Antler traps?

[bigbluetruck]

Whats everyones feelings on antler traps? Ive spend a ton of time outdoors in my life and have only ever found 1 shed a couple years ago, granted I wasn't always "looking" for sheds either. I have a feeder out and have a couple of bucks Id really like to get their sheds just to get a good idea on their size.

I was thinking about using a couple of bungee cords on a plastic cattle mineral tub full of corn, I don't like the idea of using the chicken wire or metal panels, too much chance of catching and damage or even death to the buck. I figure a buck could break or get free of the bungee cords if he did somehow get caught.

 

[T-Max]

I don't know if this has been asked on this forum or not, but if it is like other forums, get ready for the storm! Haha! I personally find the traps unnecessary, and have even heard of limited success anyway. But... Shed antler hunting is one of my favorite things to do, and the exercise is great! I say don't risk it. Even with bungee cords the chance of injury is there. Maximize the time bucks want to spend on your property by improving the habitat, buy a good pair of boots, and enjoy the extra time outdoors..

 

[HB_Hunter]

I considered it at one point but decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

I like to get out and post season scout and occasionally stumble on a shed. I have found a few, but generally am not very successful.

 

[Drycreek]

I guess I'm just not that interested in sheds, or antlers either for that matter. But if someone knows how to trap backstrap, I'm all ears !

 

[bigbluetruck]

I guess I'm just not that interested in sheds, or antlers either for that matter. But if someone knows how to trap backstrap, I'm all ears !

All I'm really wanting to do is get a better idea of their size, I'm terrible at scoring deer on the hoof. I love deer meat but I've got beef up the ying-yang so I really dont NEED the meat, so I'm mostly a trophy hunter

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[buckdeer1]

You might try dumping in some brush to see if they will dislodge them when reaching through.I think they are more likely to fall from movement

 

[HB_Hunter]

All I'm really wanting to do is get a better idea of their size, I'm terrible at scoring deer on the hoof. I love deer meat but I've got beef up the ying-yang so I really dont NEED the meat, so I'm mostly a trophy hunter

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Assume their ears are around 6” long and go from there. You can get fairly close.

I love finding sheds.

 

[j-bird]

I don't find many sheds either... I think I have found 3 or 4 over the past 15 years. That said, I am pretty much against antler traps. I feel its way to easy to trap a buck and potentially harm him than what some antler is worth to me.

The biggest thing I see is that since I don't hold many bucks on my place that is confirmed by the lack of antlers I have found. I also know many other critters out there utilize antlers, so it can be important to get to them first. I have seen antlers up in trees from where the squirrels and coons have found them and drug them up there before.

I tend to find them in areas of cover much more so than I do in my plots or ag fields.

 

[Frosted brassica]

On years with a good brassica crop still standing through February ,I tend to find more. Never tried a trap over bait.

Good luck. Let us know how it works if you try something.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Go out in fields after a dusting of snow where deer are feeding in late winter. We have had good luck with this, according to cam pics I think that they are still sparring a bit when they get together to feed and that knocks them off.

 

[JFK52]

Two years ago I found a shed antler the hard way. On my 122 acres, I managed to impale my tire with the tip of a shed antler. I knew I had a foreign object in my tire and when the mechanic took it out we saw it was the very tip of the antler. I was able to plug the tire and save it.
Just imagine the odds of running over an antler on that amount of land and then doing it in such a manner that it goes into your tire. After carefully retracing where I drove my Suburban that day I was able to find the rest of the shed antler. It was one side of a shed and had four points on it. Probably a 2 1/2 year old buck. I keep the broken off tip in a small baggie and have it attached to the rest of the antler. It hangs on the wall at deer camp just to remind me that freaky things can and will happen.

 

[bigbluetruck]

Two years ago I found a shed antler the hard way. On my 122 acres, I managed to impale my tire with the tip of a shed antler. I knew I had a foreign object in my tire and when the mechanic took it out we saw it was the very tip of the antler. I was able to plug the tire and save it.
Just imagine the odds of running over an antler on that amount of land and then doing it in such a manner that it goes into your tire. After carefully retracing where I drove my Suburban that day I was able to find the rest of the shed antler. It was one side of a shed and had four points on it. Probably a 2 1/2 year old buck. I keep the broken off tip in a small baggie and have it attached to the rest of the antler. It hangs on the wall at deer camp just to remind me that freaky things can and will happen.

That's why a lot of farmers hate deer so much, imagine running a shed into a $1500 tractor tire! And Murphys law states that it wont be a tire that's about worn out, itll be a newer one lol. Weve never had that happen but I can imagine how that would sour a guy on deer real fast.

 

[farmhunter]

I find a lot of sheds - but I look for them fairly seriously in the 1st 4 months of the year. I'd say 60% are in bedding areas - 20% in feeding areas and 20% in areas they are passing through. Ask guys with feeders - I don't know that they find them around the feeders a lot. Haybale guys especially in Canada seem to do ok around them. I think you are better off searching the bedding areas and the edge habitat between bedding and feeding areas rather than the antler trap.

 

[George]

I too have found rape and turnip bulbs to be the best antler traps.

G

 

[swat1018]

Yep, I find at least half of my sheds in brassica, or right around the edge in grass where they bed at night.

 

[Baker]

I'd rather have a good shed dog

 

[Baker]

Or a good shed hunting buddy

 

[wbpdeer]

Baker I agree on the shed dogs. Scotty and Perry are my boys.


Scotty and I in Mississippi at a Hunt Test in the rain.



Perry and I in Henderson, KY in the rain at a Hunt Test.

 

[SwampCat]

I would think the antlers on Baker’s place would be a lot easier to find than most antlers.