Shed Hunting 101 ???

I’ve found the best luck on cloudy days or rainy days it helps with seeing them easier and just lots and lots of walking field edges and thick areas

First and foremost, I would say to wait until you’re confident that all of or at least most of the bucks in the area that you will be looking on have dropped. I know people who start putting the miles on before the majority of the deer have dropped. They get burned out and frustrated from little success because the deer are still holding, Not to mention if you start looking too soon you push deer off your property to possibly drop elsewhere where you can’t go! Take a good pair of binoculars every time you go! You mostly will not spot antlers with them. But most of the things you see from a distance that could possibly be an antler will end up being something else and by seeing that from a ways away you will save your energy to keep searching. Focus your efforts on places the deer are spending a lot of time in late winter and even into early spring such as food, trails and bedding areas. look for an antler but also look for possible tines, tips of tines, main beams and bases. Look in all directions as you cover ground. Make sure you look behind you occasionally.. it gives you a totally different view. I have walked past antlers only to turn around and see them plain as day wondering how i missed them. When possible look on overcast and even rainy days. The light color of the antler against the darker ground helps to spot them easier. If you go on a sunny day, walk with the sun at your back. Don’t just look down at the ground as you go. I mostly look out in front of me, side to side and behind me occasionally. If you use a 4 wheeler, go slow. I literally go 3 miles an hour when I do. Don’t forget to also watch lower parts of bushes for hangers. Most of all Keep going! Even if you don’t find much after a long distance. Keep going! Don’t give up!

-Scout for your late season food sources
-Shed hunt when it’s overcast, or during or after a rain. Makes sheds easier to spot
-use good optics
-stay out of the deers bedding areas until your confident the bucks have all shed
-apple orchards can be very productive
-check your creek crossings and fence crossings
-walk the trails going to and from bedding
-track your walks through an app so you can see what areas you have hit and which ones you have missed
-find the deer poop, you know if your finding high concentrations of droppings then you know the deer have spent a lot of time in that area
-be patient and take your time, it’s not a race, take a few steps and keep your head on a swivel
-take your time on the field edges
-scout for those south facing slopes close to winter food sources
-put the miles on, I average about 1 shed per 5 miles walked
-grid search areas that have heavy deer sign
-don’t look for the whole antler, look for the tip of a tine, curve of a main beam, or pedicle of an antler

I would say the putting in the miles would be the best tip anyone could give. You have to be in it to win it ! Also most importantly enjoy your time in the woods.