We dive into shed hunting tips and provide region-specific tactics you can use to find more antlers, whether you’re picking up your first bone or can’t even count how many sets you’ve spotted.

What Is Shed Hunting?

Shed hunting is the act of searching for antlers that certain ungulates naturally drop each year. Most commonly, people look for deer antler sheds and elk sheds. Some shed hunters search for sheds to sell them, while others use sheds to help inform their hunting plans for upcoming seasons. Some others simply enjoy an excuse to walk in the woods.

Antlered Animals: Which Ones Drop Sheds?

If you’re shed hunting in North America, you’re looking for antlers from the Cervidae family, which includes deer, elk, moose, and caribou (also called reindeer). These animals naturally drop their antlers each year. In deer, elk, and moose, barring any rare genetic anomalies, only males grow and shed antlers. In caribou, males and females grow and shed antlers.

Antelope (also called pronghorn), who belong to the Bovidae family, also shed their headgear. However, instead of antlers, antelope have sheathed horns; they shed the sheath annually between November and December.

Why Do Deer Shed Their Antlers? 

Several factors cause antlers to drop: The largest factor is hormone levels. Once the rut winds down, testosterone levels drop. Osteoclasts, the cells responsible for antler growth, begin to break down the antlers near their bases, or pedicles. When this happens, the antlers naturally fall off. 

Another factor influencing when antlers drop is the animal’s stress level, which can be heightened by a lack of food, harsh winters, predators, and poor health. Generally, the more stress, the sooner an animal sheds its antlers. With that in mind, mature bucks (and bulls) who have expended immense energy defending their breeding rights during the rut may be the first to drop the head weight.

When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers?

Deer antlers can drop from November through April depending on several factors, including geography and daylight hours.

When Do Elk Shed Their Antlers?

Bull elk lose their antlers between January and April, with a majority of sheds dropping in March. 

When Is Shed Hunting Season?

Shed hunting season typically begins after winter has ended to avoid adding unnecessary stress to deer and elk during their most vulnerable months. During the harsh winter, deer and elk need to conserve energy to survive, making it crucial for shed hunters to prioritize their well-being by giving them space.

In fact, many states have laws specifying where and when you can shed hunt, so be sure to do your research. Some states, like Utah, have also adopted mandatory shed hunting ethics courses.

Even from a private property standpoint, you may want to wait a bit before you poke around your property for sheds. If you start too early, you may bump bucks or bulls onto neighboring property. And, if you don’t have access, you just gave your neighbor a nice shed or two.

Shed Hunting Tips by Region

Read on to explore shed hunting tips by region, with expert advice from folks who live there. Much of this advice is geared toward finding deer antlers. For more on elk sheds, check out Steven Drake’s elk shed hunting tips.

Northeast and Midwest Shed Hunting Tips

Because the Northeast and Midwest have similar climates, sheds start to fall around the same time, and the strategies used to find them are also consistent, including:

• Deploy trail cameras: Load fresh batteries in your trail cameras after the rut winds down so you can take inventory of which deer made it through hunting season, their late season patterns, and when they dropped their antlers. Trail cams can give you direction on when to wander through the woods, and, if you have multiple trail cams, the footage can give you a general idea of where a buck may have left his headgear.
• Focus on south-facing slopes: While this strategy really shines in the West, it holds equal truth in the Midwest and Northeast. In the short days of winter, deer like to soak up as much sun and warmth as possible; good cover on a south-facing slope makes for ideal winter bedding conditions. South-facing terrain features are easy to distinguish using the onX Web Map, especially if you’re an Elite Member and have access to TerrainX.
• Leave standing crops: If you manage a property specifically for hunting, leaving large swaths of standing corn or standing beans will pay dividends all year. Not only will it increase the number of deer you have frequenting your property through November and December, but as food becomes ever more scarce, deer will key in on these food sources until winter’s grasp starts to slip. The more deer you can keep on your property as winter rolls on, the more sheds you’re going to pick up. Standing corn also helps knock those loose antlers off as bucks pry through the remaining ears of corn.
• Provide thermal cover: If your property has thick stands of pines, cedars, and other conifer trees, these act as excellent wind blocks and provide cover during the cold winter months to help your deer population survive. All these factors make thermal cover a great place to poke around for sheds. However, it’s best to avoid checking these areas if you are out looking for sheds and weather conditions are harsh, as it is important to let the deer use these refuges undisturbed until signs of spring start to show.
• Pinpoint fencelines: Sometimes, all it takes is a nice landing for a shed to drop. Check out fencelines or other obstacles a buck may have needed to navigate. The jostling and impact of a hopping maneuver can sometimes shake loose a shed.

Best Time To Shed Hunt: Northeast and Midwest

Mark Kenyon of Wired to Hunt: When looking for deer antlers, I’ll take the second week of March. At this point, the vast majority of antlers are on the ground, and snow is usually melted across most of the whitetail range. This week might be a little late if you’re shed hunting in areas where a bunch of other people walk but if it’s a secret spot or private land, it’s better to wait just a little bit longer than to walk around before antlers have dropped and push all the deer (and their antlers) out of the area.

Shawn Luchtel of Heartland Bowhunter: If I could only shed hunt one week this year it would be the first week of March. Often in our home state of Missouri, the snow has melted and the majority of the bucks have dropped their racks. I’ve found it’s better to wait until most of the bucks have dropped their antlers (based on trail camera photos) before walking the woods in search of antlers.

Where To Find Antler Sheds: Northeast and Midwest

Mark Kenyon of Wired to Hunt: Rather than trying to walk every square inch of a property or area, I’d rather spend a longer period of time thoroughly searching high-potential sections, and in those sections, I focus on bedding areas and food sources, ideally in locations where those two areas are positioned tight together. 

The first step is identifying the best late-season food source, and usually, this can be determined by actually seeing the food or by observing high amounts of deer sign (tracks, droppings, etc.). Once I’ve found the best winter food, I’ll search the edges, buffer strips, and transition areas alongside the food sources thoroughly. After that, I’ll focus on the nearest bedding areas: CRP fields, brush ridge lines, cedar patches, etc. I’d much rather strategically scour a bunch of different hot spots like this than blindly grid-search.

Nick Ventura of Become 1: After the late season has passed, I have found bucks like to stay closer to food. Finding what the main food source is at that time of year and focusing my attention in and around the food source has been most productive for me. Also, note anywhere deer have to jump or cross like a creek or a fence crossing; sometimes you may get lucky picking one up in one of these spots.

Favorite Shed Hunting Tip: Northeast and Midwest

Shawn Luchtel of Heartland Bowhunter: Make sure you have covered every inch of ground. As soon as you think a shed won’t be in a certain area, you’re wrong. We have found sheds in many places we would have never thought the buck would have been. When searching, it’s easy to get ahead of yourself to get to the next spot—don’t forget, slow and steady wins this race.

Mark Kenyon of Wired to Hunt: If you glimpse an odd shape, a flash of white, or anything that catches your eye, investigate it with your optics—it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Change up your perspective: stop and scan the path behind you, or hop on top of a log to see the area from above. These new angles can sometimes unveil a hidden shed that you never otherwise would have seen.

Advice on Finding Matched Sets

Michael Hunsucker of Heartland Bowhunter: After picking up one side of a shed, we’ll often grid-search the area looking for the other side. From my experience, however, if it’s not lying within 100 yards of the original side, it could be anywhere. It’s interesting to monitor deer over the years and see how some cast their antlers side by side while others will hold onto the opposite side for days or even weeks. Imagine how much ground a deer covers in one day. It could be anywhere.

Mark Kenyon of Wired to Hunt: I will spend maybe 10-15 minutes searching an ever-growing concentric circle around the first antler, maxing out about 70-100 yards away. If I haven’t found the match by then, I’ll continue on with my original trajectory and plan.

Southeast Shed Hunting Tips

Given its milder winter temps, Southeast shed hunting strategies differ slightly from the regions to the north.

• Scour staging areas: As the archery seasons wind down in January and even into February, deer become wary and stage in the safety of cover before venturing out into green fields as last light fades into darkness. Scour these green fields and then move into the areas that deer consistently pour out of at last light.
• Deploy trail cameras: The same trail camera tactics from the Northeast and Midwest section apply in the Southeast. Ensure trail camera batteries are fresh after the rut ends, and watch for deer patterns throughout the property.

We talked with Steve Tittsworth of Greenback Tactical for insight into shed hunting in the Southeast:

Best Time To Shed Hunt: Southeast

The first week of March. I’ve actually got pictures of bucks holding that late here in Tennessee but for the most part, that has given them enough time to drop. We’re past the stresses of what little bad weather we may have and stand no chance of bothering the animals in any way.

Where To Find Antler Sheds: Southeast

The areas we hunt are 90% wooded and considerably thicker than most. That said, we still seek out the thickest parts of those areas because the trail systems are confined and the deer are forced to use the very few that pass through them. Some are more like tunnels than trails, but we have found more sheds in those types of areas than any other.

Favorite Shed Hunting Tip: Southeast

Slow down. It’s still a bit like hunting. Again, our areas are so thick in eastern Tennessee and our deer densities are so low that just leisurely strolling through the woods won’t work. Take a few steps and scan, then repeat. Glassing isn’t much use in the thickets, but the same techniques apply. Just a few steps to change your perspective can reveal something that was right in front of you.

Advice on Finding Matched Sets

We don’t really do anything special to try and find the other side. We already spend a lot of time to find what few are available in our part of the world, so it’s either close to the other one or it’s not. Shed hunting here is more about getting out and spending time with family and killing time in anticipation of turkey season.

Southwest Shed Hunting Tips

The Southwest region includes Texas ranches that are home to giant whitetails and some of the country’s most coveted elk tags in Arizona. With such a diverse region, shed hunting strategies vary depending on location, but some pointers apply almost anywhere in the Southwest, including:

• Rely on Glassing: The landscape in the Southwest is daunting. Find a high point, set up your tripod, and start scouring south-facing slopes. Just as when glassing for animals, look for pieces of a shed—the “V” shape of a tine coming off the main beam or an inconsistent color in a brushy patch. Some of the most effective times to glass for sheds are during or after rain; when wet, antlers almost shine and stick out far more than when dry.
• Find open water: The Southwest is one of the driest portions of the country, especially in the winter months. Critters will be forced to drink at some point and will funnel toward watering holes, so open water is an asset to shed hunters. After locating water, walk the game trails leading away from the water. You’ll likely discover bedding areas within reasonable proximity to these water sources.

Eric Chesser, videographer and hunter with Hushin, gets plenty of time in the field during shed season. Here are his top tips for shed hunting success in the Southwest:

Best Time To Shed Hunt: Southwest

The first week in April. In my favorite areas, most of the bucks and bulls have shed their antlers by April 1st. 

Where To Find Antler Sheds: Southwest

That really depends on the snow levels year-to-year, but my personal favorites are south-facing slopes with good cover and feed.

Favorite Shed Hunting Tip: Southwest

Scout. If you’re not where the animals are shedding their antlers you’re not going to find many. Scout for the bucks and bulls through the winter months and keep tabs on where they travel and feed, especially during February and March.

Advice on Finding Matched Sets

The first thing I do when I find a big single is guess which direction the buck or bull came from and which way he went. I’ll start in one direction guessing which trail or area he headed to, and if I can’t find it quickly I’ll switch back and head the other way. After that, it really comes down to a grid system. Cover the main trails and easy options first, and after that, grid everything you can.

West Shed Hunting Tips

Shed hunting strategies in the West share some commonalities with the Southwest, such as:

• Rely on Glassing: Just like the desert Southwest, the mountainous West can be daunting. Start your search for sheds no differently than you would approach opening day: Find a high point, set up your tripod, and scour south-facing slopes. Look for the odd shapes of a shed, and don’t be afraid to go out after a rainstorm, when the shine of antlers may make them easier to spot.
• Understand how snowpack impacts bulls and bucks: As the mountains begin to get covered in snow in November, critters move to lower elevations and often start forming bachelor groups. Given the open country, if you put the time in and keep tabs on a herd throughout December and January, the animals will generally stick in that area until predators or more snow pushes them elsewhere. If you are finding groups of does or cows, typically bucks and bulls will be at slightly higher elevations, so continue your climb.
• Find deadfall, ditches, and other obstacles: Whenever you pass through an area full of obstacles, whether a network of downed trees or fencing, keep your eyes peeled. An antler can be forced loose as a buck or bull jumps over things in its way, which can also include tight ditches or cricks.

Montana-based hunting photographer Steven Drake puts as many miles on during shed season as anyone we know. Here are some tips from a guy who picks up more bone than most.

Best Time To Shed Hunt: West

Second week of April. Most of the sheds have dropped by then and most of the shed hunters have ended their search which means the woods are empty and many of the bulls whose antlers held on late are there for the finding.

Where To Find Antler Sheds: Southwest

Every mountain range is different and I can’t say I’ve found commonalities between any of them. In one range, bulls will winter at 10,000 feet. In others, they will drop down to the valley floor. Learning each area and how the weather, elevation, and predation affect those animals will be your best shot at finding antlers. When I started shed hunting I averaged 10 miles of hiking per shed. Spending time on the ground will result in success.

Favorite Shed Hunting Tip: West

Search where others won’t. Instead of walking a ridgeline, which is where most people walk, drop off the ridge 30 yards. Your chances of finding an antler in this zone will greatly increase.

Use the Hunt App To Find More Sheds

Using Web Map to scout locations:

• Use Waypoints to lay out your trail camera placement strategy or to make note of good glassing knobs.
• Locate potential thermal cover using Trees, Crops, and Soil Map Layers.
• Identify south-facing slopes with scattered cover.
• Pinpoint property lines to identify fence crossings.
• Use the Area Shape Tool to outline reasonably sized areas to search.

Using the onX Hunt App in the field:

• Turn on Tracker to establish where you have and have not been.
• Add a Waypoint where you pick up sheds.
• Drop Waypoints as you find valuable sign such as bedding areas, well-used trails, and other points of interest.

If you’re an Elite Member, TerrainX makes quick work of e-scouting for shed hunting areas. Watch Steven Drake explain how he uses TerrainX to drill into slope aspects, slope angles, and elevation bands likely to hold dropped antlers.

Shed hunting is a good excuse to log some miles in the offseason, and can be a productive way to scout. Even more so than other times of the year, ungulates are creatures of habit; finding well-used game trails, bedding areas, and food sources will be easier than ever.

While you’re out searching for antlers, take note of what you find—it’ll pay off in the season to come.