Think food, cover, water, and conserving energy. Find trails that are being used and follow them. Try to find bedding areas and feed areas. Bucks will separate from doe groups after the rut so if you're seeing does, you might want to shift your strategy a bit and think about where bucks may be hanging instead. smaller bucks will hang in the same areas as does but mature bucks tend to become solitary over the winter months. Shed hunting is much like regular hunting but the dang things can fall off anywhere at any time. It's a crap shoot, really. On the east side, stick to sunny south-facing slopes and glass a lot - your legs will thank you later. Look under lone pine trees, at the base of rock outcroppings, and spend lots of time in and around the sage & brushy feed patches. Draws and habitat transition areas are good bets too. Westside blacktails are a tougher go; waaaaay tougher in my experience. Expect to put in many, many hours per antler. Luck is a huge factor in finding fresh blacktail sheds because the ferns, salal, oregon grape, snow berry, high grasses, etc. are really good at hiding dark antlers. I like to target alder bottoms, draws and semi-open areas next to reprod or clear cuts, which are both also good bets. If you jump a deer bee-line for it's bed. If it was a buck, there's a good chance his antlers will be in the area. Persistence pays. Good Luck!!
