Antler growth begins in April or May in this area. The growing bone is covered by a skin containing numerous blood vessels called velvet, which continues growing until late summer and early fall. During the first year the pedicles on a buck appear as small bumps or “buttons”. The second year produces spike or forked antlers, and the third year will produce branched antlers. A multitude of factors will contribute to the development of antler growth, from food sources, minerals, genetics, injury and stresses. As the season progresses the testosterone levels increases, this results in the forming of a ring at the base of the velvet shutting off the blood supply and hardening of antlers the occurs.

Deer shed their antlers every year for a variety of reasons. This occurrence is triggered by hormonal changes, diet, stress levels, and physical condition. In most areas this occurs in a mere two to three week period starting in late January through March, after the fall mating season has concluded. The need for establishing dominance and attracting females no longer exists. Larger bucks often will drop their antlers later than smaller bucks. Other factors such as fatigue from an excessive fighting and breeding as well as harsh winter conditions can trigger earlier shedding, simply to conserve energy. Healthy deer keep antlers longer than weaker deer, and in studies at captive game farms it has been shown that individual deer shed their antlers within the same two week period each year.

Bucks are usually in their established home range when they drop their antlers. When snow is on the ground it is easy to find the well used game trails. These will lead you to bedding areas and their main food sources. Most sheds are found within a few feet of these trails, near fence crossings, or near thick shrubs that deer use as bedding areas. Think like a big buck, and finding where he winters will not only help you find his sheds, but tell you how big he is, what potential he has for the next season as well as showing you where to begin your scouting this fall. Remember these areas by marking them on a map, a deer seldom changes it’s home range unless pressure forces them to leave. Next years sheds will be in the same general areas and your efforts to locate them will be easier.

For those who manage a deer herd for trophy class hunting, there are several other factors that can be learned from the sheds you recover. By comparing the past years sheds with the current ones, you can see how much improvement the food plots and minerals have made to the over all health of the deer. The total inches of additional antler growth can easily be recorded over just a few years of use. You can discover which of the trophy deer

survived the hunting season and was not harvested on adjoining property. It can also tell you how many bucks and the age what age class are in the area. With this information you can determine a better plan to balance the herd in both numbers and with supplemental food sources. When hunting in the coming season you can also identify small areas to concentrate your efforts for that wall hanger that has been alluding you for the last couple of years.

Shed hunting not only is a way to have that extra set of massive braggin’ rights bones hanging on the wall, but you will learn more about the areas you hunt and have fun getting a pretty healthy work out putting on a few miles walking those outdoor trails.