Shed #11 - A Speck In The White Desert

Nothing to exciting, but I felt I better write about it before I forget about it. I was out on Tuesday the 12th and walked the standing soybean field one more time. It took me quite a while, but I was able to spot something over my right shoulder. It was a small tine sticking out of the snow. At first glimpse, I never really know what it could be, but as I walked in closer, I soon saw that it was quite small. This always begs the question, what would a big antler have looked like. It also let's me know that I'm doing a pretty good job of scanning the area around me if I can spot one this small. The snow kept it up, so I'm sure it's relatively fresh. Here it is:

Nothing big, but another one for the tally. I have no trail cameras out right now, which is always an odd feeling. But, it won't be too long before a few get put out over mineral licks. I'm really hoping this snow depth doesn't lead to suffering deer or a late growing season. We definitely could use some sun. It's supposed to get above freezing today. Let the melt begin!!

A Matched Set! # 9 & 10

I made it out to the woods on Wednesday morning. I went out there to take down my last camera, so I only had about an hour to walk around. As I was getting closer to my camera I spotted something up a head in a little staging area where there was plenty of deer activity. I saw what only looked like tines of an antler and as I got closer... BAM! there were two antlers! A set? I'm still about 50 feet away at this point and I'm really hoping that they are to the new buck I wrote about in the last post. Sure enough, I see what has to be a long browtine. I was so pumped! I snapped a few pictures and scooped up my first matched set of the year. The sheds measured 45 and 46" So he would gross about 107". That's not much, but his brows were 4 6/8 and 5". Hopefully he puts on some height this next year. Both bases were very bloody so I assumed they were both extremely fresh. I also assumed that he shed them at the same time, because of their proximity to each other.

I pulled the memory card and learned that he carried the one side for about 28 hours before coming back and shedding it right near the other side! That blows my mind.

The next day, three new yearlings came into the camera for the first time. They were all still carrying antlers. I know that most bucks have shed by now, but there's always a slim chance that a new buck (that's still holding) could move into the area. I'm off to San Diego for a week and so that should finish out the early season of shed hunting. Now we'll slow it down until mid-end of March when the snow starts to recede. I'm at 10 for the year before February came. That's probably my best early season ever. Hopefully I can find some new spots to look over when April comes.