Some avid whitetail shed hunters prefer open fields and other primary feeding areas, some like bedding areas, and others concentrate their efforts along trails. I look at each area with an open mind. I have certainly found my share of antlers in fields that attract winter deer, such as winter wheat. I'm not so sure that more antlers are dropped in fields, though. However, I do believe they are easier to spot because of the open terrain.

On the downside, you could find yourself walking countless hours in an open field without success because there's a lot of ground to cover and a buck might be anywhere in the field when he drops an antler.

Bedding areas are probably my favorite, particularly along the edges of dense bedding areas and woods where trails meet. A buck spends much of his time there--making it more likely for him to shed in and near bedding areas. In areas where thick honeysuckle and bramble bushes are present, the chance increases that a mature buck will shed nearby, since these locations provide both winter food and cover.

Unfortunately, in dense cover you must cover the area thoroughly; you can easily pass right by an antler without seeing it, even if you're being keenly observant.

That's the nice thing about searching for sheds along deer trails: You can cover more ground and often spot antlers more easily. I love walking trails in hardwoods and pines because visibility is usually better than in dense bedding areas. Not all trails are created equal; some are better than others, and over time you'll learn which trails typically offer the best opportunities.

UNRAVELING TRAVEL ROUTES Most hunters enjoy searching for and locating scrapes and rubs during the hunting season, but I find much more of this telltale buck sign when searching for sheds than at any other time of the year. The sign you find while shed hunting provides vitally important information as they might well indicate a travel route that bucks prefer to use when moving through the area. Not all scrapes and rubs mean anything for the future. Sporadic rubs, for instance, don't provide much proof that a buck or bucks like an area, but rubs that connect to form a rub line show you a travel route that was used with some consistency.   Examine the area surrounding a rub closely when searching for sheds. The open nature of the woods at this time of year makes it easy to determine if one rub connects to another and then another, etc. The distance between rubs may vary--from a few yards up to 50 or 100 yards--but it's a route you'll want to pay attention to in the upcoming season.   Some bucks make hundreds of scrapes during the pre, peak, and post-rut period. However, since not all of these scrapes offer promise, it's up to the hunter to determine if it's worth further investigation.   When you locate a scrape, pay close attention to the overhanging limbs. Not every active scrape is large, but those with several broken overhanging limbs often mean that it was visited by several bucks, particularly those scrapes in cover away from the fringes. Scrape lines are also easier to locate when shed hunting, and they can be as meaningful as rub lines since they also point out preferred travel routes.--JT, Jr.

Whether you're searching along trails or in thick cover, always move slowly and concentrate most of your efforts within a few yards of your feet. It's difficulty to spot an antler 20 or 30 yards away, unless it's extremely huge.

The Matched Set
Everyone enjoys finding a shed, regardless of its size. Locating a big antler is even better, and locating matched sheds from the same buck is the ultimate prize and also the most difficult challenge of shed hunting.

Last winter, my good friend Tim Hillsmeyer found a matched pair of antlers that scored just over 140 inches (assuming a spread of 16 inches). Tim found the huge antler as he nearly stepped on it. Immediately, his heart raced as he searched the nearby area for the other. He widened his search, looking in every nook and cranny. Tim already knew that the other might still be on the buck's head, or could be a considerable distance away, but he was determined.

For the next couple of days, Tim devoted more hours to searching the area, to no avail. The antler was nowhere to be found, so he thought. Two weeks later, as Tim drove along a backroad, he spotted something white. He knew it was a long shot but worth checking out. He pulled over and walked into the woods. There, in a small opening near a honeysuckle thicket, lay the matching antler he sought--a full quarter-mile from where he found the first one.

Tim's experience is a testament to his hard work, but it's certainly not typical. I have found matched sets on a few occasions, but each time the two laid nearly side-by-side. Once I located a matched set--with five points each--lying a few yards apart. That deer would have scored in the 130s. On another occasion, I found both halves to a respectable eight-point buck that were practically touching.

I have a couple of boxes full of sheds. They make great ornaments, provide interesting stories, and no two are ever alike. Nevertheless, the best news is the future that a shed antler predicts. The buck that shed the antler now probably carries larger antlers. If you think of that whenever you find an antler, it is sure to provide some confidence when the season debuts and bring you back for another shed hunt the following year.