Research the animals whose antler sheds you will be looking for. When do they drop their antlers? Know what types of cover or locations the animals frequent during the time period that their antlers are shed. Spend some time in the woods in the winter. Where do you see a lot of deer tracks? Deer and elk are like people. They don't like unnecessary effort. They will concentrate in areas that have food and are easy to get around in, like protected gullies and cedar stands near rivers and streams. This is especially true in areas with heavy snow.
Spend some time pre-scouting. This is an excellent way to spend your time during the hunting off-season.
Find a topo map. Look for low elevation areas that likely to be protected from wind and heavy snow in winter.
Talk to hunters and people that are in the woods a lot. Where are the deer in January? Where are the elk in April? It does not do much good to look for antlers in the wrong areas.
Look for deer and elk sign. You will usually find the most antler sheds by walking deer and elk trails. Watch for areas that would cause an antler to fall off. Good places to look: Near fallen trees and branches on trails, on steep hills, and near thickets and thick cover that would catch on antlers. Also look where deer trails cross fences and roads. Whenever a deer or elk jumps, it may cause an antler shed to drop!
Walk slowly and scan everywhere. You never know where you will find a shed. When you cross deer or elk trail intersections, look both ways down the trails.
Be prepared to walk a long time and not find a shed. You may find one in the first five minutes of walking, or it may take you three trips to find one. Part of the fun of antler shed hunting is in the challenge.
When you find a shed, snap a photo before you pick it up. It's fun to show your friends the photo of a "shed in the wild". Kind of like a 'Where's Waldo?' game.
Look for the matching antler to the one that you found. Mark the location where the original antler was located. Often, the second antler will be relatively close to its partner. Search in a grid pattern, or circle the original antler in an expanding diameter in order to find the second antler.
Treasure your trophy. There are many ways to display shed antlers. Matched pairs can be displayed in an antler mount, or you may choose to wait until you have several sheds and make an antler chandelier or mirror frame. Single sheds also look great as rustic decoration in hunting cabins or on mantles, or weathered sheds may be made into knife handles or antler clothes buttons.
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