When I checked game cameras last week I had 2 bucks that were already shed. So I thought I would walk today. I knew I would not find many if any fresh ones so early.

I found 1 good fresh side with great mass. 15 total today. Not bad. I usually find 50-70 total per year on all 4 places I have permission. ALL low fence panhandle deer.

This ranch is 12 sections and I only covered maybe 1 section.

man, it doesn't take the varmits long to get to the sheds.

Always great to find sheds. Then really bad to find out how many you missed in the last few seasons of looking for them. Will be about another month here.

Rodents find them fast indeed.

STX...we are going to a place 25 mi S of town Saturday that we usually find great sheds early and then this place I went today heats up after that.

I just love being out and not knowing what's around the next tree.

Those dang Northern Genetics on your bucks make them shed to early I love to hunt for sheds. I have done it now since 1990. Learning a ranch and where to look can shorten the walks tremendously. I used to walk at random and average about 3 hrs per shed. Once I learned where to look and walk to those areas that hr/number rate improved a bunch. Hardest thing for me was waiting till I had enough sheds on the ground to look. I could work a spot for 2-3 weeks and not find something and give up on it. Only to make one late trip in April and pick up as many as I could carry.

Agreed. With all of the oil field/natural gas traffic I know they sneak off of location and walk cause I have caught them. So I try to beat them and look very often.

If I didn't have to compete with others I would wait til April and fill the back of my truck up with sheds.

Learning bedding areas and where to look help tremendously as well!

I don't even bother to pick up the sun bleached ones unless they are 50+ inches.

last week they were still horned in fayette....

I usually find them on my B Day on the 21st of March, but it seems Edwards County has been dropping a few weeks early the last couple of years.

What are your recomendations on where to look?

The obvious ones are water locations, food plots, roads leading to feed, feeders, trails, fencelines, and open areas where you see bucks. But what I have found is there are usually areas that are downwind from feeders and foodplots were bucks stage before going into to feed. They are usually about 100 yds or so downwind in a thick area. They look like a huge scrape. Find those areas and you can find sheds quick. Also the trails leading to and from feed are good but also look off of them as bucks will not always travel on the main trail. If you get a rain right before the bucks start to shed it can make it difficult till you find what the new growth is that they are feeding on. But all this is not going to work if you don't have a lot of bucks. The more bucks the more chances you have to find sheds. If you have a buck for every 100 acres then you are looking in a 50 acre area for just one of his sheds. 100 acres for both of them. If he is with a group of 3 other bucks then you are now looking in a 400 acre area. The things I listed above help but still a lot of ground to cover to find 8 sheds. But still a lot of fun and really a great feeling when you find just one shed, let alone one or both off a really good buck.

Wow... I never really thought about how much "thinking" goes into that.. I mean, your basically hunting, tracking, stalking, as if you were really "hunting"...

Very cool

She'd hunting is like a arcing hunting season imo

what is the best time in east texas....February?

nice sheds

Found 2 more this past Saturday. Ready to go this Saturday after this snow.

I tend to have great luck after a snow. Not sure if the weather puts pressure on their bodies and they shed or if they just move more looking for food which knocks them off better than them being lazy as usual.

This is really neat. I found a small shed once when I was in Scouts, and I thought I had discovered gold. On those rare times when I get to wander around, I always look, but haven't had any luck yet. Thanks for the tips.

Bucks were still in hard horn this weekend in Dickens.

Most are hard horned still up here. But I will walk my butt of Saturday looking for more.

I love it, plus I get to lose some of my winter coat when I shed hunt.

I got game pictures from last week and the buck still had their antlers.

Nice finds

Planning a trip to Kansas soon, but last time I was a little early...they were still wearing them

Nice finds!!!! I picked up 14 so far in Iowa.....last snow storm put a end to that! I am ready to put more miles on the boots!

My deer loose their antlers around turkey season.

Never have had much luck, any suggestions?