Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Shed Hunting => Topic started by: AKBowman on December 20, 2011, 09:13:31 AM

Title: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: AKBowman on December 20, 2011, 09:13:31 AM: When do backtails typically start dropping antlers?

How many trips on average does it typically take everyone to find a shed?

Personally I've never found one but I've never really looked specifically for BT sheds until this yr. I'm hoping to find a couple of this yrs for a set of rattling antlers.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: jess on December 20, 2011, 12:11:27 PM: I used to start realy looking for blacktail sheds around mid febuary... I found most of mine in 15-20 year old dog hair.. Lots of cover and food and that is where you find big bucks... Another good spot is the timber along a creek below a clearcut bucks like to bed there... But you got to put in the miles.... Blacktail sheds are hard to find...
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: sirmissalot on December 20, 2011, 12:39:02 PM: I have also never found one. The few people I know who have only found them by accident. My goal this year is to find a blacktail set.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: bobcat on December 20, 2011, 01:06:24 PM: I've found several over the years, but have never gone looking for them. I think I am going to try it this year though. I've got a few spots in mind to look. I would mainly concentrate on areas with lots of feed. This time of year blackberry would be one of the main food sources to look for.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: muzbuster on December 20, 2011, 01:30:19 PM: I have found a few BT sheds over the years but they have always been 1/2 chewed up.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: AKBowman on December 20, 2011, 01:41:54 PM: Sounds like most people are in the same boat as myself, found none or very few but have never really specifically gone out looking for them.

I'm going to make a valid effort this year to did some between now and April. It'll be a good excuse to grt out there and ramp up the scouting. Finding shed zones in Jan/feb/march should tell a lot about what the bucks are doing/where they are hanging in late December.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: bobcat on December 20, 2011, 01:59:00 PM: I really would like to find the sheds of the bucks that I have trail camera pictures of. I've still got a couple cameras out there, and have been keeping them baited with apples, but it seems the deer really are not moving like they were a month ago. At one spot I have pictures of seven different bucks since about the middle of October, and now in the last week or two all that's been around is one little spike.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: headshot5 on December 20, 2011, 02:35:15 PM: I've had the best luck in later February/March. It is a bummer when you get out there too early and search all your best spots and then move on. Then, you come back 6 months later and find some that are from that year but have been chewed on (you checked before the antlers came off). I've found 3 sets so far, and 6 or 7 singles, although one set took me 3 years to complete, and the one side was in rough shape when I finally found it.

After I find one shed, I can spend hundreds of hours looking for its match. Every time I pass through the general area where I have found one shed, I pay attention to the ground as much as I can.

15-20 year old doghair has been the best for me as well.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: lewy on December 21, 2011, 06:48:04 AM: I bet I put on about 10miles per bt shed, have found most in or near beds (were a bt buck spends most his time) although I have also found em on game trails and in clearcuts. kind of are were you find em. I also like hiking long timbered ridges that animals use to get from higher elevations to lower elevations. cant wait to start here pretty soon!
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: lewy on December 21, 2011, 06:56:29 AM: Also as bobcat said blackberries are a huge winter food source for blackies and always have a ton of sign in/near them. Another thing ive noticed is that i have found alot of sheds in the salal, it can be tough to horn hunt because it really swallows up the sheds but for some reason the deer and elk like to hang out/bed in it
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: blacktail luv on December 21, 2011, 09:17:32 PM: I find about 60 blacktail sheds a year but I spend every spare minute in late febuary and march looking for them. I found my first (well the dog did) on febuary 13th last year but I don't stat checking my good spots til march first when I know 99% of the horns are on the ground. The dog really helps. She was definitely worth the work I put into her. She found 20-30 on her own last year and she was only 9 months old, I can't wait to see what she can do this year. We also got a new pup that is 7 months old that shows a lot of promise with the training I've been doing with her.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Arteman on December 21, 2011, 09:58:13 PM: The answer to your original question is that some can start dropping now. My uncle is really into finding and making things with sheds and he's found fresh bloody drops this time of the year. Of coarse we all know they are hard to find as it is already so finding one now would just be by chance with them few and far between. Best advice I've ever been told was to look on south facing slopes and its obvious why with this being the warmest side and first to melt off. I found a nice 3 pt last year on a heavy game trail just over a log it had to jump, now i realy look for things similar that may cause the animal to jolt it off, idk. Good luck, im going Friday and Saturday.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Turner89 on December 21, 2011, 10:00:01 PM: Quote from: lewy on December 21, 2011, 06:48:04 AM
I bet I put on about 10miles per bt shed, have found most in or near beds (were a bt buck spends most his time) although I have also found em on game trails and in clearcuts. kind of are were you find em. I also like hiking long timbered ridges that animals use to get from higher elevations to lower elevations. cant wait to start here pretty soon!
:yeah:
The first sheds i found was a set. Was out in Jan. scouting. I stopped to take a leak, and saw them laying about 10ft apart. Only set I have found.
I have found about a dozen since then, in all the locations Lewy mentioned. I have the best luck in 10yr min old clearcuts on top of big moss covered rock out croppings.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: wt on December 21, 2011, 10:01:34 PM: what is 15-20 year dog hair? reprod.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: AKBowman on December 22, 2011, 12:54:24 AM: :yeah:

I've heard that term before too but dont know what it is referring to
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: grundy53 on December 22, 2011, 05:55:59 AM: Quote from: wt on December 21, 2011, 10:01:34 PM
what is 15-20 year dog hair? reprod.

Yes. reprod is dog hair.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Arteman on December 22, 2011, 09:06:25 AM: Quote from: grundy53 on December 22, 2011, 05:55:59 AM
Quote from: wt on December 21, 2011, 10:01:34 PM
what is 15-20 year dog hair? reprod.

Yes. reprod is dog hair.
:yeah: but surprisingly a lot of people don't know the term reprod as well, reprod short for reproduction timber. Basically timber that is still in the early stages that is not mature enough for harvest. I call the smaller stuff, Christmas tree size stuff Jackfurs. A term used by loggers and other folks that work in the woods etc. I have found sheds in Jackfurs as well, but they are harder to find with most the ground still exposed to the sunlight so more underbrush. Reprod mostly drowns out all the underbrush so the ground vegetation isnt as bad but the branches are still low to the ground, but once in it its not that bad for looking.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Buckhunter24 on December 22, 2011, 03:41:08 PM: Quote from: jess on December 20, 2011, 12:11:27 PM
I used to start realy looking for blacktail sheds around mid febuary... I found most of mine in 15-20 year old dog hair.. Lots of cover and food and that is where you find big bucks... Another good spot is the timber along a creek below a clearcut bucks like to bed there... But you got to put in the miles.... Blacktail sheds are hard to find...

Areas like this have been most productive for me. Ive picked up a set of blacktail sheds december 15th but thats by far the earliest sheds Ive found :twocents:
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: wt on December 27, 2011, 08:38:52 AM: Thanks for the ed, now I know Dog hair and Jack furs. Happy Not hunting :'(
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Kowsrule30 on December 29, 2011, 01:02:51 PM: I've seen BT bucks with head gear into mid March while shed hunting several years ago...... But when I did shed hunt for BT I had the best of luck about mid March when almost all the deer should be antlerless by then.....
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Ridge Roamer on January 02, 2012, 10:26:55 AM: I 've had a little luck on fairly level creek beds in the timber (mostly cedars & ferns) but blacktail sheds have been very difficult to find for me. I don't look for them much till late february,
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Rainstorm Hunter on January 02, 2012, 10:41:28 AM: I have yet to find a Blacktail shed while out looking for them. I usually find one about every other year during hunting season. I have found most of my sheds in the timber, but I have found a few on old logging roads that are overgrown with vegetation.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: mholzngel on April 24, 2012, 11:24:35 AM: Quote from: sirmissalot on December 20, 2011, 12:39:02 PM
I have also never found one. The few people I know who have only found them by accident. My goal this year is to find a blacktail set.

i was horn hunting over here on the west side and stumbled upon a 2x3 set but other then that only one other blacktail horn. yes very hard to find!
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on April 24, 2012, 11:51:57 AM: I have found several fresh drops while hunting late season in december. And go out whenever I can starting in january. For me they are the most time consuming and hardest sheds to find.... but very cool when you do :tup: I find alot, on trails within a few hundred yards of clearcuts or inside timber edges. Also gridding reprod and doghair turn up some. This past elk season I was calling for the guys and was looking for something to rake a tree... looked down and voila a nice 4 point blackie. :chuckle: I will take lucky over good all day when it comes to sheds!! :tup:
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on April 24, 2012, 12:25:58 PM: I walked a quater mile the other day specifically looking for sheds and found one I've been back three times an cant find any others let alone the match but I'll keep looking.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Grazer on April 25, 2012, 08:17:24 PM: I have rounded up quite a few blacktail sheds and I always look for the nastiest and thickest terrain. Good luck.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: IslandStorm62 on December 13, 2017, 10:55:51 AM: Hi All,
Never did any shed hunting, but have recently thought of doing so. I am around the JBLM, Lacey/Olympia, WA area and was wondering when would be a good time around here to start looking. Basically, I plan on searching the areas I like to hunt (tree rubs). I suppose these are as good a place to start. Don't plan on spending too many hours out there, mostly just want to refine my hunt areas with more detailed scouting and brush prep (create quiet way in).

Anyway, I've read a lot of Late FEB / Early MAR time-frame but no specifics on what state or area they are at (WA, OR, CA, ID, etc... Or is it presumed that all the BT's shed around the same time-frame?
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: headshot5 on December 13, 2017, 12:36:26 PM: I've found fresh sheds as early as Christmas time for Blacktails in South West Washington... and have seen bucks with antlers on as late as Feb 15th same basic location. I personally don't really start focusing on looking for sheds until the middle of February.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: IslandStorm62 on December 15, 2017, 08:26:07 AM: MID Feb it is. I think that is usually when we actually get the sticky stuff
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Tbob on February 16, 2018, 09:37:41 PM: IM headed out tomorrow for my first day out of the year. Going to a brand New area and havent ever seen a buck out there, but I’ve seen does and plenty of rubs here and there. Theres some great looking habitat out there. I’ve never really ever hiked through the “dog hair” stuff so I think that’s where I’ll focus my time tomorrow. Not gonna lie , hiking through that stuff doesn’t really look to fun though.
Title: Re: Blacktail Sheds
Post by: Tjv28 on February 16, 2018, 10:32:52 PM: Its not. Bring rain pants and jacket