Finding mountain sheds

[tuffcrk14]

I fell into whitetail hunting last fall in the mountains of NW MT only because of a buck I had gotten on camera for a short period of time last October. Ever since, I’ve been trying to dive into the world of mountain whitetail. There’s a lot to them and I’m slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together on how to hunt them. Recently, I found a matching set of sheds (Not the monster I got on camera) midway up a mountain on an overgrown logging road where I had found a car hood size scrape last fall that I was going to check for any spring activity. I’m pretty sure I discovered this buck’s late season safety zone. I put tape to his antlers and tried to be as accurate possible with how the rack would sit on his head. He measured 129” gross and 126” net. I’m pretty stoked to get back there and set cameras over a mock scrape later this spring to see what bucks have made the winter. Where is everyone finding the majority of their shed antlers?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Prairiekid]

I’m in the mountains of Alberta. I tend to find them 2/3’s of the way up. Usually on a south facing or south west facing slope. But it’s not easy, that’s nice set! It seems by the time I find them often the squirrels have too.

 

[tuffcrk14]

This was on a south face that was thinned out sometime in the 80s. I’m just basing that on the old Vitamin R beer cans I’ve found while I’ve walked this hillside. I spoke to a mountain whitetail guy about my find and he said after the rut they just rest and recover like a bull elk does in post rut. They won’t travel any further than necessary and they’ll hang where they feel safest until the snow pushes them out. Finding areas like that are where he finds the big sheds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[98_Tacoma]

i shed hunt in pa and have found a few sheds off of deer that filter through but most are ones i have on camera but i cant ever seem to see them during the season always wanted to shoot a buck that i have sheds off of but never seem to get it done

 

[tuffcrk14]

I’m pretty sure this is the buck I found those sheds to last spring. These pictures were about 400 yards from the area I had found them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[98_Tacoma]

I’m pretty sure this is the buck I found those sheds to last spring. These pictures were about 400 yards from the area I had found them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nice hes a good buck id have the elvis leg shakes if he would be standing in front of me haha

 

[tuffcrk14]

nice hes a good buck id have the elvis leg shakes if he would be standing in front of me haha

Omg I about spit my coffee out when I read that my legs would definitely be doing the same thing! I found a few more sheds this fall in the surrounding area and they were on little finger ridges on the east side of a north/south running ridge. These little ridges have a south facing aspect with decent openings for feed and dense timber/downfall for good cover on the north side. While I walked one of these in search of a lone bull elk I was tracking, I couldn’t help but scan for sheds too. I’ll be damned if I didn’t find a decent 4 point shed, not much smaller than my matching set on the crest of that ridge right just inside the tree line.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[98_Tacoma]

Omg I about spit my coffee out when I read that my legs would definitely be doing the same thing! I found a few more sheds this fall in the surrounding area and they were on little finger ridges on the east side of a north/south running ridge. These little ridges have a south facing aspect with decent openings for feed and dense timber/downfall for good cover on the north side. While I walked one of these in search of a lone bull elk I was tracking, I couldn’t help but scan for sheds too. I’ll be damned if I didn’t find a decent 4 point shed, not much smaller than my matching set on the crest of that ridge right just inside the tree line.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

haha that's funny i usually get the elvis shakes going when one i haven't seen pops out. a buck i have sheds of for 2 years came out during archery this year and it was hard to stand up lol unfortunately he hung up at 80 yards and could never send an arrow at him. I usually i wont find any during the early to late fall unless i step on them i usually start looking February until it starts to get green

 

[tuffcrk14]

haha that's funny i usually get the elvis shakes going when one i haven't seen pops out. a buck i have sheds of for 2 years came out during archery this year and it was hard to stand up lol unfortunately he hung up at 80 yards and could never send an arrow at him. I usually i wont find any during the early to late fall unless i step on them i usually start looking February until it starts to get green

Are set up over community scrapes or travel route/choke points?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[98_Tacoma]

Are set up over community scrapes or travel route/choke points?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

we have a little food plot by a choke point his doe ran into the food plot and he was on lock down with her hes an old smart deer so she walked by me and was hoping he would but he went into the bush maybe 30 yards and paralleled he and they met back up in the bush was a bit of a bummer and ended up shooting a 9 on the 2nd to last day of the pa archery season. bitter sweet but hoping to find his sheds this year if he makes it through

 

[tuffcrk14]

I’m just hoping they drop their antlers in this area before they head down in elevation for the winter


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[98_Tacoma]

I’m just hoping they drop their antlers in this area before they head down in elevation for the winter


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think they would some of our buck drop close to the same spot as last year and others are completely different but i bet you should find some right around the same area you did last year definitely looking forward to seeing some more pictures i went to royal tine guide school in Philipsburg mt and i scored a sweet 4pt whitetail shed when i was out there and flew out to Utah to look for elk and mulie sheds i love shed hunting no matter what it is i pick up I'm always happy to find some bone

 

[tuffcrk14]

I found this old moose shed three days ago on a beautiful little finger ridge bench. This past year has gotten me hooked on shed hunting. It’s amazing what you find when you look for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[98_Tacoma]

I found this old moose shed three days ago on a beautiful little finger ridge bench. This past year has gotten me hooked on shed hunting. It’s amazing what you find when you look for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

that's freakin awesome i only ever found one really small moose shed in Utah and my girlfriend stole it to put it with her decorations. and you're exactly its amazing what you can find last year i found an old fix blade knife from a hunter or miner who was on our land at some point came across an old victor trap too. it gets you hooked thats for sure

 

[Ross]

Crazy dark country whitetails will drive you crazy looking for sheds when I think nwest Montana it is Libby, Thompson Falls, St ignatious, Kalispell, etc. They love those dark southern slopes with appropriate browse, but can literally drop anywhere from the very bottom to 2/3 of the way up the mountain. So much inthat country is snow contingent and a race against the tree rats. Good luck next season Odin counts the days……I say antler and he says when!

 

[tuffcrk14]

My next big goal is to figure out where the bulls are shedding their antlers in NW Montana. An area biologist suggested high on the mountain with south and west facing aspects, which makes sense. I about stepped on a spike elk shed this fall going through a 5 acre burn, so that’s a small start. I’ve found more moose antlers than elk antlers at this point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tuffcrk14]

Crazy dark country whitetails will drive you crazy looking for sheds when I think nwest Montana it is Libby, Thompson Falls, St ignatious, Kalispell, etc. They love those dark southern slopes with appropriate browse, but can literally drop anywhere from the very bottom to 2/3 of the way up the mountain. So much inthat country is snow contingent and a race against the tree rats. Good luck next season Odin counts the days……I say antler and he says when!

That’s an awesome pile of sheds you and your dog have gathered up. I can’t even imagine the sweat equity and boot leather that was put into finding those. I often wonder while I’m out there how many sheds my German Shepherd has walked right by on his way to chase a squirrel. Can confirm it’s been at least three


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[loganwayne]

Finding sheds in the mountains is tough. I live in the southern Appalachians and over 10 years I've found 3. Two were in an old field on same trail and probably the same buck one was fresh and one was at least a year old. Other one found under a little pine setting up for a turkey hunt about 1/2 eaten by squirrels. I can head down east and pick up a couple dozen every year

 

[longrangelead]

I wish a guy could get a muley tag and a whitetail tag every year.
Muleys are my preference but bug mountain whitetails are intriguing me lately.

Pay attention to snow accumulation annually and where you find sheds. Maybe start a log book if you're that serious?
We've had several mild winters and the sheds have been higher on the mountain due to less snow.

Funny story, my wife might have the mountain whitetail bug now too.
she went for a hunt/hike by herself for the first time this year. She stopped at a rub on a ridge to add a layer and look around. She heard a twig snap behind her and turned to see the biggest whitetail she's ever seen looking at her from 30 feet.
she's mentioned that buck every day since...

 

[tuffcrk14]

I wish a guy could get a muley tag and a whitetail tag every year.
Muleys are my preference but bug mountain whitetails are intriguing me lately.

Pay attention to snow accumulation annually and where you find sheds. Maybe start a log book if you're that serious?
We've had several mild winters and the sheds have been higher on the mountain due to less snow.

Funny story, my wife might have the mountain whitetail bug now too.
she went for a hunt/hike by herself for the first time this year. She stopped at a rub on a ridge to add a layer and look around. She heard a twig snap behind her and turned to see the biggest whitetail she's ever seen looking at her from 30 feet.
she's mentioned that buck every day since...

I keep 2-3 cameras in the area year round and get a good idea when the deer vacate the area, but I also hunt wolves up there until the snow depth keeps me from getting there.

Once you see a big timber buck, it’s all consuming. I started listening to a bunch of whitetail hunting podcasts that focus more on mountain whitetail and I’ve learned more than I could have imagined. It’s still ongoing and I don’t see an end in sight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk