It's rare enough for a shed hunter to come across a matching set of whitetail deer antlers. The odds of a deer dropping both sides within such a short window of time simply doesn't happen often enough to present such an opportunity, and even if it does, you still have to actually find the second antler, which can be especially tough in the deciduous deer woods. But how many times have you heard of a shed hunter spotting a matching set of elk antlers out west? Probably never, right? Well, in the following clip we see Hushin's Eric Chesser embarking on a solo shed hunt on some high-altitude public land with optics and a game plan to spot some early spring shed antlers.
With a strategy to get high enough to glass slopes for objects resembling sheds and charting finds on his onX Maps app, he feels confident he can strike white gold, but will have to put in some serious leg work to find success.
By the time he spots his first antler, he decides to glass the area once more, which yields success few shed hunters ever experience, as he manages to spot the matching side. It's safe to say Chesser is elated as soon as he hits the jackpot, but he somehow still remembers to chart is location before heading back to camp. This is a great shed hunting video you've just got to see. It perfectly encapsulates the excitement of finding a bull elk's antlers this time of year.
Watch the video:
The next day is a scorcher. It took him around an hour and a half to climb the mountain to where the sheds were. No one said finding sheds was easy. In some cases, it may be harder to find a set of whitetail, mule deer or elk antlers than it is to harvest the actual big game animal! It all depends on what bedding areas, thick cover and food sources the animals are utilizing in the late winter months. Upon walking up to the shed Eric is blown away by the mass and the triple brow tine on the antler.
"Whoa! I thought there was something going on on the front! I looked at the pictures all morning. I'm like, does that thing got a triple brow?" he exclaims pumping his fist. "Guys, my two favorite extra points on an elk is a crotch point after the fourth and triple fronts. And that's my first triple brow tine bull."
After another 30 minutes or so of shed antler hunting he found the other side, which was only around 50 or 60 yards from the first side. It too was an impressive side, although it didn't have a triple brow like the first.
No doubt. Hope you were paying attention, because there are some good shed hunting tips to be found in this video. Congratulations to Eric on an awesome find!
