Success rate??

[Tbob]

So what would you say your success rate on finding sheds is? I’m saying, i think I Avg a shed 3 out of 10 times out looking.. so I’m measuring a 30%. How about you all??
   I’m trying not to get discouraged if you can’t tell?! Haha. I went out the other day and logged 6 hours and 6 miles and nothing! Lol..

[Buckhunter24]

I think.a shed per 10 miles avg is a good estimate for me. Its highly variable depending on where Im working. Have picked up half a dozen within a couple hundred yards (once) and gone weeks with none plenty of times

[JBar]

Worst I've done is 11 miles and an old chalk the basically looked like a stick. Best was 7 in 200 yards.

[cbond3318]

I’m about where you’re at Tbob. Had finds back to back days a couple weeks ago and now I’m on 4 trips with nadda. I get pretty Willy Nilly though and just pick a random spot on the map and go wander. Although I have been killing the “shed before they’re dead” heads though.

[The scout]

Totally depends on where. Blacktail shed  hunting I can’t even count the miles to find a shed on average. East side or Montana I bet it’s about a shed every 5 miles walked on average

[teanawayslayer]

All depends. This year found 1-2 horns each time out except one day came home with nothing. So 5 out of 6 days bringing home horns. Didn’t make it out last year. The year before I logged a lot of miles and a lot of days and only picked up one old horn. It’s more for the exercise after winter for me. If I find some bone it’s a added bonus

[lokidog]

One season we found 13, have only found one to three a year since then and none this season here on the island.

[Onewhohikes]

A sign of the deer population obviously

[KP-Skagit]

While purposely looking for sheds TERRIBLE. Maybe 1 in 8.

While deer hunting or chukar hunting, 100%! Or maybe it feels that way because I am not really looking for sheds.

I always seem to find a good elk shed while chukar hunting that I can't pass up but can't carry effectively. It almost always costs me a few birds by slowing getting the gun to the shoulder. Or at least that is what I tell everyone......

[mburrows]

While purposely looking for sheds TERRIBLE. Maybe 1 in 8.

While deer hunting or chukar hunting, 100%! Or maybe it feels that way because I am not really looking for sheds.

I always seem to find a good elk shed while chukar hunting that I can't pass up but can't carry effectively. It almost always costs me a few birds by slowing getting the gun to the shoulder. Or at least that is what I tell everyone......

Same here! Antelope hunting seems my most effective method for shed hunting.

Found a set of deer sheds a couple weeks ago and it always surprises me how quickly the chipmunks chew away at them. 

[Tbob]

All very interesting. I was starting to think maybe I just really suck at looking for sheds! Lol... I find it very interesting how and how often people find sheds..

[blackveltbowhunter]

Depends on the critter. I have never found a whitetail shed, but have never gone to look. It's on my bucket list. Elk sheds for me are easiest doesn't seem to matter where, but I don't remember the last time I took a trip and didn't find one. 

Deer for Eastside muley, bench bucks, and Blacktail  in southern Oregon it's also a high percentage. Probably not quite as good as elk, but still average a find per trip or so. The "epic" days fewer tho.  Low country Blacktail are like gold! With the dog I do better, but bucks themselves are so scattered and utilize such a small living space that time of year combined with vegetation and I think I'm at about a 25 percent success rate. Maybe 1 every 4 to 5 trips. BUT if I can find the buck before he drops or stumble on an area I know is a bucks core area, my odds of finding that deers sheds are very high. Moose, I have never gone to look but have stumbled on several incidentals. So feel lucky!

[cbond3318]

You’re due now Tbob. I reset the odometer today with this super stud. 

[ThurstonCokid]

Tried twice, found this. About 9 miles total. (I’m not very good i guess)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tbob]

Heck yeah man! I’m headed out in the morning to hunt a spot I haven’t been in prob 7 years..... I hope the reset pays off! I’ll let ya know how it goes.

[Tbob]

Did 5 miles today and nodda!

[Bango skank]

The last 2 times ive gone out lion hunting ive put a total of 14 miles on my boots without a single shed, and ive been in areas that are prime shed hunting spots.  Sometimes ill be out not even thinking about sheds and load up.  When it rains, it pours.  When it doesnt...  well, it doesnt i guess.

[Onewhohikes]

Don't worry the sheds will get less and less every year

[dilleytech]

I average about 3 sheds per day. I average about 8 miles on a hunt. The wife and I are at about 35 this season. All deer. I suck when it comes to elk.

[Tbob]

Wow man! I wish I found em like that!

[greenhead_killer]

I spend a lot of time in a certain part of the state. Almost 20 years and still have yet to find a shed. Sent a friend two years ago, his son had a prime tag, to scout a few spots. He found a set of 370” sheds, 100 yards from where I’d walk by to go check cams! Luck of the path I guess haha.

[dilleytech]

Wow man! I wish I found em like that!

It’s one of those things.. the more you find the easier they are to see. They key is find where the deer are and cover every square inch with your eyes. If you’re just walking through areas you’re missing most of them for sure.

But that’s nothing. The states out east with better game numbers, it’s not uncommon for guys to come home with over 20 a day. My personal record is 9 in Washington.

[TommyH]

Wow man! I wish I found em like that!

It’s one of those things.. the more you find the easier they are to see. They key is find where the deer are and cover every square inch with your eyes. If you’re just walking through areas you’re missing most of them for sure.

But that’s nothing. The states out east with better game numbers, it’s not uncommon for guys to come home with over 20 a day. My personal record is 9 in Washington.

9 is I believe the most I’ve pulled in a day also. Actually got that 9 in about 3 hours, all white tails.

[dilleytech]

Wow man! I wish I found em like that!

It’s one of those things.. the more you find the easier they are to see. They key is find where the deer are and cover every square inch with your eyes. If you’re just walking through areas you’re missing most of them for sure.

But that’s nothing. The states out east with better game numbers, it’s not uncommon for guys to come home with over 20 a day. My personal record is 9 in Washington.

9 is I believe the most I’ve pulled in a day also. Actually got that 9 in about 3 hours, all white tails.

My 9 was like 10 hours and 13 miles. It’s hard work

[crabcreekhunter]

Probably been out 10 times this year and only came home emptied handed once, a good day is 3+, usually average 4-10 miles per trip.  Most in a day was around 30 muleys on the east side, was a fun day!

[blindluck]

I found 4-5 on a little flat about 1/2 acre in size in Montana, one has a bullet hole thru it.

[dilleytech]

I found 4-5 on a little flat about 1/2 acre in size in Montana, one has a bullet hole thru it.

I had a small meadow about 200 yards round. In one year at least 12 bucks shed around that meadow. Including one crazy big bench buck. That’s was about 5 years ago. I go back once a year to check and have not found one shed there since. Some times the stars align just right.

[Tbob]

Wow man! I wish I found em like that!

It’s one of those things.. the more you find the easier they are to see. They key is find where the deer are and cover every square inch with your eyes. If you’re just walking through areas you’re missing most of them for sure.

But that’s nothing. The states out east with better game numbers, it’s not uncommon for guys to come home with over 20 a day. My personal record is 9 in Washington.

Some good advice. I generally just slowly wander around. I don’t “grid” areas I guess, I just get so distracted.. I’ll be walking along a line and see a little opening so I wander over there, then I think I’ll go back the way i came, but then see a little trail going over there, so I follow it, then there’s a little bench looking thing up over that little rise so I might as well go check that too while I’m here... it just goes on and on.... but I do walk fairly slow. I think I avg about a mile per hour or so, so it’s pretty slow going and looking at least...
    Would you recommend more “gridding” type patterns rather than the random slow walks that I end up eventually doing? Just trying to increase my odds of not getting skunked so much.. lol.. and thank you!

[Tbob]

I found 4-5 on a little flat about 1/2 acre in size in Montana, one has a bullet hole thru it.

I had a small meadow about 200 yards round. In one year at least 12 bucks shed around that meadow. Including one crazy big bench buck. That’s was about 5 years ago. I go back once a year to check and have not found one shed there since. Some times the stars align just right.

I’m so so waiting for one of those days when it’s pouring sheds!! Haha.

[Onewhohikes]

Oh my it's raining sheds again

[dilleytech]

Wow man! I wish I found em like that!

It’s one of those things.. the more you find the easier they are to see. They key is find where the deer are and cover every square inch with your eyes. If you’re just walking through areas you’re missing most of them for sure.

But that’s nothing. The states out east with better game numbers, it’s not uncommon for guys to come home with over 20 a day. My personal record is 9 in Washington.

Some good advice. I generally just slowly wander around. I don’t “grid” areas I guess, I just get so distracted.. I’ll be walking along a line and see a little opening so I wander over there, then I think I’ll go back the way i came, but then see a little trail going over there, so I follow it, then there’s a little bench looking thing up over that little rise so I might as well go check that too while I’m here... it just goes on and on.... but I do walk fairly slow. I think I avg about a mile per hour or so, so it’s pretty slow going and looking at least...
    Would you recommend more “gridding” type patterns rather than the random slow walks that I end up eventually doing? Just trying to increase my odds of not getting skunked so much.. lol.. and thank you!

Yes when you find an area with a lot of good sign I would try to cover as much of that ground as possible. You can call it gridding but it’s more like oh I wonder what’s on the other side of that bush over there? Just try to cover as much ground as you can in the area with sign. Think of it like mushroom hunting. You know they are there somewhere but if your not looking at every square inch of ground your going to miss them. You can move at a pretty good pace but I would really slow down when you find the area they are hanging out in. Not just traveling through.

[Tbob]

Right on man! Thanks for the heads up. I’m headed out tomorrow for a little over nighter. Gonna look for sheds and morels while I’m at it. Ha.

[AL WORRELLS KID]

Nothing like scoring a nice Shed as the snow melts in the spring........Now is that a Shed! 
Doug

[dilleytech]

Nothing like scoring a nice Shed as the snow melts in the spring........Now that's a Shed! 
Doug

Not a shed..

[AL WORRELLS KID]

Better Shed than Dead!
 (Mom always taught me, to look before you leap!) 
Doug

[Tbob]

Went out again for 7 miles through tons of good area and so much fresh sign. Not one shed! I did however find a sweet bleached out porcupine skull so that was cool. But dang, looked at my last few hikes and I’m now at 22.6 miles and no sheds..

[Tbob]

Went out again on the westside the other day (On 5/5) and spent a solid 6 hours in 3 different spots, And nothing! Super good looking habitat and tons of sign.. skunked!
    So I talked the wife into a mid-week camping trip on the Eastside. She agreed to help me find some sheds! Lol. Headed out tomorrow.

[Buckhunter24]

That ought to do the trick,  got my wife to go with me we picked up a fresh set of whitetail within the first hour. That's the only time she's been out so she thinks it's pretty easy lol