Shed Hunting - The "Ultimate" Thread

[WapitiTalk1]

As many of us are starting to think about the upcoming shed hunting season, I figured I'd get a brand spanking new shedding "tips, tricks, and faux pas" thread going.  Faux pas... good word huh; its so rare one gets to use it in a sentence  . 

OK, please offer a tip, trick, mistakes made that you have learned from, etc..  These can range from when, where, how, to include not only boots on the ground as a primary method to shed hunt, but/and/or, the use of shed sniffing pups and how to train them up for this great early year sport.  Ask a question, offer a tip/trick, or just tag along for the ride... RJ 

[boneaddict]

I took a photo of an elk.  I didnt want to push them so circumvented them.  When i got home and looked at the photos there was a large shed sitting in front of him.   

[quadrafire]

For me "not" looking for them is more effective than intentionally looking for them.
I have more of those Hey there's a shed moment when i'm just hiking around vs actively "hunting"

[Eric M]

I am by no means an expert but walk slowly. When you start getting distracted quit or take a break.

[Naches Sportsman]

Find the main migration trails and you'll run into all kinds of elk sheds.

[boneaddict]

When you trip, look back to see what you tripped on.

[Cab]

I have a hill side I find a shed on every year. I found it turkey hunting and noticed that every morning deer were coming through and bedding on it. Find the bedding areas = good shed hunting spot. it's a south facing slope which gets more sun so thats always a good place to start.

I do a lot of shed hunting while turkey hunting. After the morning I run and gun and it's a great chance to look for Morels and sheds.

I try to leave the areas alone in January and Feb because the animals are at their worst and I don't want to put stress on them.

[Alchase]

I am definitely no shed expert. I have about 20 Muley sheds and a few Whitetail sheds, but they are all left side sheds   

What's up with that, 

[ljsommer]

My strategy: Take a dog, a cigar, and a flask of whiskey and go on nature walks in your favorite unit. You'll never leave disappointed with this fool-proof and reliable recipe for relaxation.

[WapitiTalk1]

My strategy: Take a dog, a cigar, and a flask of whiskey and go on nature walks in your favorite unit. You'll never leave disappointed with this fool-proof and reliable recipe for relaxation.

Awesome formula.  It's amazing your dog is able to still find sheds while smoking a cigar (doesn't it affect his sense of smell?), and, after taking bourbon snorts 

[ljsommer]

My strategy: Take a dog, a cigar, and a flask of whiskey and go on nature walks in your favorite unit. You'll never leave disappointed with this fool-proof and reliable recipe for relaxation.

Awesome formula.  It's amazing your dog is able to still find sheds while smoking a cigar (doesn't it affect his sense of smell?), and, after taking bourbon snorts 

Honestly I have more fun shed hunting than I do normal hunting. My odds of success feel roughly the same (IE: very low), but I get to move quickly, smoke, enjoy my favorite whiskey (Woodinville Distillery Rhy) and bring my dog.

[gasman]

This should be an interesting thread 

I myself have only found sheds when not looking for the.

One year I drove in to my spot that I hunt in Entiat in Sept, took a buddy from out of state up there to fill his tag. Then during modern season we walked in there like we normally and found a shed sitting on the road that i drove in on back in Sept. It was a nice 4 point with an eye gaurd 
I drove over the top of it months earlier with my Jeep, and never saw it.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I am definitely no shed expert. I have about 20 Muley sheds and a few Whitetail sheds, but they are all left side sheds   

What's up with that, 

Your a lefty.👍

[flyfishWA]

don't look for them, all the sheds I have found have been while hunting or scouting, not when I was looking for sheds.

[Alchase]

I am definitely no shed expert. I have about 20 Muley sheds and a few Whitetail sheds, but they are all left side sheds   

What's up with that, 

Your a lefty.👍

I figure they are the ones running side Hill to the left, lol

[yorketransport]

Here's a question for you guys who use dogs for shed hunting. What's your process for training a shed dog? My WPG went gun shy  and I just don't think she's going to get past it. Training her to hunt sheds would be a great way for her to be "re-purposed" and keep her out in the field hunting.

The only sheds I ever find are while stumbling through the brush chasing some kind of varmint like a porcupine or raccoon.

[cbond3318]

Pray you don’t find hot success on your first outing.

Found a match set 4 point, a large left side and 4 other nice sheds  my first time “looking” for them. Almost more enjoyable than actual hunting for meat and way less stress.

Come on spring!!!

[WapitiTalk1]

Yorketransport, try this VID out.

[Old Man Yager]

Wet side Elk seem to like swamps and mud. I find a lot of mine in or near swamps and wet areas like alder patches. Something I realized this year, I found this prime area, and all I picked up were 2 old white sheds, all chewed up. I'm pretty sure nobody had looked in there for a couple of years, cause both of these sheds were laying in the open in plain sight. I was kind of confused as to why there were no fresh sheds in this spot. Then I remembered when I first tried to get in there and look, it probably still had 3-4 feet of snow on the ground. Elk weren't even in there when they dropped antlers this year. Hot tip for y all, don't bother looking where the elk haven't been!!

[hunterofelk]

Best advice I can think of was just mentioned above.  If you can keep track of the bulls, the snow level and walk slow while looking at the ground, you'll have a better chance of finding elk sheds.  If you are like me and live on the west side and shed hunt on the east side, just use past experience and advice given here.  Of course look in the wintering areas or in low snow years the ridges back to summer range. Sometimes you're not finding anything because the bulls are still carrying the antlers.  The big old bulls usually shed around late Feb. to first week of March, the medium size last half of March and the raghorns the last half of April.  My advice might not be so good because the last five years have been pretty lean.

[kellama2001]

Great thread! Tagging along, I have lots to learn. I've just started the last couple years to purposely go look for sheds, it's addicting! I did glass up a nice big 4 point with an eye guard shed this year during deer hunting though, can't wait for spring!

[BenTernan]

My number one thing I look for is the perfect size timber. Being on the west side I shed hunt Rosie’s and blacktail. If you can find some 15-20 year reprod fir that has choked out a lot of the undergrowth. And gives you a nice clean ground. There’s still brush, and ferns, I mean it’s western wa. But for some reason every time I find these “perfect” sized timber patches the deer and elk sign in them is unreal. And they will winter in it because it’s like a canopy above their heads and there’s lots of food and they never have to leave cover. I first walk all the main trails and look for beds, then I start gridding and hitting the lesser used trails and it usually leads me to really good success. Can’t wait till this spring to ad more to the shed pile!

[danderson]

Dont look in the feed areas, find your own honey hole, I hunt on private ground as do most of my buddies, mostly elk sheds.
Dont mess with the bulls in winter leave them alone or they will move on. Heres one thats been in my yard most every night for the last week.

[DrStrangelove]

I've found sheds on the East side while not actively looking, but I do most of my serious shed hunting here on the West side for Blacktail.

1) Hunt where the animals are, as mentioned in previous comments. And it goes without saying that areas of higher Blacktail density deserve top priority for hunting.
2) Once you've reached an area where you are fairly certain they've been, move slowly. Scan the ground closely, stop and look around.
3) Overcast days help in reducing glare from the sun, i.e. it's easier to see in all directions while stopping and looking.
4) Bring binos for those sheddy looking objects that are further away but need closer scrutiny. This can help keep you from travelling further than necessary and help you stay on your original course.
5) Pay attention to terrain and terrain features. I once found my largest shed just inside an old growth treeline that butts up to a decent sized clearing/bedding area by asking myself 'if I was a buck where would I rest in this area.' There was a four foot high mound on the edge of this area, but it is the highest vantage point, and by inspecting it closely I found the large five point hidden under debris from the Doug Fir above it.
6) Bring some small hand-held pruners and leather gloves; these have come in handy on a number of occasions, but mostly when I want to follow a trail inside blackberry patches.
7) Beating a dead horse here, but bedding and feeding areas, as well as the trails between the two, are top spots to look. Especially trails with low overhead clearances from blackberry, Scotts Broom, etc. Edges are my favorite places to look and I have a lot of luck hunting them, especially when they open up to the South or South East.
Keep your feet on the ground and drag them through those trails with thick sword fern coverings. I always inspect anything that feels like a stick or that pops up and hits me in the leg.

[rl206]

I am definitely no shed expert. I have about 20 Muley sheds and a few Whitetail sheds, but they are all left side sheds   

What's up with that, 

I was wondering same, I found the first left side last week I have all right sides

[Tbob]

Some great info on this thread! Thanks!!

[davk]

Shed hunt like you would/should hunt ... go slow and keep the binos out.  Ive found more with glass than I have running into them.  Not in areas where you can sit on a hillside and glass, but walking and using 10x binos.  Doesnt take much to cover them up sometimes.  Binos help picking up that single tine poking out of the grass 50 yards away.

[4fletch]

Time to start looking I found a elk shed Thursday in kittitas

[JBar]

I am definitely no shed expert. I have about 20 Muley sheds and a few Whitetail sheds, but they are all left side sheds   

What's up with that, 

I was wondering same, I found the first left side last week I have all right sides

Start looking on the other side of the trails

[Dan-o]

I am definitely no shed expert. I have about 20 Muley sheds and a few Whitetail sheds, but they are all left side sheds   

What's up with that, 

You're in their left side shedding area.

You need to walk equadistant the other way and go collect all the right sides.

[Dan-o]

Dont look in the feed areas, find your own honey hole, I hunt on private ground as do most of my buddies, mostly elk sheds.
Dont mess with the bulls in winter leave them alone or they will move on. Heres one thats been in my yard most every night for the last week.

Nice raghorn.         

[bchighlander]

 

My strategy: Take a dog, a cigar, and a flask of whiskey and go on nature walks in your favorite unit. You'll never leave disappointed with this fool-proof and reliable recipe for relaxation.