Shed Hunting Pics

JGoemaat · March 27, 2009, 12:48:00 PM

I thought I'd share some of my shed hunting success with you everyone.

This buck is my favorite. I saw him while out coyote hunting after the end of the Iowa deer season. His sheds were only 50 yards from where I last saw him. The drop tine is almost seven inches. It was a magnificent sight to see.

This deer was also on my list to find this year. He has been around awhile. I saw him during the rut with my recurve on stand. At fifty yards I thought he was only a small 6 pt, but after a second look I could hardly believe my eyes. His bases are a lot bigger than the previous drop tine buck. We laughed when we tried to rattle with this set because it sounded like we were just banging together large boards. Its been a good year, and I'm already excited for October 1.

tradtusker · March 27, 2009, 12:49:00 PM

ah very nice!

ron w · March 27, 2009, 12:56:00 PM

Those are some nice ones....does the dog help you find them or just go along for company. Either way its good...lol!!!

Hartlines · March 27, 2009, 01:12:00 PM

Great finds!!

rastaman · March 27, 2009, 01:28:00 PM

Thanks for sharing, & i am curious also as to if your "best friend" helped in the search. Those two bruisers would definitely make your heart go "pitter patter"!

Mike Gerardi · March 27, 2009, 01:46:00 PM

Thats an awsome set with the drop. Must of been a rush walking up on that.

bowhunterfrompast · March 27, 2009, 01:53:00 PM

Hello neighbor

Those are some great sheds. That will keep you going til season starts up again.

bhfp

Herdbull · March 27, 2009, 03:16:00 PM

Here are few more sheds. Mike

Big Ed · March 27, 2009, 09:26:00 PM

Holy freakin horns. Thanks for sharing

Mike Gerardi · March 28, 2009, 10:48:00 AM

Mike are those all from this year? Do you live on a deer farm? My god man! I know a guy who is a fanatic and he only has about half that and over a 5 year period.

Herdbull · March 28, 2009, 11:06:00 AM

Yes they are from this year. As many of you know me and my brothers are whitetail fanatics. We start looking for sheds along edge areas strating in Feb. , but don't start hitting it hard untill about the second week in March or the first snow melt off. We walk 8 to 10 hours a day. These are all free ranging bucks. Some properties are owned by gentlemen farmers who take their time getting crops out of the field and use older equipment. It's these places that draw in deer from surrounding areas if the cover is good. We had a lot of snow and cold this year, so like most places it tends to yard deer up around a food source, be it agriculture or young pine plantations. Mike

JGoemaat · March 28, 2009, 02:58:00 PM

The dog is just company. He finds arrows though. My next dog will be trained to shed hunt, or at least the attempt will be made. Herdbull, nice job with the sheds. I don't know about you, but finding places to shed hunt here in Iowa is getting to be a real sport, a lot of the places I have been looking in the past already had guys on them this year. Nothing like Midwest giants to make your blood pump.

Herdbull · March 28, 2009, 04:27:00 PM

JGoemaat - I know what you mean. Back in the 80s no one really looked for sheds much. And we could find many on public land. But now its kind of like mushroom hunting, folks seem to go anywhere and every where looking for sheds. I usually find 40 to 70 sheds per year depending on the winter.
I started to train my "American Indian Dog" to hunt sheds, but then my wife became to attached so I didn't want to take a chance on getting him hit by a car. Ha! So its still just a lot of walking. mike

killinstuff · March 28, 2009, 07:04:00 PM

Mike, do you weight them? I just got in with the kids from the woods behind my Dads and we found both drops from a 4X4 (smallish)and the right side from a stout 6X6. That single weighed 2 1/4 pounds. I'd post pics but that trick is one I can't seem to turn.

CJ

Mike Gerardi · March 28, 2009, 08:26:00 PM

Mike that is just awsome...