When To Shed Hunt

The best time to hunt for shed antlers may be much sooner or later than you think, depending on your location and general variety of habitat.
To learn how to create the best habitat t collect as many sheds as possible, check out my collection of web classes:
www.whitetailh...
Finding a lot of sheds at the right time is one thing, but does that translate to any hunting strategy? One of the best strategies that you can follow is to make sure that you are practicing my highly proven weather based hunt predictions when you actually head out to hunt. Check out HuntCast, at:
huntwise.com/s...

[@josephreichart7545]

Finding out Shed Seekers are on State and County land,which I'm surrounded by,makes finding Sheds not an easy thing .Waited til mid March because I didn't want to stress Deer out ,Found matched set 3 daze ago,ez 40 miles walking in last few weeks,..Luckily work was slow!!,Go with your Buddy more fun,Thanks Dr Jeff

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Definitely more fun to go with a buddy! Pretty cool you found that matched set too 👍 So many people looking nowadays...it does seem less tho after Covid?!

[@darrenjgrefe131]

Always fun to get out and hunt sheds.

[@NorthOf8]

Wow if that's the Venti story that's amazing!

[@rossgambill5647]

Very big fan of tracks on the side by side. We use a similar set up for work and that thing walks on water.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

They are amazing!! With the hills around here no other machine would do...even a snowmobile. What I like most is the ability to crawl thru the steep hills at a snails pace on deep snow

[@naomicreech9870]

What is your favorite/best cell cam? Out hunting last season, I realized how many deer weren’t actually being captured. North facing about 6’ up. Oh Happy day. The snow is so deep here it’s up to their bellies. Thank you Jesus! I can’t wait to get out to my happy place. Thank you Fellas, always love info.

[@joeystalin4044]

Tactacam Reveal X. Att/t and Verizon options (without needing either of those as your own carrier). Pick whichever has best signal on your land to know which

[@stickjr.3715]

Couple days. I lost a 8inch g2 and 3 off a buck in a half a day. Messed up my rattling antlers. Squirrels!!!

[@beaubrinkley4689]

I feel bad for laughing when you said he had a heart attack when he shot him😂 congrats to the dude

[@dennybirchfield]

Headed out today last time I was out checked the cameras still had 8 or 9 bucks holding hope to find a couple

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

It really is getting close Denny!

[@michaelswitzer218]

We bought a large neighboring property in October (in Central Illinois). Probably 1/3 to 1/2 of it was farmed up until the mid to late 80s & is now choked off with invasive honeysuckle & honey locust, so I hadn't walked thru that part yet. My Brother & I were scouting it on the 20th to see what we need to do with it & I found a nice shed near what appeared to be a bed. Also found the skeleton of a 1 1/2 year old buck, no obvious sign of what killed it but most of the meat & hide were gone. Also saw 1 younger buck with no antlers traveling with some older does & some yearlings.

[@jeffhays1968]

I saw a big doe out back the other day, until I saw his two nubs ! Already shed mid January !

[@daddybuck9466]

Thanks I have been wondering when to get out there. I usually find them in summer but once I get time I’ll be out on my property soon to see what I can find

[@benborgschatz9525]

Checking trail cameras today to see if any antlers have dropped yet. To bad you didn't get Venti. You'll definitely have chances at nice bucks in the near future.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Oh definitely...he was a such a cool buck Ben! At the same time I was really happy with the 160" older bucks I shot this season 😊 Hope you see a lot of bucks with no antlers on the trail cams so you can go shed hunt SOON!

[@benborgschatz9525]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 10 pointer holding both sides, 8 pointer holding both sides, and 4 pointer holding both sides still. No shed hunting for me yet. One 4 pointer dropped both sides.

[@newenglandnativeamericanar106]

Up here in southern New England they will shed them in December through April...we have a weird shed season....we don't have much farmland that leaves food on the ground...we have to hit the mountains that where most of the deer go to winter....very rarely we will find a antler in a field...we have to get in the pickers and dog halr to find them....and if we don't have snow it a nightmare....you will were the souls off your boots before you find one....without deep snow they won't yard and when there are no acorns they Rome through the woods aimlessly browsing....so it can be tough...have to puts quality miles and fierce focus on the dry brown ground

[@dswish1730]

I have found 11 and my dog 3.4 dead heads.But not in my usual spots.And I agree that some are still holding.This weather isn’t helping that’s for sure..

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That's pretty solid D!! I just got a beautiful pic of one of our nice, 4 year old 8s this morning...both still holding.

[@the.tricky.outdoorsman]

I almost always go out early March. We have extremely cold Temps here in PA. Sometimes the squirrel will start getting to them late February, but the healthy bucks still have their antlers. The one buck I've been after just lost half of his rack the past week.

[@lilmisssnowflake1747]

Wow so it didn't loose both all at once

[@the.tricky.outdoorsman]

@@lilmisssnowflake1747 no, sometimes bucks don't drop them immediately together

[@mikemacdude]

Shedding happens way late down soutg. Here in Canada on the east coast they are dropping. Found 1 shed by chance and seeing deer with 1 side missing on many cams. Not even January yet!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

It's usually mid to late February around here, on average. But if they are injured in some way...we've already had 1 drop!

[@chrismacomber9727]

As always good info brother .. all the bucks I have seen here in NC are still holding..

[@buzzardlife]

I can confirm

[@chrismacomber9727]

@@buzzardlife you in NC to?

[@buzzardlife]

@@chrismacomber9727 yes I am. Raleigh/Cary

[@chrismacomber9727]

@@buzzardlife no kidding I'm in Asheboro about 45 min west

[@sarahbrock7193]

Hello from Mansfield Ohio I love looking for shed antlers find two nice shed years ago you said someone come to Ohio

[@stevenschmidt5712]

Need good snow cover here on Iowa public to keep those guys at bay. I’ve already seen lots of walkers out there on cell cam and even though a lot of bucks are shedding early because of the Christmas extreme cold all the pressure has driven the bucks elsewhere. I know it’s hard but if they could exercise patience we would all be better off.

[@lloydbeebe8019]

Here in Michigan I have 4 different bucks still holding. My friend that owns a deer ranch said bucks don’t drop horns until their new set pushes old ones off. Takes a lot of force to drop them until then.

[@boneheadsoutdoors6555]

very few bucks still holding here. picked up 45 sheds so far. the best time to go is when you have time to go. put a hurtin on them boots lol.

[@rodbelding9523]

Im in southwest Pennsylvania and every buck on my camera is still holding both antlers as of March 2nd. Its very tricky timing it right, because I only have public land to look. If youre too early theres nothing to find, and if youre too late and someone else probably found them.

[@carsonschulz6498]

People seem to trespass for sheds and morels with much less thought than other reasons 🤷

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

So, so true! I have cameras up just for that reason right now...

[@tfrost33elkhunter]

First year shed hunting my new land this spring. Had 15 bucks with 5 good ones. It will be interesting to see if they dropped on my land or not.

[@MrRABland]

No antlers holding here in NW Wisconsin on any of my six trail cameras in 120 acres. Bucks present, but without antlers.

[@ihus9950]

👍

[@jamesfarrow2130]

your last video listed williow screenings, I didnt hear you talk about it, is this in place of switchgrass in some spots?

[@johnmcmahon1196]

Hi Jeff I have another question. When you do your client visits you spend the whole day and your the property, I remember last year you said you had only seen about 10 percent of the property. Why didn’t you take a day to walk the whole property when you first bought it and draw up a plan for yourself like you do for everyone else?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi John! Honestly I'm learning to enjoy my entire land. I love the planning part...the movement, stands, hunting strategy, switchgrass, trail cam locations...all the habitat work, but scouting portions I don't need to for the plan just boiled down to a lack of time/need. Often on client lands I'm looking over areas just to cover the land effectively with the client. I've been cutting my client numbers to have more time and I've found myself really enjoying the random walks and cruises on the land! I've seen most of now 😊 Also, buying the land in June of 2020, I only needed to see about 10% to build a great herd and hunt for the Fall...not enough time for anything else but to do that.

[@jaredkook366]

Most of the day is spent in a restaurant, not on the property.

[@aaroncornelison5477]

Still holding in southeast Michigan still holding in southwest Missouri

[@underdogoutdoors]

Cool cell phone 911 save!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha, for sure!

[@jackhuffman2268]

Here in North Central Texas I have not had a single picture of a buck that has dropped! I guess we are later in the southern part of the US.

[@jheiny1231]

Yeh northern deer drop sooner because of stress from winter. Typically around me in the Midwest. The harsher the winter temps and the more snow we get the sooner they drop

[@brianmoczynski5989]

Jeff I know you’re a busy man but I was just thinking how sweet it would be to sell some merch for us to buy like hoodies and stuff

[@Hubble-M]

Any relationship to when sheds fall relative to northern or Southern areas ?

[@carsonschulz6498]

Found matched set from a 4yo with great brows (10”) within 25ft in a food plot 2 wks ago. Only have the right side from 2.5 and 3.5 from him. The 5 and 6yo bucks moved off in Sept so I definitely have work to do this year to be a fall parcel. Going to kill grass in pockets/add switch to CRP (KS) and take out lots of cedar and hedge in the 16ac of timber (159ac property) this year Think your neighbor would’ve passed Venti if you’d talked about passing him last year? Your videos made it seem like you were really targeting him so maybe they thought if they passed their chance, he’d get killed by you? Just curious since you have such a following. Personally, goal of mine to meet and share more info with neighbors around me (4th year owning the property). Hoping more fall cover leads to more bucks sticking bc plenty of food, average doe numbers and VERY minimal pressure so baffling that I’m not collecting more older bucks as the season progresses (lost the 5 and 6 in Sept, lost a 4/5 in early November, ended with just one 4yo as the oldest buck on camera). Thanks for the videos.

[@scottclark1168]

I had 5 bucks together come through today on camera at 1003 am 3 had horns out past their ears and 2 did not,and I was gunna she'd hunt today and decided to fish instead

[@jerryperron5243]

We are getting camera pictures as well with deer with horns yet. Even the 4 & 5 year old bucks still holding….

[@jeffhays1968]

An old timer I knew said he 'traps' sheds by baiting a spot in a wire 'trap'. Never knew the guy to be a liar but never saw it done either.

[@scientificsocialcat87]

I live in eastern Oklahoma when is best for sheds

[@hastyhillfarmand4x480]

There shedding here now (blue ridge va)

[@jchuston]

I need to get out

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Good morning John, Its about thst time for sure!

[@beachralph]

Looking forward to get out we have a lot of snow up here northeastern Canada. Is there anyway to get your website classes up here in Ontario Canada I would order it. Great work Jeff keep up the great work 👍👍👍👍

[@spgopher1]

Jeff, how long before forest critters starting eating sheds?

[@MrRABland]

Question for Jeff or Jeff followers. You’ve got 120 essentially square acres (60 top, 60 bottom) surrounded by public land and home in NW corner with an ATV path around the periphery. There now exists an ATV path running east to west evenly dividing the 120 acres. Would you keep that path and plant a food plot somewhere near it or just position your plots near the periphery ATV path? The land is predominantly hardwoods (65% red oaks). My concern is spooking deer when accessing the plot on the east-west ATV path. Thanks for any input.

[@jaredkook366]

If I was surrounded by public, my food would be in the middle.

[@aaroncornelison5477]

Jeff always says depth of cover

[@MrRABland]

@@jaredkook366 I actually have a road north, a big lake west, and beaver ponds southeast andvclose to the southern border. East and south are public, so I'm putting plots 50 yards from from the northern road, two plots about 120 yards from the eastern public land, and two plots about 100 yards from the lake. I’m trying to draw deer from the public lands, position plots on the outside areas with a large sanctuary in the middle. An ATV path with a plot through the center might interrupt the sanctuary. That’s my thinking.

[@MrRABland]

@@aaroncornelison5477 I’m thinking having nothing in the center area would provide the sanctuary and cover Jeff talks about. I’ll be putting in some hinge cuts near the plots for doe bedding with the center available for the bucks.

[@frankspataro9714]

Sang hunter's are ridiculous here I go in August and cut the plants off everything I can find cause when the bums come in full camo carrying a screw driver in sep you instantly know what there up to usually a real bum here with face paint and all and nothing is in season there just poaching sang while the rest of us work for a living lol I'm jealous kinda wish I had nothing to do and collect a check and play in the woods anywhere I want

[@bowman8316]

🕺🏻👍🏼🦌

[@NorthOf8]

What's it mean when deer tap their hind hooves at the scrapes?

[@dennybirchfield]

Peeing on tarsal glands to leave scent a way of communicating

[@maxedgar1374]

I highly encourage to go to Schaffer performance archery in Burnsville MN for your bow setups. Worth the drive for the best technicians and service

[@whitetailhabitatandhunting]

Thanks Jeff! Can't wait to go shed hunting! Haven't really seen anything though since the 1 week of December... Do you know why? Thanks

[@rustymurdock1748]

Here in east TN squirrel eat them fast.

[@ala5831]

With 34 squirrel’s eating my bird seed I’ll never find a shed. But I’m not much of a shed hunter, or squirrel hunter.

[@aaroncornelison5477]

I don't think it's time yet

[@dungeonmaster6292]

Who tf has 245 acres?