.html (https://rumble.com/v29g5es-young-bucks-feb-8.html)
A number of years ago, I was out planting some White Cedar on a friends' property and saw something that caught my eye. A matched pair of antlers from a big 9-pointer that my friend had hoped to get. My son who was with me said "Hey Dad, look at that"! About 30' away was another matched pair of smaller antlers. The bigger set scored 130 B+C. Like a dummy I did not dash out and buy a lottery ticket. After a while I gave the big set to my friend who owns the property.
Just about any animal that naws will eat antlers. Hares, mice, squirrels, porcupine, fox, coyote, bears. They are all known to chew them.
Today, February 26, 2023, I saw a buck near Syracuse, NY still carrying a set of 6 pt. antlers, fair sized for only 6 points.