coueshunter Report post Posted March 6, 2003 When do you start looking for sheds and do you go and find most in the flats or hillsides or benches or what? I am a new shed hunter and need a little help..............Thanks........Allen............ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Scott Gorczyca Report post Posted March 6, 2003 Coueshunter- most of the shed I find are on the ground. That's usually the best place to look. You might find one occasioanlly in a tree or bush, but the ground is probably your best bet. The best time to look for them is after they fall off and during day light hours. I don't know if it's legal to spot at night for sheds...could be considered poaching, might check your local regs on this! Hope this helps you... Scott G. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted March 6, 2003 Yeah, that was lots of help Scott! Allen, I usually find them in washes and also on flats/benches. I find them alot in juniper woodland or oak flats. Hopefully Josh will post something about where he finds them. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coueshunter Report post Posted March 6, 2003 Thanks Scott, its now all clear to me...........lol.........Amanda, are you in the transition zone between flats and hillsides? do they tend to drop them in your neck of the woods sooner than down south? This year will be fun being the first real year I will shed hunt. I found quite a few here in AZ and Mexico while deer hunting. I want to find some fresh ones, that will be fun...................Thanks, Allen Taylor.......... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted March 7, 2003 Allen, I am talking about the flatter areas in a juniper or oak woodland. If you look at the banner photo at the top of this discussion board, I am talking about those areas with more grass then trees or shrubs. I find several sheds in that kind of country. Places that are mostly grassy but have enough cover that Coues use them in morning and evening. I also find sheds in drainages, but I think probably those are washed in. Sometimes I find sheds on flat grassy areas at the edge of a dry drainage. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted March 7, 2003 Allen, Forgot to answer you about timing of sheds. April-May is the most common time for Coues to shed. I would suspect that they drop sooner in the north than the south since the rut varies from north to south too. Hey, maybe we should plan a CouesWhitetail.com Shed Hunting get together. I would like to go out and do more shed hunting. Maybe it would be fun to get a group of people and scour some area for sheds. Maybe some time in late May? Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coueshunter Report post Posted March 7, 2003 I think a shed hunting get together would be fantastic. We could get me, you, Josh, PW, my sons, and everyone else and have a hunt then lunch and see who wins the MOST sheds, the BEST shed, etc......Lets plan it.............Who else is interested?????..........Allen Taylor www.environmentalfiltration.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jeff in NM Report post Posted March 9, 2003 That sure was some great information that Scott provided wasn't it? I will be out hunting javelina with my brother tomorrow. I hope to come across a shed or two. They will be last years sheds, but what the heck. I like getting out in the mountains this time of year to locate concentrations of deer sign. Then, I will focus on these areas in April and May for shed hunting. I have had fair luck finding lion-kills at this time of year also. The big Coues bucks just get hammered by the lions during the rut here in NM. I was out today, and came across a deer leg, but I could not locate the rest of the carcass...I'll keep looking. FYI, in NM it is only legal to pick up obviously shed antlers without a obtaining a permit from NMDGF. I have paid anywhere from $5.00 to $21.00 for Coues racks still attached to the skull. We have the antler market to thank for that law. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottAdams Report post Posted March 9, 2003 I've found most of my Coues sheds on southfacing slopes. Usually ones that are fairly open with tall grasses. Scott Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coueshunter Report post Posted March 10, 2003 Thanks guys. I think it would make sense that they are found on feeding areas they move around the most in these area's...........Allen..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Guest_prohunt Report post Posted March 13, 2003 I have found most of my sheds on the South-facing flats with grass and like Scott said " on the ground." Here in Central Az. they drop thier antlers starting mid April. Also, like Amanda said I have found some in drainages, I think they were probably washed down the drainages from the higher flats. I might be interested in a shed hunt (especially if it's in Unit 23.) Travis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted March 13, 2003 Travis, do you have a place we could take a group in 23? Maybe we could find the other side to that fat shed you found! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prohunt Report post Posted March 14, 2003 Amanda, I will have to think about that one. The fat shed came from Canyon Del Oro (not in 23.) The other big sheds my Dad found in 23 are in wilderness and difficult to get to. A couple of my good sheds came from 23 and maybe we could go there. It is a pretty good hike though. By the way my Dad found another one in Canyon Del Oro that had bigger bases and more main beam, but he gave it away. Travis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRONG Report post Posted March 15, 2003 I find most of my sheds on south facing slopes and I never pass up a good bench to look around on. A lot of looking for Coues sheds is completly random. I look a fair amount in the pines here in northern AZ and I honestly think that the biggest bucks live there. So if you happen to hunt an area that has a pine forest a little higher than where you actually hunt for them, you might want to check it out. I have found that a lot of Coues bucks grow old and die in the pines because it's not the "normal" place to hunt them. One area, I found almost 10 years ago in N AZ, baffled me. I was hiking around a hill not finding much when I wandered to the northeast side of the hill. It was heavy with oak and in a day and a half I found 16 sheds! There were 5 years of sheds from the same buck within 150 yards believe it or not. I found my largest set of non-typical antlers there too, scoring 106" without a spread. I took my wife with me the second time I went and she found 2 Coues sheds and one muley shed. The key in those spots is to look SLOWLY!!! I mean taking one step and watch, move only a foot or two each step. Those little suckers hide in the oak leaves very well. I walked by a nice 5pt shed several times, with in inches before my wife spotted it. I've been there at least once every year since then and have yet to find a large number of sheds there. I've found a few but I think I just got lucky and hit it when it was good. So I've tried to look for north facing slopes with a lot of oak on several other occasions and it has only paid off a time or two. I haven't really got it all figured out yet and probably never will but my best advice is cover a lot of country and when you find one there may be more. Don't get discouraged too easily, I figure that if I find one in a day, it was a good day. Josh Epperson Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bullwidgeon Report post Posted March 15, 2003 (edited) Josh is wrong, WAYYYYYYYYY wrong!!!! Coues do not live anywhere near the pines. Coues can only tolerate mesquites, barrel cacti, pears, greasewood and saguaros. Sometimes when coues deer are messed up, they get into the oaks, but it is very rare. Whatever you do, stay away from the pines...STAY AWAY FROM THE PINES, ONLY CARP, ELK AND BEARS LIVE IN THE PINES, THERE ARE NO COUES IN THE PINES !! (and if there were coues in the pines they would be 42 net B&C inch forkies ) Bret M. Edited January 1, 1970 by bullwidgeon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
