Shed & Scouting Season
It is hard to believe we are only a few weeks away from April already. Time sure does fly. I enjoy getting out each Spring to search for sheds. Every year it is a chance to get what I consider a consolation prize left by the elusive whitetail buck. So far, it’s been an absolutely great year weather wise to get out in the woods and look for antlers. The deep snow didn’t last long but left well traveled trails behind. Though I’m looking for sheds, I’m also scouting for the upcoming season. Yes, my deer season starts right now.
In the Fall of 2023, I started hunting a new area on the farm. It is exciting hanging stands in new territory but it can also be very challenging. It seemed all Fall I was just a step behind each mature buck in the area. My trail cameras were in the right places, my stands weren’t! Fast forward to now, I have a chance to dive into these spots a little deeper to understand the deer traffic and how to adjust my stands for the upcoming season.
Anyways, back to shed hunting. This year has been tough, we went from a week of brutal Winter to an early Spring. I felt this really altered the deer patterns. Food didn’t seem to be a major factor like other years. I found sheds were far from food, not around or near the soybean fields as imagined. Most of the sheds I did find were in and around stands of pine trees. I’ve been lucky enough to find 8-9 sheds so far, quality over quantity for sure. For now, I’ll keep hiking in hopes to find a couple more. But the page is about to turn, the focus will shift to turkey season and food plots. Stay tuned.
Here is some of the gear I like to use during my shed season:
