One Great Shed Hunting Trip

Erin, Troy, and I headed south to look for some antlers and also escape the cold weather back home. The weather was absolutlely beautiful down on the ranch reaching over twenty degrees celsius the one day! We put on a lot of miles over the two days we spent there walking up and down the coulees and Troy sure was a trooper hardly complaining at all (especially after I carried him up the big hills). The first day we awoke early and went for a big hike and collected nine sheds including a big heavy seven point scoring about seventy five inches. Erin, and troy were getting played out in the afternoon so I got Erin to drop me off on top and I hiked back to the house. And boy, am I glad I did! I have never had shed hunting like that and found close to twenty sheds, fifteen of which I brought home. Everywhere I looked there was another shed laying right there and a couple times on the way to retrieve an antler I spotted at a distant I just about stepped on another one! It was unreal, but I got a little spoiled because the next day I found only one shed and went for one heck of a hike. The whole time I was on my hands and knees peering into the thick thorn bush coulees and all I could think to myself was "how have I not found a dead buck?". Six doe skulls, a button buck, and a mature buck skull that had already shed. But nothing with any head gear. I was really suprised by this too because I usually find at least one in the fall when im archery hunting. As I hung my head low walking back to the house there was one more coulee to cross and at this point I had pretty much given up. As I stepped over a log and looked up I had to do the old double take because right in front of me layed a big four by four! I almost didnt believe what I was seeing at first but it goes to show if you keep at it you will eventually get rewarded! Troy couldnt wait to put his hands on it and I dont think I will have a problem convincing him to come next year. The buck definietely had a few more years to grow and more than likely would have hit the two hundred inch typical mark, so its hard to see something like that die before its prime. I put a tape to him that night and he grossed one sixty eight. The ranch hand also brought us a shed he had found checking cattle, and I recognized him right away! A non typical we had seen almost everynight the previous fall that would gross about one eighty. Its nice to see he made it and will be one heck of a deer this September. Cant wait for archery mule deer! That is if they dont shut it down first!!!!