outdrdave's 2013 shed thread

[tomtag]

Dave...How many sheds do you typically find a year? How many days do you spend shed hunting a year?

[outdrdave]

 

Wow' date=' still seems like a high count Dave. I have access to 2k acres in NJ surrounded by roads, and with a growing population of yotes, but we have only found 5-6 this year. Just curious, as it appears very high for the acreage. Do you know what the deer density is on avg. for the properties?

[/quote']

 

I don't know but I find a ton each year between the properties.

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Dave...How many sheds do you typically find a year? How many days do you spend shed hunting a year?

 

The last 4 years I have only found around 30 each season. I used to find 3 times that each season year's ago.

 

When I walk all day I average 7-8 miles consistently according to "mytracks". I start around Christmas, get out usually one day on the weekend and go each weekend till middle of April. Annual trip to IL each year in March for a week (9 days).

[Hatchet]

I sterted shed hunt'n a few yrs back n this was the best 1 i found

[outdrdave]

My wife had something to do today but I wanted to get out and walk locally (NJ). My buddy Dave joined my Son and I today which was nice. I headed to a spot that looked good 3 weeks ago and where I found my first freshie of the year. An hour or so into my walk and was able to turn up freshie # 2.. and the first shed I have found with my son. Also came across a few dead deer, a few nice rubs and saw plenty of deer (most were shed out except a few small bucks).

 

Old dead head.. one side was sawed off and the other broken side remained:

 

New carcass since last walk in this spot 3 weeks ago:

 

Bunch of deer and a little buck reminding me its still a bit early:

 

This rub was really worked:

 

On the way out I wanted to hit this spot where there were a bunch of deer bedded around a blow down 3 weeks ago. Some of you may know that Hurricane Sandy left a mess of tangled tops and trees through out the woods. The deer seem to be gravitating towards these new structures like this dead buck that found his final resting spot among this top. His antlers lay just feet away. His bases were red but not bloody and nothing was obvious as to what killed him. It was cold, my son was sleeping in on my back, the sun was setting and it wasn't the time to be rolling around a dead deer. I might head back tomorrow to check him out a little more.

 

Group shot:

[BowhunterNJ]

Nice finds guys! :thumb_up:

[buckleader1011]

I have tried shed hunting i have never had much luck.

[CMCH BUCKHUNTER]

Found a dead head spike and 1 older shed last week

[robnj]

nice . im starting to get the itch to go. not that fun in the pines its so hard to see.

[johnnyo8148]

Took my son out last Sunday to look around in this one piece where I've been lucky to find a few over the past few years. I was pretty sure we wouldn't find any this early; usually, in late Feb early March is the best time where I look. I told him that if he found any, I would give him $5 a shed and a $1 for every point. As we were walking, he asked, a shed is like a bone, right?" I said, "yeah, you could say that." A little further down the path, he wants to know how much if he finds any bones. I figured first time out, he isn't going to find anything, so I offer .25 per bone and .50 for a skull. Damn if he didn't take me for $15.00 in bones. It was a good experience for him and we had a blast. He's only get paid for antlers next time.

[bushden]

Dave, Pretty cool that you took your son already. :-)

[BHC]

great post Dave, thanks for sharing !!!

[outdrdave]

Thanks guys.

 

Sounds like a fun day Johnny.

[Jason1]

Some nice finds.

[outdrdave]

Didnt find anything yesterday in the snow but snow has always kicked my butt. I was on a mission to find bedding areas and fine tune my thoughts on travel areas. Here are some pictures:

 

25 - 30 beds in a pretty open wood lot

 

 

pretty weird.. cat kennels in the back of this crp field away from things.. 25 min walk in to this spot and it was shoveled out not 48 hours after the snow

 

I found the first shed of the season 2 feet to the right of this community bed. There must have been 7 deer bedded in it when I entered the woodlot.

 

Interesting story.. I was going to check on that dead shed buck and as I am getting closer I notice a dog barking at me and a guy leaning over into a rotten tree stump. My first thought was this guy might have had to much exercise in the snow and was getting sick. As I rounded the tree I asked if he was OK. He said he was but was trying to get his dog out of the tree? As I got closer I noticed the leash and as I looked over his shoulder I could see the tail end of a dog, its rear legs and tail.. that's it!! The dog had chases a squirrel into the dead tree and appeared to be stuck. The guy was hesitant to pull the dog out but I said you have a few options and one includes leaving your dog like that and hoping there was enough oxygen in that hole and hopeful the squirrel isn't inside the hole chewing his dogs face off. That's all the motivation the guy needed to grab his dog by the tail, rear legs and pull it right on out. The dog was OK and they continued on. - cant make this stuff up, true story.

[bushden]

Dave, Just to funny.