Shed hunting has been part of my passion for as log as I can remember. Not only is it good exercise it get's me in the whitetail woods.
Post Correction: The following story was written by Patrick Durkin and the picture was also from Patrick Durkin. By a mistake on my part his name was not included with the original release of this post, my apologies to Patrick and thanks for bringing this to my attention. Not that anyone asked, but Lon Sherman thinks he knows why he spends hundreds of hours each winter and spring searching for shed deer antlers in the marshes, woodlots and cornfields of Waupaca County.
He figures it's human nature.
"We all worry. We all gather," he said. "I just happen to gather antlers, and I enjoy it. I think I'd rather find a big shed than shoot a big buck."
All male deer — be they elk, muleys, moose or whitetails — grow a new pair of antlers each year during spring and summer, and shed them each winter. In hunters' shorthand, cast antlers are "sheds."
Some bucks drop their antlers in December, but most carry them through January. During February, antlers drop with regularity — rooted firmly atop the buck's skull one day and dropping the next, almost like a red oak shedding its stubborn leaves. By late March, it's rare to see a buck carrying headgear.
Serious searchers like Sherman often start combing deer hangouts around Christmas, even though odds of finding a shed so early are poor. They increase their efforts in February and March, especially as snows melt to reveal antlers buried for weeks.
After Groundhog's Day, everyone interested in shed hunting searches the deer's busiest trails, feeding sites, sun-soaked bedding areas and anywhere else deer concentrate in deep winter. Even though it's possible to find sheds in May, most serious shed hunting ends before turkey season in mid-April.
As you might expect, there's a certain honor among shed hunters. Those like Sherman are hard-core. That is, he hunts sheds for their own sake. He thinks nothing of all-day hunts, concentrating his efforts where deer spend winter, not autumn.
Others, like me, are accidental shed hunters. If we find one, it's usually luck. If pressed, we admit we were actually turkey hunting. Or we were scouting in hopes of improving our deer hunting odds come fall.
Unlike Sherman, when we walk or snowshoe the woods, we cruise quickly through the deer's winter haunts. We then comb their autumn turf, hoping to find last fall's buck rubs on calf-thick trees or chomped-up limbs above snow-covered scrapes.
In fact, if we hunted deer the way Sherman hunts sheds, deer would have true cause to fear us. Hunters often hear advice like, "Look for part of the deer, not the whole deer," because deer almost always are obscured by brush.
If you think that's tough, try spotting an off-white antler tip three inches above old snow in shadowy cover. Sherman carries binoculars, stopping often to scan cover, corn rows or the aisles between pines.
Like all hunters, when he walks familiar lands with a guest, he notes prominent trees, rocks or other landmarks and starts sentences with, "That's where …" It might be where he found a 6-point shed, the match to a big shed, or feathers from a coyote-killed turkey.
When did Sherman get interested in shed hunting? That's easy. About 10 years ago his group started passing up yearling bucks and shooting more does. As bucks reached their second and third birthdays, their antlers grew to impressive sizes, making them more fun to hunt when they became sheds.
Those who find Sherman's hobby unique, maybe even odd, will be surprised to learn it's a popular winter pastime for many. A year ago, outdoors writer Joe Shead — whose name is pronounced "shed" — wrote a book on the subject, "Shed Hunting: A Guide to Finding White-Tailed Deer Antlers."
Further, the North American Shed Hunters Club publishes "Shed Antler Records" and will hold its annual expo March 27-29 in Wisconsin Dells. The show features shed-antler contests, world-record shed displays and home decorations made from sheds.
Like most serious shed hunters, Sherman labels each antler he finds. He also displays his more impressive finds. Most sheds, however, end up in boxes and storage tubs. There's beauty in individual sheds and awe in massed numbers.
So, why do people hunt sheds?
Well, why do kids hunt Easter eggs? Why do people collect coins? Why did former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos collect shoes?
If you have to ask why, you must not collect anything yourself. Now that's odd.
Cabela's gives this item a 4.6 out of 5 rating which I thought was pretty good.
This to was a 4.6 out of 5 rating from Cabela's.
