Shed Hunting 101: Expert Tips for Finding More Antlers This Spring Everything you need to know to find a pile of shed antlers this spring, from the basics of when and where to advanced bone-collecting tips Shed hunting comes at the perfect time of year. Big-game seasons are over in most places, and turkey seasons haven’t started yet. That means most of us are looking for a reason to get outside, and what better reason than a chance to get your hands on some antlers? But even if you’re not a big-game hunter, you should give shed hunting a try. Why? Because hunting for the shed antlers of North America’s deer species (whitetails, mule deer, elk, moose, and caribou) has something for everyone. It gets you outside and exercising at a time of year when not much else is happening, and it can turn into a fun hobby—if not an obsession—that results in a tangible reward. Meanwhile, you’ll be learning more and more about the deer or elk your areas, and for whitetail hunters especially, it can teach you something about the big buck you’ve been chasing for years. More on all that later, but first, let’s take a quick look at shed hunting and some of the basics you need to get started. What is shed hunting? Shed hunting is the pursuit for antlers cast off by members of the deer (cervidae) family. Every year in late winter or early spring, bucks and bulls jettison their current headgear to begin growing a completely new set of antlers. And every spring, shed hunters hit the woods and fields and mountain slopes to find and collect the cast-off antlers. You’ll catch plenty of experienced shed hunters called them “horns,” as that term has just become part of the shed-hunting lexicon. But as a technical clarification for beginners, we are hunting antlers, not horns, which are grown by members of the Bovidae family—including sheep, goats, buffalo, gazelles, and antelopes—and are not shed yearly. That said, if you hear hardcore shed hunters calling them horns, remember that you will not endear yourself by correcting them. Being among nature’s most fascinating phenomena, the antler growing process is worth a quick review. It starts in spring when hormones surge in male cervidae and kick-start antler growth. And does it ever grow. Covered in velvet, antlers start as living tissue that’s among the fastest-growing substances known in Nature. Some estimates have placed antler growth at 2 inches or more per day, fueled by vessels in the velvet that carry blood and nutrients to the beams and tines and points all summer. As fall begins, the hormones that spur antler growth fade, causing the velvet to dry and peel away, exposing hard antler. While biologists don’t know all the reasons bucks and bulls grow antlers, the headgear is clearly used in part to impress females of the species and fight off rival males during the breeding season. As soon as breeding is complete, males no longer have need for antlers, which will nonetheless linger for many weeks or months until they simply fall off. Sometimes a buck will shake his head or rake the antler against a tree to help the process along. Antlers then lie on the ground until they are nibbled away by mice, squirrels, porcupines, or other critters—or until some lucky shed hunter scoops them up. Maybe you. Why Go Shed Hunting? The main reason to pick up shed antlers is the simplest; it’s fun. Antlers are one of the most amazing examples of Nature’s art, each one unique. They range from tiny spikes (the smallest whitetail antler I’ve found easily fit in the watch pocket of my jeans) to the branching antlers of bull elk weighing many pounds. Once, while paddling in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area, I stumbled upon a moose antler (called a paddle) that must have weighed 25 pounds and covered my entire torso, from my belt to above my head. Thinking we’d return via the same route, I stashed the paddle. When another route took us home I realized I’d lost the chance to haul a perfect totem from one of the country’s most treasured wild places, and I’ve regretted it ever since. Some people buy and sell sheds. I’ve made several trips to one of the bigger antler auctions in the Midwest, held each year in Iowa. Buyers and sellers haggle over shed antlers from all species, which can fetch some serious cash. Many of the buyers at these auctions are artists who use sheds to make chandeliers, lamp stands, knife handles, and more. The value of antlers depends greatly on size, condition and source; huge sheds from a wild buck or bull can be worth thousands, while a box of sheds from pen-raised bucks will be sold by the pound to crafters. As with anything bought and sold, value is in the eye of the beholder. There are people who make a living just by finding and selling shed antlers. But the vast majority of shed antlers are kept by the finders, who recognize them for the beautiful objects they are and the reward for miles of walking and effort. Sheds can also help hunters assess the number and quality of next year’s buck herd, and in some cases can be a valuable scouting tool. Much of this depends on where a shed is found; if a buck has moved far out of his home range to a winter food source, for example, the antler really only tells a hunter the buck (or bull) is alive. But if the hunter finds an antler in the animal’s home range, it can provide one more clue about where the animal beds, feeds, or travels.