sampotter's 2013 Shed Journal

[sampotter]

Yep, can't help feeling sorry for the innocent. Not sure what I would have done had I found one alive and reasonably healthy.

[sampotter]

I went down to my old stomping grounds in Connecticut. There was a pretty good amount of snow on the northern and eastern hillsides but fields and south slopes were pretty much bare. I walked nearly 19.9 miles in 2 days and only God knows how many the dogs covered.

We found an old deadhead pretty early on. Hung it in a tree (sorry Wooly).

Ruby working hard (she likes to roll in the snow)

A welcome sight: 60" 5 point with a 25" main beam...

I spotted this 58" 4 point from a long ways off. It would've been a road shed had I been the driver of the car in the background.

Fleur picked up a fresh fork. My reaction time was a bit slow and the picture blurry due to the rain.

“These are antler search and rescue dogs!”

Miles: 80.7

WT Sheds: 13

• Sam: 9 - New York: 5 - Connecticut: 2 - Ohio: 2
  
• Fleur: 3 - Ohio: 2 - Connecticut: 1
  
• Ruby: 1 - Ohio:1
  

Dead Bucks: 6 - New York: 4 - Connecticut: 1 - Ohio: 1

Dead Does/Fawns: 5

[wooly]

It was just a matter of time before you found some sweet freshness Sam!

Congrats on scooping up a few dandies across state lines! Nice grab on the potential road horn... right time, right place for that one! They don't lay around for long without getting noticed!

I better get going here.., gonna be a lot of horn hunters out there this weekend with the nice weather! Good luck hauling in a few more next hike!

That poor ol' skull looks lonely up there,lol

[sampotter]

Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than a nice fresh one with a heavy base and no chews! I keep remembering that quote of yours Wooly- something like touching a boob (maybe not the word you used) for the 1st time. Never gets old...

[sampotter]

Got out for an hour and a half after work yesterday.

Saw these 5 bucks- 1 still had a single antler on him.

Found this fresh one in a bed. Turned out to be the cutest little fork.

Also found this older 3 point.

Wooly- Watch out, I'm gaining!

“These are antler search and rescue dogs!”

Miles: 83.5

WT Sheds: 15

• Sam: 11 - New York: 7 - Connecticut: 2 - Ohio: 2
  
• Fleur: 3 - Ohio: 2 - Connecticut: 1
  
• Ruby: 1 - Ohio:1
  

Dead Bucks: 6 - New York: 4 - Connecticut: 1 - Ohio: 1

Dead Does/Fawns: 5

[wooly]

Atta-boy Sam, you got a good pace going now! You should have no problem topping 30 this year.

Nothing like some friendly competition to motivate each other to get after more!

90% of the woods here is still covered in snow so hopefully March will heat up soon. Good luck next hike!

[sampotter]

Tuesday was rainy- ideal for spotting sheds. I spotted this fork in the morning.

 

Ruby "found" it and brought it to me.

 

Found this dead yearling buck on the same property that had already shed,

 

 

The girls sniffed out this dead buck. This is the 4th in the same 30 acre block of woods.

 

A piece of aluminum foil that a rabbit was carefully collecting its pellets on:

 

A buck that died last year right after shedding his antlers. He was fully mature and we were disappointed to not find his crown.

 

 

A small 4 point we missed last year.

 

A nice 5 point off a 2 year old buck I passed on last fall. He was eating the grape pumice left over from wine making. Winery in the background. Shortly before I spotted it I managed to get poked in the eye by a buckthorn! branch. Don't know how I spotted this antler as I have been to the ER once and an opthamologist twice since.

 

“These are antler search and rescue dogs!”

Miles: 96.7

WT Sheds: 18

• Sam: 14 - New York: 10 - Connecticut: 2 - Ohio: 2
• Fleur: 3 - Ohio: 2 - Connecticut: 1
• Ruby: 1 - Ohio:1

Dead Bucks: 9 - New York: 7 - Connecticut: 1 - Ohio: 1

Dead Does/Fawns: 7

Edited March 14, 2013 by sampotter

[wooly]

Sounds like a great hike Sam, unfortunately I can't see your attachments since the forum upgrade. I'll check them out when I can get on a different puter. 

I might have to stop over soon and give you a poke in your good eye if you start getting too far ahead,lol

Carefull out there man, I know that's no fun.

I think I've caught 3 sticks in the eye so far this season. The last one got me so hard it made me dizzy when I tried to open it.

 

 

 

[sampotter]

I tell you what -I'd rather have you smash my thumb with a hammer or kick me in the crotch.

[sampotter]

Time to play catch-up. I went to Iowa the 3rd week of March with a friend. Too bad there was 1' of snow on the ground. In 7 days we each found one antler! Dang! The two previous years I averaged about 3 per day. Since then I've covered more ground in NY and spent a weekend in Massachusetts where I found a matched spike set about 500 yards from where the new NT Archery Record was shot last fall. This past weekend I went to the Adirondacks to see if I could find moose sheds. No luck with that but I did find another crosscut saw and a nice matched 10 point set. I also saw a cow moose and a bald eagle but didn't get pictures of them. I met my goals for the year; walking at least 200 miles in the quest of antlers and finding more than last year (27). I found way too many dead bucks. I found 2 crosscut saws adn antlers in 5 states but finding the matched set in the Adirondacks 7.5 air miles from the nearest public road was the best by far!

 

Iowa: My buddy walked by this one at less than 5 feet, luckily I crossed his trail and spotted it!

 

He made up for it later by spotting this tine tip...

 

Ruby getting it done:

 

I spotted this one while walking with 3 other guys- I was the only one to find an antler that day.

 

A good day near home...

 

Massachusetts:

 

The Gypsy Wagon; how we rolled in the Adirondacks...

 

Matched set!

 

Crosscut saw.

 

A good weekend.

 

 

 

Miles: 221.4

WT Sheds: 30

• Sam: 25 - New York: 18 - Connecticut: 2 – Massachusetts:2 - Ohio: 2 – Iowa: 1
• Fleur: 3 - Ohio: 2 - Connecticut: 1
• Ruby: 2 – New York: 1 - Ohio:1

Dead Bucks: 13 - New York: 11 - Connecticut: 1 - Ohio: 1 – Iowa: 1

Dead Does/Fawns: 8

Edited May 6, 2013 by sampotter

[wooly]

Cool, I was hoping to hear how you finished up! Great season Sam, and congrats on hitting your goals!

You logged a lot of miles and got some nice antlers to show for it!

It was fun following along with your journal this year, and who knows, you may find a few more to add on while you're out and about.

[sampotter]

Ha, thanks Wooly. I am tempted to go back after the moose antlers again. I know they are there somewhere!

[Five Seasons]

4 dead on 30 acres seems a little odd to me.

[sampotter]

None were from this past fall, but judging by the chews and color loss on the anlters I would guess one was from 2 years ago, 2 were from 3-4 years ago, and the oldest was mostly chewed up, so many moons ago.

[sampotter]

#31 But it was moose shed!