How to Find Elk & Deer Sheds

Elk shed their antlers after mating season.

The majestic antlers that crown buck deer and bull elk through the summer and into winter will naturally fall in late winter or spring. These shed antlers, known as sheds, are prized for creating chandeliers, lamps, coat racks or for simply mounting over a door or mantle. You can buy expensive sets of shed antlers from collectors, or you can hike through the woods and search for them yourself. Late winter and early spring are the best time to hunt for elk and deer sheds. Shed antlers can be camouflaged by brush and may resemble fallen branches, so take your time and look carefully.

Instructions

1. Look for deer trails. These are regular paths through the woods traveled by deer and elk. Droppings, tracks in the mud and scraped trees are all signs of deer trails. Deer trails will also be narrower than trails made by humans.

2. Search at the base of large trees and in thick brush. Antlers may become entangled in the brush or drop when bucks rub against trees.

3. Search around watering holes and feeding areas such as open meadows in the midst of thicker woods, fallow fields or pastures where farmers put out winter hay for livestock.

4. Look around areas where deer and elk bed down. These are areas where the grass and underbrush has been flattened by the herd lying down together.

5. Walk fence lines. Antlers can become entangled in fencing, or they may drop when the animals jump over the fence and hit the ground with enough impact to jar the loose antlers.

References

• Missouri State University: shed hunting