The Best Place to Look for Deer Antler Sheds
Finding deer antler sheds is fun and a great way to get added exercise. Knowing when and where to look can increase your chances of finding a set.
If you’re out on a hike and stumble on a set of deer antlers, it can feel like finding an unexpected deal at the store. You weren’t planning on it, but the day just got incrementally better with a score of a find.
If you went out specifically looking for deer sheds and didn’t find any, well, at least you got in a hike.
If you or someone you know might be wondering, “Why do you want antlers without the deer attached?,” the most common answer is: for hunting. The antlers can but used during the rut (mating season) as a call for other bucks. Bucks hear antlers clanging together and suspect there’s a good rumble happening nearby and instinctually want to check it out. Thereby, antlers make a great lure.
You can purchase smaller, more transportable artificial “rattle bags” and other types of calls at the store, but there’s just something about using the real thing.
You could also mount the sheds or use them as rustic decoration. Some people even let their dogs chew on them (thought not recommended because the antlers can splinter and get stuck in their teeth or cause gastrointestinal issues).
Getting The Search Started
All that being said, where is the best place to start looking for antler sheds? The answer is, where the deer are (or at least where they were). This requires a more in-depth understanding of buck behavior and habitat.
The prime spots for finding antler sheds are areas where deer spend the most time during late winter and early spring, typically February through April, when bucks naturally shed their antlers after the mating season.
Focus on bedding areas, feeding zones, and travel corridors.
Bedding areas, often found in thick cover like dense brush, tall grass, or coniferous forests, provide deer with safety and rest, making these areas a hotspot for dropped antlers. Look for flattened patches of grass or snow where deer have hunkered down.
Feeding zones, such as agricultural fields, oak groves with acorns, or areas with abundant browse like young shrubs are possible locations. Deer are always on the lookout for food in the winter months when food is less available.
Travel corridors are narrow paths or game trails connecting bedding areas and feeding zones. These are natural funnels where antlers can jostle loose as bucks move.
If you’re out in the woods or in an open field, look for a deer trail and follow it. Evidence of deer (tracks, scraps, or scat) is an indication to look around for a trail, or even sheds themselves. Chances are favorable that if you follow the trail, it will lead you to a bedding or feeding area.
South-facing slopes are a great strategic pick in colder climates because they warm up faster (the sun rises in the southeast during winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere). The early light attracts deer seeking sunlight and softer ground.
Creek bottoms and ridgelines are good locations too, as deer navigate these features regularly. I’ve always had good luck near streams and creeks that separate open valleys from wooded areas. Pay attention to obstacles like fences or fallen logs because antlers often get knocked off when bucks jump or duck under them.
Why Do Buck’s Antlers Fall Off?
Scientifically, it’s due to hormonal changes. After the mating season, a buck’s testosterone levels drop. This hormonal shift triggers the weakening of the tissue and bone at the base of the antlers, an area called the pedicle. Specialized cells called osteoclasts break down the bone connection between the antlers and the skull, eventually causing the antlers to detach and fall off. This overall process is referred to as antler casting.
The shedding makes way for new antler growth in the spring, when rising testosterone and daylight levels stimulate the new growth. The new antlers are covered in a soft layer called velvet, which supplies blood and nutrients until they fully harden by late summer, ready for the next mating season.
The antler casting cycle allows bucks to regrow larger, stronger antlers each year to compete for mates. Shedding them reduces the burden of carrying the bulky antlers when they’re no longer needed. Environmental factors like nutrition and stress can also influence the timing and quality of this cycle.
A Few Antler Scouting Tips
Bring binoculars to scan from a distance, walk slowly with your eyes on the ground, and train yourself to spot the telltale curve or tine of an antler amid the clutter of branches, leaves, or deceptive looking rocks.
The best place to look for deer antler sheds isn’t just one spot, it’s where bucks live, eat, and roam. During the protective months, bucks like to be closer to bedding locations and up higher where they can more easily spot threats (whereas does tend to prefer closer proximity to food sources).
Deer don’t always follow the same day-to-day route, but they do typically stay in one general region most of their life. Getting a sense of bedding and feeding areas within a specific region is also a great strategy, especially if you’re looking on public land where others may be less in tune with the terrain.