sampotter's 2013 Shed Journal

[sampotter]

Ok- I finally got out and it didn't take too much walking to get on the board. Found 2 old, abused sheds and a small dead head. Covered 5.9 miles and my dogs had a great time although they didn't score on this outing. The smaller antler has been carried around and gnawed on by coyotes (I did get some dog help). The bigger shed has been disced at least once, planted over twice, and combined over at least once. The only point not broken off is the 1" G4.

[wooly]

Alright Sam! Good to see you on the board!

That first horn probably has more miles logged since being off a bucks head than you put in today,lol!

The hounds look eager to wrap their lips around some freshies! Looking forward to following along with your journal this season!

Good luck next hike and congrats on these finds!

[sampotter]

Thanks Wooly- I was feeling a little lame for awhile while you and WNY were piling them up! I'd love to put a pedometer on the dogs and see how far they move. They are all over the place- in hollow trees, through multiflora rose, splashing in every bit of water they could find, and oh yeah- the yellow drops her shoulder and rolls in every bit of snow she can find just like it's some rotten dead animal. We'll see if I can get close to last year's total of 28...

Edited January 16, 2013 by sampotter

[sampotter]

I've added a few miles but not much to show...

“These are antler search and rescue dogs!”

Miles: 27.1

WT Sheds: 3

Dead Bucks:4

Dead Does/Fawns: 4

[wooly]

One things for sure Sam.... you wont get to last years total of 28 antlers by skipping #3 this year!

Nice find there and good practice round for the dogs before you get them on some freshies!

Do you take the skulls home or leave them lay?

[sampotter]

One things for sure Sam.... you wont get to last years total of 28 antlers by skipping #3 this year!

Nice find there and good practice round for the dogs before you get them on some freshies!

Do you take the skulls home or leave them lay?

That sure is true Wooly! I carried the biggest one out, but hung the 2 smaller ones in trees. I saw a post on Archerytalk in a thread about weird and freaky things seen in the woods. One guy said he saw deer skulls hanging in trees- and he was pretty freaked out by it. He was actually from the Syracuse area... I probably could've sawed the anlters off the 2nd little one for crafty stuff or trainers for the dogs. I'll be back through there in a month or so.

[nyantler]

This stuff fascinates me.. what I know about shed hunting you could put on the head of a pin...so cool how these dogs hunt down sheds.

[sampotter]

This stuff fascinates me.. what I know about shed hunting you could put on the head of a pin...so cool how these dogs hunt down sheds.

Nyantler- if you want I could bring the girls up and let them show you what they know...

[WNY Bowhunter]

Man, I need to get me a couple of shed hunting dogs...I'm in a slump at the moment.

[wooly]

I've found a few old skulls someone else had hung in the trees before.

One time I actually found where someone had hung a nice 4pt shed about 6ft up right off a footpath in the park!

I guess antler hoarding isn't for everyone,lol

I'll take 'em any way I can find 'em!

[sampotter]

Man, I need to get me a couple of shed hunting dogs...I'm in a slump at the moment.

If nothing else it's fun to have a friend along- especially one that gives you any shed they find, no questions asked... Watching them catch the scent of an antler and then hone in on it is as fun as anything too.

I've found a few old skulls someone else had hung in the trees before.

One time I actually found where someone had hung a nice 4pt shed about 6ft up right off a footpath in the park!

I guess antler hoarding isn't for everyone,lol

I'll take 'em any way I can find 'em!

For some reason deadheads never get me too excited. Maybe it's because they are usually young bucks that needed more time. I hoard sheds of all shapes, sizes, and condition. I have some that have barely any features that prove they are really even an antler.. I can't imagine selling, cutting, or giving away any of them as they all have their own story.

[sampotter]

Got out yesterday and added a few more miles and 1 more antler.

Fleur was excited to stretch her legs!

[wooly]

Nice easy one out in the open! There wouldn't be many for us to find if they were all that obvious!

Good job scooping that one up before it grew legs. Looks like it's got some cool grooves running dow the beam.

[sampotter]

Nice easy one out in the open! There wouldn't be many for us to find if they were all that obvious!

Good job scooping that one up before it grew legs. Looks like it's got some cool grooves running dow the beam.

Wooly- you made me look twice- the "grooves" are actually blades of grass. It's actually a pretty small antler off a yearling.

[wooly]

Oh well, still a groovy find,lol

I can sit and examine every detail of my antlers for hours on end.

Kinda funny, when a bunch of us got together this fall and got our sheds mixed into a pile... nobody had any problem identifying which antlers were theirs at the end of the day. We're a weird bunch of dudes when it comes to that kinda stuff,lol

[sampotter]

I'm pretty sure I could do the same thing- must be quite a sight, several grown men sitting around fondling antlers...

[sampotter]

I've been out a few more times and tallied some some miles with the girls, even managing to pick up a few more antlers along the way, proving that this is not an entirely futile quest for inanimate pieces of bone.

Shed antlers here in New York seem to be scarce but I did manage to pick up a fresh spike with a small brow tine. I headed down to a family friend's property in southern Ohio this week. The 1st day there was a light blanket of snow on the ground which made it difficult for me to see antlers, so I focused on walking the many trails in an effort to map them with my GPS. Fleur and Ruby had other ideas and used their sniffers to each find their 1st horns of the year. Both antlers were still smooth where the squirrels hadn't chewed them and also had good color. Too bad they weren't found last year.

On our way in for lunch I checked out a little clover patch and spotted a nice antler in the snow. As I moved in closer to get a picture I realized there was a matched set, and a really nice set at that! The antlers looked familiar and it dawned on me that this was the buck that I almost had a chance at last fall, but a pack of feral dogs came in and chased him away. This is the nicest set I've picked up with no chews from squirrels and extremely symetrical. Scores about 140" with a 20" spread.

After lunch we were following a logging trail and both dogs showed an interest in something down in a small hollow. Turned out to be a nice 120" 8 point buck.

The next day it had warmed a little and the sun had burned some of the snow off. We spent more time scouring the ridgetops and following the sidehill deer trails. Fleur managed to pick up her 2nd antler. Far back on a hillside we found the sad corpse of a puppy. Cause of death was unknown but it had no collar and was a spitting image of one of the feral dogs I saw the previous fall.

At one point the girls managed to flush a young coon out of a hollow stump that created some momentary excitement.

“These are antler search and rescue dogs!”

Miles: 60.8

WT Sheds: 10

· Sam: 7

Ø New York: 5

Ø Ohio: 2

· Fleur: 2

Ø Ohio: 2

· Ruby: 1

Ø Ohio:1

Dead Bucks: 5

· New York: 4

· Ohio: 1

Dead Does/Fawns: 5

[wooly]

Man, you got all kinds of finds this time around!

Real nice set of freshies there and looks like another quality skull for the boiler!

Tough looking in the kind of snow you got in the first few pics. Everythings so clutterd your eyes don't know what to look at, but you did alright! Good to see your #'s starting to climb... almost 1/2 way there now! Good luck next hike!

[sampotter]

Haha- thanks Wooly. I'm getting there. I think that set is the first sheds i ever had prior history with the buck that grew them. They rode shotgun all the way home- so i could reach over and touch em every once in awhile... Headed to Wisconsin on farm business ... I'm arriving a half day early to squeeze in a quick wander before my farm stuff. Then Iowa 2 weeks after that.

[NYBuckHunter27]

Picture 11...what is that?

[sampotter]

Picture 11...what is that?

I'm having a hard time figuring out what picture you are referring to?

[Pav2704]

I think ny is talking about post 17 picture 11. I thought it was one of your dogs at first but at a closer look I'm not really sure what it is as well.

Edited February 24, 2013 by Pav2704

[New York Hillbilly]

"Far back on a hillside we found the sad corpse of a puppy. Cause of death was unknown but it had no collar and was a spitting image of one of the feral dogs I saw the previous fall." Puppy?

[sampotter]

Ah, yes. That is the puppy.

[NYBuckHunter27]

Ok thats what i thought i just wanted to make sure. that is pretty sad even if it is a feral dog.