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Sheds and deads 2026

BowhunterXC said:
I walked around for about 2 hours and ran across 2 skulls that were closer to the road. So, it would make sense that they were hit by a vehicle and that's as far as they made it before they died.
Not too far from the skulls is where I found this small antler. Looks like he was a "basket rack" 6 pointer.
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I took a walk out in the woods today, about 50 yards. The snow was from mid calf to crotch deep. Talk about a work out!
 
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Super thick patch of brush across the road from my house, figured I’d check it out after seeing deer almost get run over a million times going in there. I’m having a season for the ages. This is number ten for the year, and three days in a row I’ve picked up a shed.


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rutjr said:
I took a walk out in the woods today, about 50 yards. The snow was from mid calf to crotch deep. Talk about a work out!
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It's still like that here too despite having several days in the 50s recently. Still not getting into the woods without snowshoes and a dedicated snowmobile parking area to get the truck out of the roadway.
 
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BowhunterXC said:
I have and it was about this time last year. It was a buck that I shot during the Deer Gun Season and as much as I searched, I never found him. :rolleyes: A bad feeling to lose one this nice, but I had some closure by finding him....and he was a lot closer to my house than I thought. GW gave me a permit for it. I just wish I could've found him before the squirrels and mice got to his antlers. :(
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Nice buck, it's a shame you couldn't recover him last fall. Did you age his teeth?

I'm a little surprised the antlers are chewed that much. It seems to me that a shed antler gets chewed up way faster than the antlers of a dead head. I can't explain why, but over the years I have seen many dead heads that laid for years and get almost no rodent damage. And we live in squirrel central. There's absolutely no shortage of rodents here. Sheds get chewed quickly but dead heads can last for years. Why is that?
 
Allegheny Tom said:
Nice buck, it's a shame you couldn't recover him last fall. Did you age his teeth?

I'm a little surprised the antlers are chewed that much. It seems to me that a shed antler gets chewed up way faster than the antlers of a dead head. I can't explain why, but over the years I have seen many dead heads that laid for years and get almost no rodent damage. And we live in squirrel central. There's absolutely no shortage of rodents here. Sheds get chewed quickly but dead heads can last for years. Why is that?
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I have always noticed the same thing. Thought that was strange. I rarely see any chewing on deadheads. When I do, its usually small spots from mice.

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That’s an interesting question. Usually when I find a dead head the antlers look and feel almost like a dried up piece of drift wood whereas the sheds I find that are new or newer sheds have a freshness to them with almost a chaulky feeling….. it’s hard to explain. My theory is the rodents quickly go after the freshest sheds they find and know on them. The dead heads are rotting and it’s a turn off and by the time they are ready they are too dried out for the rodents. Just my heart but @Allegheny Tom I agree there is something to that.
 
Dead head of a buck with no rack, just pedicules. I found his head and skeleton on a little knoll overlooking an SMZ I hunt from time to time. I found him becasue I was looking for the remains of a doe I quartered very near to that spot in October. I ended up finding her skeleton too. The buck looks to be several years old and had squirrel gnawing. It had to be there back in October, I just did not go up on that little knoll, maybe 30 yards away. There was also an old mylar balloon right over from that buck skeleton...more anecdotal evidence for the balloon/buck bed theory?
 

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-CRASH said:
You have to tell more about this theory.

Or is this a joke I'm not aware of? Lol
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I think it started as a half joke over on the hunting Beast forum. The theory goes that the same topographical, prevailing wind, and thermal conditions that make mylar balloons settle in certain areas are the same conditions that make certain spots attractive to bucks, as places where wind dumps predictably all the time. Bucks bed there because wind dumps there. Balloons settle there becasue wind dumps there. I have noticed a strong correlation between finding balloons and buck bedding. Is it a thing? Who Knows? I do think if you are like me and only see small quantities of balloons then it is more likely. I only find maybe a dozen a year. If you are in an area, say downwind of a major metro area (or a Chucky Cheese) and find hundreds of balloons in the woods, then it probably won't be useful.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I think it started as a half joke over on the hunting Beast forum. The theory goes that the same topographical, prevailing wind, and thermal conditions that make mylar balloons settle in certain areas are the same conditions that make certain spots attractive to bucks, as places where wind dumps predictably all the time. Bucks bed there because wind dumps there. Balloons settle there becasue wind dumps there. I have noticed a strong correlation between finding balloons and buck bedding. Is it a thing? Who Knows? I do think if you are like me and only see small quantities of balloons then it is more likely. I only find maybe a dozen a year. If you are in an area, say downwind of a major metro area (or a Chucky Cheese) and find hundreds of balloons in the woods, then it probably won't be useful.
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I believe. If I find two balloons, which I will admit is very rare. I pay close attention to that spot.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I think it started as a half joke over on the hunting Beast forum. The theory goes that the same topographical, prevailing wind, and thermal conditions that make mylar balloons settle in certain areas are the same conditions that make certain spots attractive to bucks, as places where wind dumps predictably all the time. Bucks bed there because wind dumps there. Balloons settle there becasue wind dumps there. I have noticed a strong correlation between finding balloons and buck bedding. Is it a thing? Who Knows? I do think if you are like me and only see small quantities of balloons then it is more likely. I only find maybe a dozen a year. If you are in an area, say downwind of a major metro area (or a Chucky Cheese) and find hundreds of balloons in the woods, then it probably won't be useful.
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Thank you for the reply. I had never heard of this before. It makes a lot of sense the way you explained it. Especially if the area is more rural and isn't next to a Chucky cheese or similar type of outfit.

Stuff like this is a gem to learn. Not applicable in all situations. But it will give me pause if I find one.
 
-CRASH said:
Thank you for the reply. I had never heard of this before. It makes a lot of sense the way you explained it. Especially if the area is more rural and isn't next to a Chucky cheese or similar type of outfit.

Stuff like this is a gem to learn. Not applicable in all situations. But it will give me pause if I find one.
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I have found that in my area, where I may find 12 to 15 balloons per year in many miles of scouting (I did over 100 miles last year) there is an uncanny frequency of buck sign associated with balloon finds. Not all areas that have good buck sign have balloons, but I would say out of a dozen balloon finds, I'd say 10 of those will have concentrated bucks sign within very close proximity of the balloon.
 
-CRASH said:
Thank you for the reply. I had never heard of this before. It makes a lot of sense the way you explained it. Especially if the area is more rural and isn't next to a Chucky cheese or similar type of outfit.

Stuff like this is a gem to learn. Not applicable in all situations. But it will give me pause if I find one.
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Balloons IN the actual bed

Absolutely insane. These were in beds, the second one was literally inside the worn dirt of the bed, like the deer is laying on the freakin balloon. Red circle is worn bed, blue circle is around the balloon 90% buried which I pulled out for the other pic. The bed is leeward to the log for...
saddlehunter.com

There was at least one whole thread.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
Nice buck, it's a shame you couldn't recover him last fall. Did you age his teeth?
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Nope, but my best guess is 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 years old.
On the hoof he was a magnificent animal and not recovering him bothers me to this day. :rolleyes: I've never had one give me the slip away, like this one. His evasive maneuvers were what kept him alive for as long as it did and the blood trail was deceiving in its' direction too. Even so, I have a good record of finding dead/wounded deer....but not so with this guy. :(
 
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