Where’s the Sheds 2023

[laker]

Anyone finding any yet this year? Always like seeing ATL pics. Post up some pics of your finds for us old timers to look at. Good luck out there.

[fishnguy]

I’ll contribute the first elk shed that I found, lol:



Definitely from last year’s drop though. All I got this year.

[Trochu]

A buck walked though the yard yesterday and was still sporting his hardware.

[tallieho]

Could have sworn yesterday that there were 2 wt bucks chaseing a hot doe,north of Calgary.MD haven't dropped there antlers here either

[Soab]

Found 2 wt yesterday but seems early, also seen bucks still holding in the prairie where they typically hold into March. Take another look in the hills next weekend

[CNP]

Wait till March...

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by CNP

Wait till March...

X2

[fishnguy]

Yeah, I’d definitely wait. Most here walk around here with antlers (I haven’t seen one without) and will for a while yet. That one shed I found was just a “random event”, I wasn’t looking for sheds. There is also knee-deep snow on the ground.

Interestingly, last year a few “town” mulies dropped antlers right after rut, mid-December. Was pretty weird. I saw one with one antler then without the next day and then a couple more naked within a couple of days. Go figure.

[laker]

I can’t wait till March. As a rule in my area larger bucks tend to shed early. End of December and first park of January. The early bird gets the worm.

[pikeslayer22]

Found first one December 16th actually watched him shed. Have 7 now. Lots of people finding them already. Weird year

[tikka250]

Seems super early but I have seen 2 mulies sporting only one side.

[eyeflyer]

Buddy has 4 sets and 3 singles a week ago in his silage pit. Seems early to me.

[mac1983]

This one dropped on my lawn about a week ago so Jan. 10.

[badbrass]

Still on their heads! Got a picture of him today!

[laker]

Anyone here able to tell me how to post pictures on this forum. I lost the ability and know how..
Lots hitting the ground here lately.

[laker]

Originally Posted by mac1983

This one dropped on my lawn about a week ago so Jan. 10.

Nice brow tine on that one. That 410 shell is worth a lot of money!

[mac1983]

Originally Posted by laker

Nice brow tine on that one. That 410 shell is worth a lot of money!

Yep, I use them sparingly.

Use imagur, there is a thread on it.

[Rvsask]

I found my first one six weeks ago in my yard, every yard buck was shed out before it was 2023. Deep snows have shut down open field feeding here so I’m pretty much waiting for the melt now. Only have 13, most years I’ve found way more than that by this time. However, there are less deer alive this year near me than any other year I’ve lived here.

[Gun]

Wait till March...
X3

[Bucket270]

Originally Posted by Rvsask

I found my first one six weeks ago in my yard, every yard buck was shed out before it was 2023. Deep snows have shut down open field feeding here so I’m pretty much waiting for the melt now. Only have 13, most years I’ve found way more than that by this time. However, there are less deer alive this year near me than any other year I’ve lived here.

Same here. I’m in east central Alberta and I think there will be a lot of disappointing deer numbers next fall, between the deep ice crusted snow causing starving or weakened deer and the easy pickings for the coyotes that can stay on top of the snow and run them down till they drop. (Especially with the poor coyote prices and not many hunting them)

[fishnguy]

^ I am wondering, coyote prices aside, this is the same argument people make every year (since I was a reader and then a member of this forum), some years less, others more. Pretty much every year that I lived in northern Alberta (only about 10, so not long by any means), the pattern is identical every year: few weeks of cold, as in below 30 degrees celsius, followed by some mild weather, say in the minus tens, followed by a warm up, melt, rain and freezing rain, back to minus tens and twenties, and so on. In this decade, maybe one or two years were different and the difference was the amount of snow: ten years ago the winter was pretty harsh snow wise with snow above waste in in the woods in some areas; a couple or so years ago (not entirely sure when) there was plenty of snow as well and I believe, but not certain, I posted a few pics of deer walking through the fields dug in the snow up to their bellies. I really haven’t seen the deer population being impacted significantly one way or the other in any of the areas I hunt.

I am aware of the concept of crust of ice and whatnot. It seems, however, this isn’t an extraordinary event, at least in these parts of the province, so there has to be more to it than just that.

I know it is off topic. Sorry, laker. But I see this coming up every year, yet I observe the same conditions every year and see no effect that people talk about every year.

[Demonical]

In the Whitecourt area, the snowpack is the lowest I've ever seen it.

We would normally have about 2' of snow in my backyard, layered from different snowfalls, thaw cycles, various levels of crust as well.

But there's patches of green grass, and barley a foot of snow. And the bush is the same.

I hope we can escape Feb-Mar without getting dumped on.

I'm itching to hit the bush to search trails and hopefully find some sheds.

[reddeerhunter]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

^ I am wondering, coyote prices aside, this is the same argument people make every year (since I was a reader and then a member of this forum), some years less, others more. Pretty much every year that I lived in northern Alberta (only about 10, so not long by any means), the pattern is identical every year: few weeks of cold, as in below 30 degrees celsius, followed by some mild weather, say in the minus tens, followed by a warm up, melt, rain and freezing rain, back to minus tens and twenties, and so on. In this decade, maybe one or two years were different and the difference was the amount of snow: ten years ago the winter was pretty harsh snow wise with snow above waste in in the woods in some areas; a couple or so years ago (not entirely sure when) there was plenty of snow as well and I believe, but not certain, I posted a few pics of deer walking through the fields dug in the snow up to their bellies. I really haven’t seen the deer population being impacted significantly one way or the other in any of the areas I hunt.

I am aware of the concept of crust of ice and whatnot. It seems, however, this isn’t an extraordinary event, at least in these parts of the province, so there has to be more to it than just that.

I know it is off topic. Sorry, laker. But I see this coming up every year, yet I observe the same conditions every year and see no effect that people talk about every year.

Province is huge with very diff climate across. Some areas have extreme snow then extreme frost and indeed beats the deer up as they work so hard for food and the coyotes fly on top. Its a vicious cycle. Go look for sheds, if there are none, look for dead heads.

[laker]

In my neck-o-the woods this year is a little above average snow on the ground at this point. Which makes for tough times finding horns. Some years there’s grass showing, which makes for easier pickings. All I know is that in heavy snow winters I don’t find as many, even after the snow is gone.

[ClutchCanadian4]

Any advice on looking for sheds? Have come across a few here and there, but never actually went out with the intent on doing so. Was thinking of taking the woman out to look this weekend somewhere around Thorhild. Thanks!

[laker]

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Check out alfalfa fields.

[badbrass]

Originally Posted by laker

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Check out alfalfa fields.

That’s gotta be a looker! Good catch laker

[ClutchCanadian4]

Originally Posted by laker

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Check out alfalfa fields.

Will do. Thanks!

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[TrapperMike]

Drove through the Consort are yesterday and counted over 300 deer and not a single antler.

[leloinjunior]

Laker that is a mouth watering AMAZING picture of the sheds in the alfalfa field. If you don't mind sharing - send some more pictures of those beauties

I'm not covering much area at my age, and I've just been at three different sites, but I've got over 20hrs on the 'shoes' this winter & all that I've found so far is one tiny WT Deadhead.