April 2, 2012

What Does A Shed Tell You?

4-3 Shed

One of the most rewarding activities of being a GameKeeper is picking up sheds on the ground you manage. Walking your property, you may find sheds off of bucks you were happy to see made it through the season and have a history with, as well as some sheds off of deer that you didn't know existed much less used your property. Mature bucks can be hard to find late in the year and always seem to be a step ahead of the hunter, so when they drop these antlers we are all fascinated. But what can a shed tell you?

You can gather some good intel on bucks that can help you be more successful hunting when you FIND THEIR HEADGEAR. One of the most obvious is preferred late season food sources: if you have a good late season food source, you will usually find a few sheds in and around it from bucks that are recouping from the rut. Finding some sheds may give you valuable info on where a specific mature buck likes to bed during the latter part of the year when he’s feeling pressured. Sheds that are found in random places in the woods may reveal some travel patterns that can give you some good insight on stand placement next season, the big boys seldom use the “main roads” the rest of your herd frequents. There are a lot of other things you can learn from the location you pick up a shed. Next time you find one, write the date on it and do some outside the box thinking on why he was there when it dropped.

Healthy Soil, Healthy Antlers

Food plot farmers are different than cash-crop farmers in several ways. A cash-crop farmer wants the most out of their crop and will usually work their fields under during the fall, after they've been harvested. Since food plot farmers are most concerned about the wildlife we usually leave our crops sit through the winter.

Big Game, Deer, Conservation

Latest Content

Toxey Haas's Tips for Brushing in a Duck Blind

Toxey Haas loves to hunt ducks. In these videos, he takes us through his essential kit for brushing in and repairing a duck blind as well as how he prepares his duck blinds every year.

Waterfowl, How-To

Mossy Oak's Woodsman Series is Back

The Mossy Oak Woodsman Series is Back. Rooted in everything core hunters expected from us in the early days, the Woodsman collection is thoughtfully designed, constructed with quality materials, quiet fabrics, sturdy stitching and of course, our timeless camouflage patterns. We're proud to celebrate the core of hunting, woodsmanship, and with seasonal collections on the horizon, we're excited to open the archives, add a few things and re-introduce these classic designs. The Mossy Oak Woodsman

Turkey, Big Game, Small Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Predator, Conservation, Land Management, Gear, Mossy Oak

From the Archive: Deer Calling Tips from the Pros

Originally published in the 1994 Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine, this article talks to professionals like Will Primos on calling in deer.

Deer

How a Fistful of Dirt Started a Revolution

"That day was the beginning of a revolution in hunter concealment. It was the beginning of Mossy Oak, America's most effective concealment system."

Turkey, Deer

From the Archive: Ask the Pros! Mossy Oak Experts Answer Key Questions

"Pay attention as Mossy Oak Pro Staffers Will Walker, Mark Drury, Mike Fine and Stan Oakes--archery hunting's A Team--delve deep into the sport for insight and info that only they can provide."

Deer, Bow

From the Archives: Tune-Up Clinic

Originally published in the 1994 edition of Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine, this article discusses how to make sure your bowhunting set up is perfect come season.

Big Game, Deer, Bow

From the Archives: Bob Dixon and Steve Burnett on the Art of Mix and Matching Camo

By Terry Madewell, originally published in the 1994 edition of Mossy Oak Bowhunting Magazine As big whitetail bucks are inclined to do, this one had done the unexpected. I'd studied this buck's pattern for a couple of weeks, being extremely careful not to leave any scent in the wrong places. I'd selected a stand site where the dense underbrush funneled into a 40-yard-wide strip. I was sure this was where he would walk and I

Turkey, Big Game, Deer, Waterfowl, Predator, How-To

Fall Foraging: Nuts, Mushrooms, and Fruit

Check out Mossy Oak's foraging mushrooms, nuts and fruit post and learn why fall is the easiest time to forage for Beka Garris.

How-To, Ingredient Wild

How to Use onX to Map Out Your Rut Hunting Plans

Here’s a look at how to use onX Hunt to map out your rut hunting plans in the weeks ahead.

Deer, Land Management, How-To

Field Judging Black Bears

Ask any experienced hunter and they’ll tell you that black bears are among the most difficult big game animals to field judge. Part of that is because they’re far less common than deer, so hunters just don’t get much experience seeing them. And part is just the nature of the beast. Any large, black carnivorous animal will look big, especially if you don’t have something for scale nearby.

Big Game, How-To

Black Bear Season Primer

Hunting tactics can be broken down into several schools of thought. Here's a 101-style overview on what to expect this fall if you're bear hunting for the first time.

Big Game, How-To

3 Hill Country Stand Locations for the Whitetail Rut

These key spots funnel deer into tighter spaces, condensing activity and greatly improving your odds of not just seeing more deer, but filling your tag when it counts most.

Deer

Explore All Posts