Finding Sheds in New England

[ccm75]

Each February and March I take the dogs out and cruise the woods and field near my house in search of shed antlers...Good exercise at least.

Seems like this hunting for the needle in the haystack? I’ve found deer skeletons and a skull with rack a few times but never a nice shed.

Last week, for the first time, I found some bone when intentionally out looking for sheds. Of course the rodents and pretty much devoured it.

There's been a monster 10 PT and some 8’s behind my house for 2 years....Looking for the big boys rack. I think they get eaten pretty quick once they drop.....Anyone have any real luck with shed hunting??

 

[Wickedcoolname]

I pretty much live in the woods and I've never had a bit of luck shed hunting. I was out in the swap today following a rub line from this past season, so I know there have been bucks passing by. But I never seem to find a thing. Closest I came was when my do brought back a piece of moose antler. Maybe it's time to progress past the reading glasses.

 

[EMTDAD]

friend of mine told me that you can't pick up sheds until May 1. Said something about how the small animals eat the marrow.. Game Warden/EPO will write you up if found with one. seemed bizarre, but I didn't argue as I had no idea. Anyone ever heard of such a reg? This is in MA.

 

[ccm75]

Never heard that but since it’s MA, prob true. Will look into it...

 

[Mark from MA]

friend of mine told me that you can't pick up sheds until May 1. Said something about how the small animals eat the marrow.. Game Warden/EPO will write you up if found with one. seemed bizarre, but I didn't argue as I had no idea. Anyone ever heard of such a reg? This is in MA.

Yeah...no. Never heard anything like that. Sheds are fair game anytime of the year.

They are hard to find because that time of year bucks are hanging out in thickets

We don't have a large deer population in MA

Rodents eat them for minerals, where in other parts of the country, they have these minerals found naturally. Plus other parts of the country have larger deer herds. Like in the midwest area. Lot easier finding sheds there.

 

[Medicine Man]

I found this shed last summer. Coyotes got to some of it. I usually start looking for sheds in late December. Deer that are stressed will shed early.
If you’re lucky enough to find a shed, it’s a good bet they’ll be sheds at that location every year.
One of my favorite winter/spring activities.

 

[smokey-seven]

Sheds are fair game anytime of the year.

Depends on what state you are in. They are illegal to possess in some states. (Down south)


.

 

[Mark from MA]

Depends on what state you are in. They are illegal to possess in some states. (Down south)


Really? That to me is crazy.

I have friends in South Carolina that have buckets full of small antlers cut
off from deer kills yet they cant have a shed??


.

 

[fitzknny]

Bigfoot . . . " Wicked Hungry " . . . Ahhhh pretzels!

 

[DJBrad]

I was out today on two parcels of land, one 23 acres, and another 53 acres. I combed both as thoroughly as I could walking perimeters and through haunted hemlock forests. Saw tons of fresh deer sign, rubs, and some huge piles of moose scat. I would guess it very difficult unless you had dogs to find sheds around here. I bushwhacked through copious amount of woods last summer/fall/winter and saw nothing.

 

[Fixxah]

The one in your pics is most likely 1 ir 2 years old. I have matching antlers from 3 seasons found within this bucks bedding spot. And I mean spot. I picked up his fresh drop and while standing there found all the rest by studying the leaves and looking for oddities sticking through the litter.
Whether mass has a law or not I don't know. This was almost 20 years ago and I haven't gone hunting for nearly 12 years.

Wanna buy a tree saddle and stand? Lol

 

[smokey-seven]

But before you pick up and keep that shed, you need to know that, in the West Virginia, possessing antler sheds from a deer (or elk) you didn’t legally harvest is illegal.

This means that if you pick up some sheds in another state, you better leave them there, because you could find yourself in legal hot water if you bring them into West Virginia.

Possessing an antler shed is a misdemeanor offense and punishable by a fine of $20 to $200 for each incident, plus court costs. In other words, one very successful shed hunting endeavor could cost you hundreds of dollars.

Shed Hunting is Illegal in This State! | Deer & Deer Hunting

Can you believe that picking up a shed antler is actually against the law in some areas? We didn't believe it, until we learned about this odd state.

www.deeranddeerhunting.com

Cut off antlers are another thing. Many states require a tag for cut offs. In states where possession of sheds is legal, some want to see a pedicle attached, making cut off antlers illegal unless tagged.

Pedicle: This is the where the base of the antler connects to the skull plate.

Out West, it is common for shed hunting to be illegal on State and or Federal land.


.

 

[MisterHappy]

friend of mine told me that you can't pick up sheds until May 1. Said something about how the small animals eat the marrow.. Game Warden/EPO will write you up if found with one. seemed bizarre, but I didn't argue as I had no idea. Anyone ever heard of such a reg? This is in MA.

I know that it's been answered (that it is not unlawful to pick them up), but I'll add the obligatory, "Cite, please?"

No offense, EMT, but on a question of DPRM Backwoods Law, your bet source of info, other than reading the clear, concise, and cogent MGLs, is to reach out to the EPOs....since they, not NES will be the arbiters of what's kosher.

 

[EMTDAD]

I know that it's been answered (that it is not unlawful to pick them up), but I'll add the obligatory, "Cite, please?"

No offense, EMT, but on a question of DPRM Backwoods Law, your bet source of info, other than reading the clear, concise, and cogent MGLs, is to reach out to the EPOs....since they, not NES will be the arbiters of what's kosher.

I know.. was just funny that this conversation came up last Saturday morning with a guy... It seemed like an appropriate question given the OP. Figured someone on NES was an expert on this stuff, after all, plenty of expertise here.

 

[dhuze]

My brother used to find them all the time while never looking for them. Me I’ve never seen any.

 

[Kevin_NH]

Anybody tried polarized sunglasses? Theory is you pick a bright day in early spring, make sure the sun is at your back.

 

[45collector]

Found in Barnstable early January 2019

 

[Medicine Man]

First sheds if the season for me and my first set ever. I know they’re small but I’m fkn psyched. My favorite winter past time.

 

[MEB]

Nice find! I’m still getting pics of bucks holding antlers

 

[ccm75]

I’ve been out with my dog a bunch behind the house. Before and after snow. Always feels like hunting for the proverbial needle in the haystack....My dog loves to eat deer poop though, so I can tell where they’ve been if no snow. Hoping to find the big old 9pt I’ve seen for three years on cams and the shiny curved 8. Haven’t seen them on film in awhile, so not sure they survived the season....The pic of the big boy is grainy, but if you click on it you should be able to see this old boy's mass....

 

[Dan-o]

I have found a few over the years, nothing to brag about. Last summer a friend was out riding his atv on a well used trail, looked down and found this beauty. He gave it to me as he has no interest. I never got over to his place to hunt last fall, I was too busy looking for a giant that eluded me again.

 

[LuvDog]

Anyone here let their dogs use these as chew toys?

 

[Medicine Man]

I’ve been out with my dog a bunch behind the house. Before and after snow. Always feels like hunting for the proverbial needle in the haystack....My dog loves to eat deer poop though, so I can tell where they’ve been if no snow. Hoping to find the big old 9pt I’ve seen for three years on cams and the shiny curved 8. Haven’t seen them on film in awhile, so not sure they survived the season....The pic of the big boy is grainy, but if you click on it you should be able to see this old boy's mass....

He’s a monster. Hope he made it. Good luck!

 

[deerdad]

I actually found a matching set from a 6 pt during black powder season one year. They were about 8 to 10 feet apart. No chew marks in either. I found one side of an 8 pt that had very few chew marks during bow season one year. That one was covered by leaves and to me, it looked like skunk cabbage spikes sticking out of the leaves and I couldn't understand why it was coming up at that time of year. When I kicked at it, the whole thing flipped up and I couldn't believe what it was. That was the first one I ever found. My daughter found a pretty chewed up skull with both antlers still attached. I'll post some pics of these this weekend. I've never actually gone shed hunting, it just happened by luck.

 

[EddieA]

No sheds, but while bird hunting in the North Maine Woods I found a complete moose skeleton.
The skull is hanging in my man cave.

 

[dc185185]

Just an fyi to everyone, I think you can get jammed up with the EPOs/game wardens by grabbing a full skull. My wife's cousin got into some trouble grabbing a moose skull he found in Maine about 10 years ago. Their reasoning is there is no way to prove you did not poach the animal.

 

[EddieA]

Just an fyi to everyone, I think you can get jammed up with the EPOs/game wardens by grabbing a full skull. My wife's cousin got into some trouble grabbing a moose skull he found in Maine about 10 years ago. Their reasoning is there is no way to prove you did not poach the animal.

This one was/is covered in green moss, so...

 

[The Anchor]

ive been blessed to find a big set a few years back, both fell within 2 feet of each other and within 5 yards of one of my stands. ive also found some moose sheds up in NH, nothing big, but still fun to find ive got another hunting buddy that ramped his shed hunting, 2 fold. has two labs that each have a year of shed training under their belts. its rare they don't find a shed when they go out now.

 

[The Anchor]

 

[Kevin_NH]

Just an fyi to everyone, I think you can get jammed up with the EPOs/game wardens by grabbing a full skull. My wife's cousin got into some trouble grabbing a moose skull he found in Maine about 10 years ago. Their reasoning is there is no way to prove you did not poach the animal.

This is the rule in Maine:

GIVING MOOSE AWAY-PARTS TO BE LABELED: Except for permittees and subpermittees that have legally harvested and transported a moose, no one may possess any part or parts of a moose unless each separate part is plainly labeled with the name and address of the person who registered the moose and the year the animal was registered by that person