March 24, 2014
By North American Whitetail Online Staff
Just because whitetail season is over doesn't mean it's time to veg out in front of the TV until September. Thankfully, we don't have to wait that long to scratch our whitetail itch. It's the perfect time to get back into the field and do some shed hunting — and to see what others are finding. The racks are large and plentiful if you know where to look .
Whether you're out there for fun or to compete with your buddies for the ultimate set of sheds, it's all about the passion for year-round whitetail madness. We teamed up with Craig Bell and Shed Heads to bring you some of the best deer sheds of the year.
Beginners Luck? First time shed hunter Amber found these impressive racks. Just goes to show that it doesn't matter if it's your first or tenth time, success is all about getting afield.
A Winter Shed Head Ben Williams found this massive 173-inch gross, 3.5 mainframe set in New York. Nice find, Ben!
Central Illinois' Finest Rain, snow, or shine, sheds are out there for you and Brian Gauge to find. Brian found this nice set in west central Illinois.
Shed Hunter in Training Shed hunting is a great way to get your kids out in the field while providing an excellent opportunity to teach them a thing or two. Casey Charlton's 4-year-old son looks like he's going to be a full-time shed hunter before long.
Shed Hunting Like a Pro Craig Bell shows off his impressive 10-pointer set.
A Shed Head Shed Head's Craig Bell with yet another impressive set of sheds.
Ethan Bailey's Rack Room Ethan Bailey certainly knows his whitetails.
The Great Anticipation Jeff Schoeps with a great set he picked up. This buck carried match for eight days and had Jeff walking with great anticipation.
Collect Your Thoughts Joe Kelly with the biggest set from his collection. Found on his private property, 214 1/8 in.
Kansas Rack Jason Bethel: "First ones of the year here in Kansas, what a find! Match set." Awesome!
Start 'Em Young Kelly Lynn starting out the little one right! Now that's parenting!
Dead Heads Matt Davis: "It's a shame when you find quality dead heads on your farm."
All Grins Here A happy Ryan Dreher poses with his matching 7-point set.
Breaking the Ice An 8-point set like this is enough to bring a smile to any shed hunter's face.
Know Where to Look Often times bucks will bed just off the edges of food sources, such as corn, bean or other agricultural fields during the night while feeding and drop their antlers.
A Needle in a Haystack Sometimes the best place to find sheds is near the bedding area of a buck. Look for thick cover, cedars and other conifers, or south facing hillsides. All of these types of areas can be popular bedding areas during the winter. This shed hunter obviously did his homework.
The Rack Room It won't be tough finding room for a giant set like this. Very nice!
The Big Score Finding matching sheds like this 20-point set is what shed hunting is all about.
Sheds Abound Craig Bell shows that with persistence comes great results.
Winter Sheds Regardless of the temperature, now is the perfect time to get afield and find those sheds!
The First Set is the Toughest Nothing breaks the ice quicker than finding your first sheds of the year. For Shelby here, this rack looks to be the first of many in Kansas.
Take a Load Off Is there anything better than laying down after a hard days work shed hunting? We didn't think so.
Hunting for All Ages Tyler Treft: "My daughter natalee found this matching set today in Kansas. And found 7 all together." Wonderful to see kids out and about. Great set Natalee!
Fetch the Bone Zachary Pearson and his lab doing some training with the shed she found last year.
Shed Heads Facebook page to help spread his passion for shed hunting on social media, but he's been an avid shed hunter since he was four years old. Since then, Bell has found thousands of shed antlers. His biggest set of sheds was 198 inches, while his biggest "dead head" is 203 inches. More than anything, Bell loves shed hunting with friends and family, as well as watching others enjoy the sport.
