# Finding deer sheds



## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

I have heard of people training dogs to do this and I was wondering how people did this? Anyone have a dog that they trained to find sheds or know how I could go about teaching my shepherd to do this?


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm assuming you're talking about the antlers and not hunting treestands, right?









I don't know how to train JUST deer sheds as most people I've heard teaching their dogs to do anything with deer are teaching them to track wounded deer based on their blood. 

Perhaps someone more "into" tracking and trailing have ideas? Possibly train them the same way you'd train them to search out people, narcotics, cadavers, etc.?


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

no sorry yes they lose their horns in the winter and I spend a lot of time looking for them usually with little luck...so I though my maybe Bam my GS. I have heard of dogs doing this before.


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Ok thanks anyways lol. Also from now on I will explain a little better.


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## BuoyantDog (Aug 21, 2009)

Usually my dog finds them automatically when we are out hiking. You would probably have to start out by having some deer antlers of your own to teach them how to track them.


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Yes I quite a few. I take her out to a park in town all the time where I take pictures of deer and I know there are bucks in there. We go out there twice a day usually, while i look and she runs but she hasnt found anything yet so I would like to train her to do this.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Someone posted about this on another forum I'm on and this link was given for training info:
http://www.outdoorlife.com/node/1000014194 

I'd love to train Bianca to do this but I have a feeling if I did the training the way it is described in that link she would be following my scent instead of the deer since she'd had training in tracking already...


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## pinkanml (Sep 3, 2007)

I'm sure if there were any sheds in the immediate area, he'd find them pretty quick--they're irresistible chewies to most dogs. I had a huge trophy size shed from a 10-pt buck that lived behind our house and I was keeping it as part of my nature collection; one day I came home and it was down to one big nub. My old border collie sure had a blast with it! 

I just ordered some elk antler pieces, can't wait for them to come in. My two haven't even seen an antler before. I saw one for sale at the feed store, size of my thumb in diameter and 6" long. They were charging $14 for it!!

The antlers I got were $18 a pound and come in all sorts of cool shapes and sizes.

I'm a hunter and haven't yet brought home a buck, only does, but I'm definitely going to be keeping my trophy away from the rugrats when I get him!


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Well when my boyfriend moved in she tried to chew on them and we told her no because they were from the deer he had shot over the years and since then she has left them alone. So Im wondering if she thinks she is not supposed to find them.


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

Finding shed is very much dependent on a couple of things.

First knowing where the deer like to be, look around the tree's in that area. They usually use something to help get rid of the horns, they usually don't just fall off as they are walking.

Second is when to look. They shed their horns depending on what the weather is like; hard winter under stress they will shed them early. Mild winter less stree they will shed them later.

The when to look is important as rodents and other animals will chew on them or drag them off.

Val


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Thanks Val.
They "usually" start shedding them now and this is "usually" when I start to look. But like you said it depends on the weather. I take Bam for everyday walks in the park where I have seen bucks and plenty of rubs and scrapes from rut this year and years past. So I know there are deer around. I have been teaching Bam to look by trees and in brush in the back yard and she is doing really good. I started workin with her the 27th and she will already find them all around the house and in the yard in brush and around trees. She is picking it up amazing, if she does good today in the yard I will probably take her to the park tomorrow where their are more smells and distractions and hide them there.


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