Outside Iowa: Is shed season coming early this year?
It’s no secret I’m a pure whitetail fanatic. I go to meetings…But, that’s better than some addictions—perhaps that’s why my wife doesn’t complain that much. I don’t know, but the biology of our midwestern whitetails really fascinates me. It truly is a year-round obsession and one of my favorite times of year is at hand—early!
I love to shed hunt for a multitude of reasons, but the simple fact is because you get a chance to hunt a buck you have been after without the pressure of making the shot. Rather you are out scouring the ground looking for his sheds. Typically, this happens in mid to late February, but with added stress for a multitude of reasons there are always early shedders beginning in late December, and you’ll also occasionally still see bucks carrying in April.
This year is different though. I was talking with a good friend and fellow deer-freak who shared a theory with me and then went out and proved it. After seeing an uncommonly large number of shed bucks during Iowa’s late muzzleloader, he burned some boot leather early and managed to pick up a dozen sheds on his first trip. Again, you always hear about early successful shed hunts, but this was no accident. (For more on Derek’s experience and theory, please visit trophypursuit.com, I think you’ll find it very interesting.)
If you keep a finger on the pulse of Iowa’s deer hunting, or just nature in general, you most likely heard about an epidemic sweeping through Iowa’s deer herd. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD took a massive toll on Iowa’s whitetails this summer. There are portions of the state that were hit so hard it will likely take a few years for the herd to fully recover.
What happens is a bug emerges under extremely dry conditions and lives in the grass the deer graze on. It will affect does and bucks alike, but more so the bucks as they consume quite a bit more than the does. That bug will attack their esophagus, stomach and digestive tract; the deer will contract a high fever and typically die within a few days. It’s nasty!
But, just like humans, many deer will contract the illness and manage to fight it off, but the stress of fighting a drought and being sick will take its toll. Its Derek’s opinion that between EHD and this past summer’s drought, these deer were stressed enough to the point where the majority of the bucks are dropping their antlers early this year. I agree with him!
With the popularity of shed hunting growing rapidly, there is also an influx of “shed poaching”, where trespassers steal sheds. Keep these factors in mind as you consider hitting the woods. I would suggest going in early with the intentions of scooping up sheds before the crowds show up and the tree-rats chisel each antler into a fine powder.
Don’t worry too much about pushing the deer out of their comfort zone too early. If you make a couple trips out and come up empty handed, or better yet, see a few bucks still carrying, back out and come back in a week for a reevaluation tour. Either way, its time to start thinking sheds!
Feel free to contact me with any questions!
Live it Up!
Thomas resides with his wife and two children in Guthrie Center. He is the Managing Editor with North American Fisherman, official publication for North American Fishing Club. For questions or archived articles please visit www.outsideiowa.com; tha481@gmail.com