Shed antler hunting is a popular off season activity for many whitetail enthusiasts. Shed hunting always falls during the winter
and early spring each year after the yearly breeding or the rut takes place. Bucks no longer need their antlers and must
shed the old ones for a variety of reasons but especially to prepare for the regeneration of new antlers in the following year.
The shedding also occurs as a result of stress and hormone changes.

I've seen bucks wear their antlers as late as April when the winter was not severe and food
remained plentiful, essentially when the bucks were not under so much stress. One of my favorite new tools for shed hunting is
the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Harvest Reporting System. The reporting system requires all hunters to report
their deer harvests. The harvests are broken into 4 different categories including does, antlered bucks, button bucks and
shed antler bucks. This system was implemented with the 2006 hunting seasons and has turned out to be a
wealth of information for shed hunters.

Winter this year has set in early here in Iowa with a snow cover since November 30th. We have had freezing temperatures
since that time and 2 ice storms along with 3 snow storms. Food is scarce for the whitetail now and buried below a hard lay
of snow and ice. Traveling the countryside you'll notice spots in fields where deer have dug up small holes in the snow
to reach the ground below. This means deer are under higher stress right now, the exact trigger that is going to cause
bucks to shed their antlers.

If you have never tried shed antler hunting I would encourage you to give it a try. I shed hunt each year and have a blast
at it. The exercise is great and you'll learn so much about whitetail habits, and learn to identify their travel routes
better. If you decide to venture out and look for shed antlers you'll want to concentrate your efforts in 3 places. Bedding
areas, feeding areas and trails between the two. I especially like to look for locations where a deer may have had to jump
such as a ditch or fence. If the antlers are loose at the time of the jump the landing will be enough to cause one or both to fall.
Since deer do not do much more than eat and rest this time of year most antlers will be found in the bedding areas and
feeding areas. In feeding areas since deer remain constantly aware of their surroundings their head is always moving up and
down, and the amount of time spent bedded leaves a good chance they may just fall off while bedded. You'll walk many miles
between finds so be prepared to spend some time with mother nature.

As I have reviewed the harvest reporting data in the past week I've noticed the number of shed antler bucks reported
harvested is increasing quickly. As of today 661 harvests of shed antler bucks have been reported. As we move through
late muzzleloader season and the extended shotgun season I'm confident many more shed antler bucks will be mistaken for
does and harvested. This is unfortunate but hunters can avoid this by studying the physical features of the deer
before deciding to harvest it. Bucks and does have very different physical features beyond antlers so please pay close
attention and hunt safely.

Below is the harvest reporting system data that is updated hourly. This is the actual page I am displaying below through
and Ifram so the information will remain accurate and up to date.

Jason Smith - Iowa Hunting Land
NP Dodge Real Estate 421 E. Erie Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555
Cell Phone 402-250-1006 Email Jason@gowithjason.com

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CONTACT JASON Cell Phone: 402.250.1006 Email: Jason@gowithjason.com

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Whitetail Trophy Properties

Smith Auction Marketing - Iowa Auctioneer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jason Smith is a Land Specialist and Real Estate Auctioneer with Whitetail Trophy Properties. Jason offers property listings as well as land auctions in Iowa. As a sportsman himself Jason enjoys archery and muzzleloader hunting for whitetail deer. In college Jason studied Fish and Wildlife Biology and specializes in rural properties only including Iowa hunting land, recreational land, farms and rural building lots. Jason also manages over 260 acres of hunting land using QDM. As a member of the (QDMA) Quality Deer Management Association he has joined ranks with whitetail enthusiasts across the United States in controlling and growing a healthy whitetail population for all to enjoy. Jason is a member of the Iowa Auctioneers Association, National Auctioneers Association.