Ani-Logics Outdoors

The key to finding big sheds is just like hunting big bucks, go where big bucks live. It is only mid-December so although it’s not exactly shed hunting season, a well-planned feeding strategy can put more antlers in your hands when that magical time comes. When the bucks in your area are close to losing their antlers, they are usually run down from the rigors of the rut and are looking to pack on the weight they lost. Testosterone levels have dropped and they return to a travel pattern that goes from bedding areas to feeding sites.

If you can get your deer accustomed to feeding on your property, you have greatly increased the chance of finding their shed antlers. Food plots can and do work, but most of us can’t leave enough food on the landscape to feed deer throughout the entire winter, so that’s where supplemental feeding can save the day. Direct feeding can also help your food plot last a little longer into the winter, which also keeps bucks from wandering off and dropping their antlers elsewhere.

If done correctly, you can pull in deer from miles around using supplemental feed. More deer in an area means a greater chance that antlers fall on your land. Just be careful not to have too many deer using a single feeder which causes unnecessary stress due to overcrowding. We recommend having 15-25 deer using a single feed site. If more deer are present, increase the number of feed sites and spread them out. Try to find a place for your feeder that deer are already using so that you don’t have more ground to cover when shed season arrives.

Here are a few non-intrusive ways to help antlers find their way to the ground:

Put up a short fence around feeders.

When deer jump it puts a slight amount of force on their antlers that will cause them to fall off. When an antler is ready to fall, the slightest movement can help gravity do its job, so forcing a bit of movement around a feeder doesn’t hurt anything. It also keeps hogs away from feeders.

Put your feeder near a ditch that deer are using.

Similar to the fence, a ditch is just another place that a slight amount of momentum is put on a set of antlers and can be a great location to find sheds.

Put your feeder near a food plot.

Deer in or around food plots typically spar even if they are not trying to win the heart of a nearby doe. Sparring that occurs in shed season just encourages antlers to find their way to the ground. Some dominant deer around feeders will also chase other deer and in the process, an antler can fall off.

Place a rubbing post near a feed site.

It seems odd that a buck would rub well after the rut, but according to Charles Alsheimer, “bucks have the urge to rub even when cold blasts and heavy snow invade their home range.” The best rubbing posts are cedar because the stringy bark is like a scent marking sponge. Deer that rub when they are close to shedding may just drop one right at the post. Just make sure to install your rubbing post before the ground freezes.