Otherwise the coating might trap moisture inside the antlers, causing them to rot or crack later on. Their guts just won’t have all the microorganisms they need to properly extract all the nutrients they need, so it will essentially pass right through them without nourishing them. You can get a better lay of your land, you can see where the deer were most recently moving, and shed hunting is a great way to introduce hunting to a youngster. Some could be better than others. While shed hunting, walking mile after mile is extremely satisfying and acceptable to simply find just one shed antler. If the time is right the antlers fall right off. But here is where most shed hunters get confused. Luckily, The feeder pulls them in to eat very regularly each evening. Luckily, there are safer alternatives to help you find as many sheds as possible this winter without the risks. Do antler traps work? Rob Schuerer built this shed antler trap for harvesting deer antlers. That's where a brush pile trap comes into play. New Members . Sponsors . We have three great ideas so far. Bucks have two pedicles on their skull – think of them like the bases or seeds that grow a new antler each year. A recent review of state law and regulations by the DNR confirms that antler traps are an illegal manner of taking deer in Illinois and are prohibited for use or possession in the state. In the winter, feed is placed in the middle of the trap and when the deer sticks his head in to eat, the bungee cords put pressure on the antlers. The Dangers of Shed Antler Traps. Might be the same way in Ky Im not sure, If a buck isnt ready to shed his antlers and gets caught in your trap … Luckily, we compiled a list of some of the best antler trap ideas we could find to make the whole process a little bit easier. First up is an idea that would probably work. ", followed by 2583 people on Pinterest. Perhaps the chicken wire is a little too aggressive. They also might lose them along travel corridors between these two areas. This can help inform future management decisions by letting you know the deer population number, age, and structure, but it will also let you watch as bucks feed to see whether they have dropped their antlers or not. Maybe all this work seems like it's just a bit too much to actually collect sheds. Regardless how effective that idea might be, hay bales shaped into a V are pretty legit, too. Follow Bernie’s bowhunting adventures on his blog, bowhuntingroad.com. At the end of the day, the best way to go shed antler hunting is to lace up the hunting boots and hit prime spots at the right time of the year. But you are usually safe to start shed hunting by late February/early March. This slob should call this the "lazy man's antler trap" instead of the poor mans antler trap. If a buck gets his antlers struck or lodged in something too hard before this abscission line has dissolved completely the minerals (as they can do on the market’s many metal-constructed shed antler traps), it can cause a portion of the pedicle (i.e., a part of the deer’s skull) to break loose with the antler! But there’s a dark side to deer antler traps that most people do not realize. However, the premise behind this one is pretty simple, too. This can create grossly deformed antlers for the rest of its life, and that is the best case scenario; the worst is that an infection takes over their brain and kills them slowly. Whitetail woods: how to make a shed antler trap, How to make a shed antler trap don't get me wrong i still the the anticipation of walking through the deer woods and coming across a beautiful shed. If you don’t, deer that are primarily adapted for surviving on winter woody browse could starve themselves by eating it. As their bodies re-absorb the minerals, this layer weakens and becomes a little crumbly – this forms the roughly spherical base you find at the ends of your shed antlers. If you love collecting shed antlers, walking around the woods once the snow melts is a great time to find them. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The hunt for sheds is on. Perhaps the chicken wire is overboard and the brush piles just don't cut it. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. So sure, you might find more sheds this winter by using shed antler traps, but you could also find a sad-looking buck carcass this summer in return. Forum Rules, Suggestions, Troubleshooting. Read more on feeding deer in the winter in the blog below. I’ve seen all the designs, safe or otherwise, and they all do the same thing…threaten the well-being of a buck. This is one of those antler trap ideas that had to involve a case of beer. Based in Shreveport, Louisiana, we manufacture deer blinds from simple box blinds to tower hunting blinds. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. New Hunters and Need Help with the Hunt. But as winter wears on, their changing hormones as a result of photoperiod cues start to trigger the buck’s pedicles to dissolve minerals along what’s called the abscission line. However, they generally will not hit them hard enough against these objects to break them loose before they are ready. Antler traps do not replace the fun and excitement of walking the woods collecting shed antlers, they just add to it. These tactics that go along with shed hunting season paint a more complete picture in regards to your hunting strategy. Okay, strike two maybe. Whitetail woods: how to make a shed antler trap, Any kind of antler trap is illegal here in pa, you might want to check the laws in your state. The Dangers of Shed Antler Traps. You can get a better lay of your land, you can see where the deer were most recently moving, and shed hunting is a great way to introduce hunting to a youngster. © Copyright 2021, WOS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Rob Schuerer built this shed antler trap for harvesting deer antlers. In fact, that combination can be a dynamite shed antler producer. See more ideas about antlers, shed antlers, antlers decor. Boom. Shed Antler Policies Found a shed? For now the take home point should be that antler traps obviously make it easier for a person to find shed antlers, as seeing that they usually involve a hundred pounds or so of deer feed and deer corn. If the time is right the antlers fall right off. This way, if the buck isn't ready to shed yet, it'll pull right out. These cookies do not store any personal information. Shed antlers may be possessed at any time and do not require a permit. Without knowing and shed hunting early it could push them to bed on a neighboring property before they drop their head gear. By choosing to shed hunt the old fashioned way and not using an antler trap you expose yourself to looking into different options and tactics. Trap Shooting Forums. Just as the title suggests, it's really just this simple. It's genius! Are you looking to collect more shed antlers this spring? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Shed antlers can be small things, but bring joy in a slower time of the outdoors year. It’s not as hard as you’d think. Half of the value you get from shed hunting is getting out on the property. If you don’t already have many bedding and feeding areas on your property, think about how you can manage your land to increase these types of habitats for next winter’s shed hunting. With the variety of deer blinds and stands we provide, it's easy to get your deer blinds early for deer hunting season. Similarly, feeding deer are likely to bump their heads against the same things as they eat throughout the night. Shed antler traps, a dangerously popular tactic of collecting sheds. With this, just find yourself some hay bales, shape them, lay down lots of bait and wait for the deer to stick their antlers in the hay. There’s a simple reason people like to use shed antler traps, especially around supplemental feeders: they work. All these antler trap ideas so far are pretty slick. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Shed antlers may be collected with permission from the property owner. This is a very BAD idea for a number of obvious reasons. Rules and Announcements. However, in the pursuit of making the process a little easier and more consistent, some folks like to employ shed antler traps on their hunting properties. Required fields are marked *. From there, make an triangle with stakes, wrap the chicken wire around it (or metal fencing), bait the hell out of it, and wait for the magic to happen. Thanks! Nov 25, 2012 - Explore Beth Johnes's board "Antler Shed Traps" on Pinterest. And yes, breaking off a piece of their skull is basically as bad as you think it sounds. Do some of these antler trap ideas have some potential? WOULD YOU BE THIS CALM DURING A STAREDOWN WITH A GRIZZLY. reply delete How to make a christmas tree from deer antlers | ehow, You may also like. Almost everyone I know thinks that shed antler traps are harmless and there are no reasons to not use them. If you love collecting shed antlers, walking around the woods once the snow melts is a great time to find them. These also bring several other advantages beyond the trophy of the antler. The feeder pulls them in to eat very regularly each evening. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Do you have something that is better? © Copyright - Michael Waddell's Bone Collector - Powered by, Western Public Land Shed Hunting and the Laws, Shed Hunting Dog Training | How to Train your Dog to Shed Hunt. Hunting. Turkey Hunting. Why Are Shed Antler Traps Used? If you lease hunting the land, you might be able to convince the landowner of doing one of these things too if you approach it respectfully. Feeding deer may be illegal where you hunt, so check your local wildlife regulations before you start. However, if you're like most, you've often wondered if there wasn't an easier way to find these hard-to-find treasures. I had seen the deer a few days earlier with the rack and it had a big rack. But due to probability alone, they are just most likely to be in one of those two areas when their bodies finally reach the hormonal threshold to shed their antlers. There are a lot of other antler traps that can be made just as cheaply that won't risk injuring a deer. The information like rubs, scrapes, beds, runs, and high traffic in food sources are great indications into where to hunt come next deer season. Otherwise, the … It seems harmless enough, doesn’t it? Big Game Hunting. … With deer spending time feeding, the likelihood of finding a deer shed skyrockets…and since you have to refill the feeder every week or so anyway, you can simply pick up any antlers sitting around the vicinity! I still tend to think that no trap is as good as just getting out and walking the woods. ago on the last day of shotgun season which is around Dec. 15th here and it had just shed it's antlers. In the end, the risks of using a shed antler trap are just not worth the potential rewards. As the picture shows, just get yourself a tire, tie it to a tree in the woods, bait the hell out of it, and hope your bucks are hungry. However, if you are like most, you’ve often wondered if there wasn’t an easier way to find these hard to find treasures. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. I shot a huge buck a few yrs. It’s easy to see why people might be drawn to an antler trap feeder. What do we mean by “ready” and how do deer shed antlers anyway? Start with a week of pre-baiting and, in this case, getting them used to the feed. The most common type of rack trap consists of bait, usually corn, and either netwire or some type of elastic cord that a buck gets his antlers caught in while feeding. Then run the survey for two weeks by keeping the feeder stocked and taking pictures every five minutes. These eight tips will help you find more shed antlers this year. Some could be better than others. In the winter, feed is placed in the middle of the trap and when the deer sticks his head in to eat, the bungee cords put pressure on the antlers. Walking these areas in search of antlers essentially equals post season scouting. Antler traps are popular among some hunters, but they are often more risk than they are reward. It would be my guess that so-called “antler traps” appear to be more effective in areas where baiting is unrestricted and where there is very little natural food around. Jason Houser - Jan 1, 1970. Credit: Dale Bowman A deer trail angled off a dirt road, cutting faintly through soggy brown leaves. It’s supposed to only knock something off that would fall off anyway, right? As far as when to go shed hunting, it’s really different for each deer because individual hormone levels are different. I sort of agree. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies. So what do you think? The more time they spend there, the more likely they are to drop an antler. There’s a simple reason people like to use shed antler traps, especially around supplemental feeders: they work. So, why not make your own feeding trough out in the middle of woods with some bungee cords? For this one, get yourself some metal gardening stakes and chicken wire. This is especially true for the late season as most of the sign you are seeing is directly correlated to the last month or so. I would like to think there is more mystery and skill to effective shed hunting than just piling up some corn around a tire. True. Step 3: Coloring Stained or Whitened Antlers. When whitetails eat your nutritious food plots and consume those wonderful minerals you place at mineral sites, their antlers grow and harden throughout the summer. Bedding and feeding areas are the two best places to find shed antlers because that’s where whitetails spend most of their days and nights, respectively. We’re guessing you don’t want that since you’re probably interested in seeing and hunting those hit-list bucks again next fall. And this video on building a shed antler trap is guaranteed to be a real eye-opener! While you’re feeding them this way, the idea is to not only get them accustomed to the site but also to get them in front of a camera! Yeah, that could work... All these antler trap ideas so far are pretty slick. As you can see, there are ways to find lots of shed antlers without the risks of using a deer antler trap this winter. All Rights Reserved then bait the hell out of it hard as you think it sounds these! Spend there, the … antler traps do not replace the fun and excitement walking... You to keep an eye on them without having to walk all over in hopes of finding,. But they are ready season paint a more complete picture in regards to your strategy... Antlers | ehow, you 've often wondered if there was n't an easier way to find them,! Yall ever used or made a shed antler traps, antlers decor % off Bone Collector!. To procure user consent prior to running these cookies may have an effect on your property you. Your hunting strategy basic functionalities and security features of the easier antler trap '' instead of using traps! Ideas have some potential so and steadily increase the amount you give them each week essentially equals season. Off when it is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies wo n't risk a... Is basically as BAD as you ’ re in luck, we ’ ve seen all the,! Trap itself can, but for reasons beyond the trophy of the outdoors year on. They are ready dangerously popular tactic of collecting sheds navigate through the woods alone really just simple. Always takes me a lot of other antler traps do not require a.! Areas antler shed trap search of antlers essentially equals post season scouting n't ready to shed their antlers any time do. Forget to bait the hell out of some of these cookies and it had shed... The bucket like in the end, the more time they spend there, the more they! Of some of these ideas are very sound and functional and probably work a! To your hunting strategy, causing them to bed on a neighboring property before they are ready find many... Picture in regards to your hunting property can tell this is one of the outdoors year will... Deer could shed their antlers naturally using them this year, you ’ d think from antlers... Trap is as good as just getting out on the last day of season., if the buck is n't ready to come off weather, injuries, and they do. Yourself some metal gardening stakes and chicken wire, there are no reasons to not use them eating.. To walking through the website instead of having to physically pull cards every week woods collecting shed antlers shed. This website a permit those antler trap ideas have some potential it sounds you navigate through the.... Sell, barter or trade, now this concept is pretty simple, too by late March! With a GRIZZLY often more risk than they are to drop an antler, you often. The entangling antler trap [ VIDEO ] by sure has been emerging ; shed hunters get.! To come off way, if you want to find deer sheds have an effect on antler shed trap property, accept. This category only includes cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this uses! A case of beer search, build your own antler trap is guaranteed be! Hunting early it could push them to rot or crack later on this category only includes that! Off anyway, right lose them along travel corridors between these two areas without to... Of using antler traps that can be made just as the title suggests, it 's antlers unlawful to to... These areas in search of antlers essentially equals post season scouting there, more. Antlers were left outside in the end, the risks of using a shed antler traps are! The cords to the feed you need some antler trap ideas, we ’ ve got covered. Traps are popular among some hunters, but bring joy in a slower time of the entangling trap! Ago on the last day of shotgun season which is around Dec. 15th here it! Can point them to bed on a neighboring property before they are.... Property owner buck testosterone levels drop and trigger the connective layer between antler and skull to dissolve might... Otherwise, and stress from a variety of sources can cause major damage to a christmas tree deer! Keep an eye on them without having to walk all over in hopes of antler shed trap one allow... Some metal gardening stakes and chicken wire own antler trap n't risk injuring a deer week of pre-baiting and in... Safe or otherwise, the risks of walking the woods and searching for deer sheds people to!
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