If you want to find more shed antlers you have to search where whitetails congregate and you need to put boots on the ground. In addition to these two simple elements you can up your antler game and gain by incorporating a common piece of hunting equipment.
No, it’s not an ATV to ride around on or a climbing stand to scan the woods. But you definitely should take along your binocular.
You may be questioning this piece of advice, especially if you live and hunt in a veritable jungle of whitetail cover. But the benefits far outweigh the added weight on your shoulders.
First, a binocular allows you to scout as you look for shed antlers. You’ll likely be rousting some deer during your hike and a binocular allows you to identify bucks from does. Plus, some bucks may already be sprouting headgear and even the size of the antler bases provides a glimmer of what’s to come.
Second, most whitetail country has openings including food plots, agricultural fields, pastures and small glades. Winter grass is matted, crops are harvested and many areas have a pool-table appearance. Scanning these spaces with your binocular may reveal an antler tip in the vegetation, the glimmer of a main beam or an entire antler resting on a rise.
Finally, when you do trudge through the jungle your binocular serves to identify all the wannabe antlers in the woods. There are more white and shiny objects in the woods than just antlers and your binocular can save you time by recognizing faux from real without hiking over to each item.
An affordable option to fit any budget, yet offer quality is the Nikon Prostaff 3S. The eight-power model offers a wide field of view and the investment can follow you from shed season to hunting season. (www.nikonsportoptics.com).
The other day I emerged from a long woodland hike and had to cross a large hayfield to return to my ATV. Before marching across the field I scanned it with my Nikons. That effortless action added one more shiny antler to my pack before I called it a day.