Strategic White-tailed Deer Shed Hunting Tips

For most deer hunters across the country, March is just another irrelevant deer month. Maybe they will visit a local hunting expo or start to think about a food plot, but reality is deer season is many months away.

For a few deer hunters, they never stop thinking about deer. In fact, just like many have become addicted to trail-camera scouting as a hobby, shed hunting has grown in popularity much to the support of social media.

How to select the right trail camera to fit your needs.

Comparing shed-hunting deer hunters with hunters what do not search for head bones in the offseason: Does this mean shed hunters are better deer hunters?

Not necessarily, but shed hunters do gain an advantage. Deer hunters can learn a significate amount about the bucks they will be chasing in the fall from simply walking deer habitat. And, if lucky enough, find a few sheds from surviving bucks.

Shed season is one of the best times to be out scouting. Why? For starters, hunters get to see wooded areas in bare-bone form. Deer trails, rubs and scrapes … all deer sign that may have went undetected during the fall.

Plus, with deer season many months away, hunters can peer into the depths of bedding areas and learn how deer move in and out, without worrying about disturbing the area for hunting.

Shed hunting, in its own way, is much more than looking for antlers; it’s building a base of scouting for the upcoming fall season. I find more new spots and big buck areas during shed season than I ever do right before and during hunting season. Why? I am too timid during those times of the year. I don’t want to bump bucks I’m trying to hunt. That’s the beauty of shed season.

Browsing for shed also is a great time to get kids involved in the outdoors. Most of the time you come home empty handed, but once in a while you get lucky and find some “White Gold.

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