Shed Hunting edit
Shed Hunting is the act of going out into the woods a few weeks after hunting season to look for antlers that male whitetail deer shed. These sheds can be grown on male deer, elk or moose just to name a few. The antlers of deer are grown; shed and regrown annually after breeding season and the animals testosterone begins to drop. Shed hunting is not a science but can be done strategically by searching in areas known to house deer such as agricultural fields, bedding areas or known deer trails.[1][2]
Why Deer Shed edit
Male deer shed their antlers between late winter and early spring every year. Male deer only grow antlers to compete for a mate during breeding season which is around early winter and lasts 4-5 weeks, but after the breeding season is over the male deer's antler fall off, taking about 4 weeks, then growing a new pair starts again which is much slower and can take up to 5 months. These new antlers will look furry, called "velvet", which contains blood vessels that aid in the feeding of vitamins and nutrients until the growing process is complete. The deer then rub the velvet off and beautiful brown and white antlers emerge, ready for another breeding season. [3][4]
Antler Uses edit
Deer antlers can be used for a large variety of reasons. Some people use them to entertain their dogs, because they are full of calcium and vitamins and don't splinter like some other bones. Deer antlers can also be used by deer hunters who would like recreate the sound of two male deer fighting over a female which is a tactic used to attract other male deer to investigate what is going on. But the most interesting use for deer antlers in my opinion is the way people use their imaginations to create decorative and practical items from lamps and chandeliers to knife handles, pens, and table legs, just to name a few.
How to set up a Shed Trap edit
A shed trap is some type of lure and apparatus that brings deer to a particular area usually on a consistent basis and is combined with a trap that helps the chances of knocking off the antlers in that specific area. This could be as simple as pouring a pile of corn and making it so the deer have to push their head through some bushes or branches to get the corn. The main goal here is not only to assist in the deer's antler shedding but more importantly making sure that whatever technique you use will not hurt or entangle the deers antlers. Here is a link to a deer antler trap video on a very helpful website(video at the bottom on page):Shed Trap Video[5]
- ^ Barringer, B. (2014, February 2). Shed Hunting: A Sport unto Itself. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from outdoorhub.com: http://www.outdoorhub.com/how-to/2014/02/13/shed-hunting-sport-unto-itself/
- ^ Garth, G. (2015, February 7). Antler shed season in full swing. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from courier-journal.com: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/outdoors/2015/02/07/antler-season-full-swing/23049367/
- ^ Jr., L. T. (2013, January 20). Antler Hunters Shed-Hunting Techniques. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from northcountrywhitetails.com: http://www.northcountrywhitetails.com/articles/antlerhunters.htm
- ^ Kayser, M. (2013, February 27). The Truth about Shed Hunting. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from northamericanwhitetail.com: http://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/land-management/the-truth-about-shed-hunting/
- ^ Kenyan, M. (2013, February 6). Everything you need to know about shed hunting. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from wiredtohunt.com: http://wiredtohunt.com/2013/02/06/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shed-hunting/