Where to Find Shed Antlers (Without Hurting Your Deer Herd)

Last week’s Whetstone Weekly focused on why bucks drop their antlers. This week, I want to follow that up with a short discussion on where to find sheds and just as importantly, when not to look.

The timing of this article isn’t accidental. The massive winter storm that pushed across much of the country last weekend brought prolonged cold, snow, ice, and stress to deer herds from the Midwest into the South. Even here in Middle Tennessee, the impacts have been significant, with over 100,000 people in and around Nashville still without power days later. Events like that are often the tipping point that causes antlers to start hitting the ground.

That said, seeing a few fresh sheds after a major weather event doesn’t mean it’s time to charge into the woods.

I do not recommend pushing into core deer habitat in search of sheds until you’re confident most bucks in your area have already dropped.

Getting out too early does more harm than good. Late winter is one of the most stressful periods of the year for deer, and unnecessary pressure often pushes them onto neighboring properties, where they’ll end up dropping their antlers anyway. Until antler drop is mostly complete, keep your shed hunting limited to food plots, field edges, access trails, and places you can glass or drive. Walking through bedding thickets just to find antlers is rarely worth the cost.

Once the majority of bucks have shed, then it makes sense to expand your search.

South-facing slopes and military crests are classic shed locations for a reason. These areas warm quickly, block prevailing winds, and commonly serve as late winter bedding sites. In colder regions or after harsh winters, they remain some of the most reliable places to look.

Context still matters.

In the South, or during winters that never fully clamp down, deer may be just as likely to bed on north-facing slopes. A buck wearing a heavy winter coat doesn’t always want more sun. In milder conditions, shaded slopes can be the more comfortable option while they ride out late winter.

Once you’re confident most bucks have dropped, feel free to start easing into thicker cover. At that point, you’re no longer risking displacement. You’re racing squirrels and spring green-up.

Another overlooked shed hunting location is old fields and early successional habitat. I’ve found a surprising number of sheds in these areas over the years.

My guess is that deer bedding in overgrown fields can soak up radiant heat from the sun while staying out of the wind. Native bunch grasses and scattered shrubs provide just enough structure to make these areas comfortable without being too dense. If you’ve ever conducted a prescribed burn in early successional cover, you may have experienced this firsthand. It’s not uncommon to find antlers during mop-up, sometimes from the current winter and sometimes from years past.

On my family’s farm in Kentucky, there are two locations where I consistently find sheds.

One is a south-facing bench on a large hillside overlooking a cow pasture and the valley below. This is where I’ve found the sheds from the biggest deer on the farm, often all within about a 50-yard radius. Those bucks were clearly bedded there, waiting for the first sunlight to hit the slope.

The other location couldn’t be more different. It’s an old logging road tucked inside a steep, north-facing holler. Deer dropping antlers there were doing the opposite, bedding out of the sun to stay cool while they cast.

Same property. Same herd. Different needs.

The takeaway is simple. Shed hunting isn’t about covering ground. It’s about timing, restraint, and reading the landscape.

If you wait until most bucks have dropped and let conditions guide where you look, you’ll find more antlers and keep deer where you want them when it matters most.

If this time of year has you thinking more critically about how deer are using your property, winter is a great window to step back and evaluate the bigger picture. Whether you’re interested in scheduling a habitat consultation to better position your farm for next season, or you’re considering selling a Tennessee property and want it represented by someone who understands land, habitat, and hunting value, I’m happy to help. You can reach out anytime through my Whetstone Habitat contact page, here, or connect with me in my role as a licensed Tennessee land agent with Tutt Land Company. The right plan and the right timing make all the difference.