Filling the sheds with more...Sheds!

I look forward to Valentine's Day every year. Valentines Day is when antlers really start hittin' the ground! 

It really is hard to explain to someone the joy of shed-antler hunting that may not understand the fascination with antlers and the shed process. I'm not even going to make an attempt. So I'll just say there really isn't a better way to stretch your legs in the spring than getting out into the wild in search for these beauties!!! 

Shed-hunting teaches life lessons: Sometimes you need to pay attention to the small detail or you might miss out on big opportunities!!!

Shed hunting requires hard work to bring home a bundle!

An evening hike with Emily and Mac produced an antler from a local old buck that we knew well. 

Hunter showing off Mac's best find of the year. 

ATL (As They Lay)

"Burr"fect

Eureka!!! In the bucks bed!

This was my favorite shed day this spring. Hunter being there was part of the reason. The other part was the amount of quality antlers found that day!  This was one of those sheds.

Hard to see in the pic, but in the grass in the background laid two fresh, heavy blacktail antlers. This was after a hard-day on the mountain where Steve hunted hard but found a total of zero antlers. This was salt in the wound. We drove off leaving them where we had found them (on private property).

Mac was a trooper this year and proved himself as a shed-hunting dog . 

This is a Tioga coastal deer antler in one of my favorite shed-hunting places.

I had to throw this older picture in here because it happened again this year. A few years ago, after being "exhausted" from hiking, Roo decided to lay down after I tried my best to "walk her into an antler". Without seeing this antler she fell on her back and took a rest, only to have me point out the antler before moving on...

Well, 3 or 4 years later here is Roo again, laying down from exhaustion. Notice the big forked-antler behind her? She didn't see it until I had to point it out again. Some things never change.

Ahhh, she found it. Quite the horn hound she is. You should see the quality video she took on this trip. We ended up finding a couple of nice antlers this day. She is a wonderful hiking partner.

Tired, wet, but happy

Mac found 8-10 sheds on his own this season which most of those I most likely would not have found if he wasn't there.

And that concludes another season of shed hunting. I ended up adding another 75 antlers or so to the shed antler pile in the shed. One day I have big plans with those sheds. I just don't know what it is yet though  it really doesn't matter. For now, I just like looking at them and holding them. They symbolize hard-work, a proud-skill, and good memories -not to mention some priceless treasures shed off of one of the neatest creatures on planet earth. Can't wait till next year!