13 01, 2020

How to Find Shed Deer Antlers

2020-06-10T09:14:51-04:00January 13th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Shed Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How to Find Shed Deer Antlers

Why do whitetail bucks spend so much time and energy growing antlers over the summer only to shed them five or six months later? “Scientists have pondered it for years and we still don’t know,” says whitetail biologist Dr. Mick Hellickson, who points to a couple of theories. Some scientists believe bucks shed annually so they’ll have the potential to replace damaged antlers. If a buck had to live his entire life with snapped tines or a broken beam he couldn’t fight his rivals or posture for does. A second theory suggests that bucks shed and grow new racks 10 to even 30 inches larger the following year to keep pace with their increasing weight and girth as they mature [...]

1 05, 2019

How Much Are Shed Antlers Worth?

2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00May 1st, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Mule Deer, Shed Hunting|1 Comment

How much cash can you get for your shed antlers? For starters, depends on condition and grade of the sheds: Grade A: Antler in perfect condition, brown and beautiful, with no fading…no broken tines or chew marks…this year’s drop, antler picked up within a few weeks or months. Grade B: Antler in good condition, still natural brown color, may be dull or faded on one side and slightly weathered, probably last year’s drop. May have slight broken tine or chip. Grade C: Antler faded and weathered to white and chalky, on the ground for 2 or 3 years. Here are February 2019 estimates from Antlerbuyers.com: Elk Grade A: $13.50 a pound* Elk Grade B: $11 a pound* Elk Grade C: $3 a [...]

26 02, 2019

5 Massive Deadhead Bucks

2020-06-10T09:15:25-04:00February 26th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Shed Hunting|1 Comment

Some shed hunters that roam the woods from now till early spring will find “deadheads,” or the skulls and antlers of bucks that died months earlier. A deadhead might have perished of any number of causes: hit by a car, lost by a bowhunter the previous season, winterkill, predators or natural causes. Most deadhead finds are small to medium-size, but each year a few people stumble upon massive skulls, like these 5.                 This first picture popped up on my Twitter feed yesterday and is the first mega-deadhead of the 2019 shed season. It was found in southwest Ohio.             The top skull of 2018 also showed up [...]

22 01, 2019

Ultimate Guide To Hunting Shed Antlers

2020-06-10T09:15:26-04:00January 22nd, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Shed Hunting|Comments Off on Ultimate Guide To Hunting Shed Antlers

Google shed hunting and up pops more than 1 million links to a mind-bogging array of antler info. There are shed-hunting clubs, a shed-antler record book and Facebook pages. Tens of thousands of articles and blogs have been published and posted on how and where to hunt for antlers. Television shows on antler hunting air on Sportsman Channel each year. I produced a shed episode for Big Deer TV a few years ago and it was one of the most popular shows of the year. There is a good chance you are at least a semi-obsessed antler hunter, or that you will get into it very soon. Either way, here’s stuff you need to know. When to Shed Hunt When [...]

14 01, 2019

Why Some Bucks Shed Antlers Early

2020-06-10T09:15:26-04:00January 14th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Shed Hunting|1 Comment

I am hearing reports of bucks shedding their antlers early this year. What causes this? QDMA biologist Kip Adams points to a couple of things. “Nutrition is important, as bucks in good physical condition generally retain their antlers longer than those who are nutritionally stressed,” he says. “Widespread early antler casting (in your area) may signify a nutritionally stressed herd resulting from too many deer for what the habitat can support.” Kip says that in northern states, mature bucks typically shed their antlers earlier than younger, smaller deer. “(Older) bucks skip many meals during the breeding season, and those that rut hard may be in poor post-rut condition... even when abundant forage is available for deer. These bucks are choice [...]

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