It was late January in 2024, and I had a sneaking suspicion the bucks were already beginning to lose their antlers. Even though it was a bit early in the year, my wife and I decided to go for a quick midday look on a public-land cornfield. Soon, I found an antler from an awesome 10-pointer that I knew was in the area, based on previous trail camera intel.

Finding shed antlers from a mature deer can be difficult anywhere you’re looking, but it’s especially tough on public land where other shed hunters are searching. Whether you’re shed hunting on public or private land, pay attention to the following five locations, as they are regular places that big bucks drop their crowns.

Image: best_shed_spots

Open food sources are always great spots to find sheds, but those antlers get swiped up quickly on public land. Dedicated shed hunters should look to places like these. Image by Bill Konway

STANDING CORN

All winter food sources can be productive places to look, but when you’re on public lands, it’s pretty typical for other shed hunters to cover corn stubble, bean, and winter wheat fields. On the other hand, not many hunters are patient enough to truly cover a standing cornfield. The stalks make scanning tedious, and everything tends to look like antler beams or tines. But if you search each row carefully, a standing cornfield can be a great spot to turn up a big-buck shed.

On private land where competition isn’t at play, scour all winter food sources carefully. And if you come up empty-handed, head for the next likely spot just off the food source.

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EDGES AND SHELTER BELTS

Both soft- and definitive-edge habitats surrounding food sources can be great for big-buck sheds. During the night, bucks alternate between feeding and resting. Sometimes, they bed right down in the food source, but other times they head for the nearest cover, which is often right along the food source. This is especially true during inclement weather with high winds, cold, and snowfall. From switchgrass to plumb thickets to thermal shelter belts, edge cover is an excellent place to look for shed antlers.

CONNECTING TRAILS

Deer tend to travel almost exclusively on a small handful of trails during winters with deep snow. With minimal snowfall, they use a lot more trails or even go cross-country, which makes the shed search more challenging. Regardless, big-buck sheds can be found on deer trails, as many shed hunters take the lazy approach and stop looking once they’ve searched a food source. Hike up and down as many trails as possible that connect bedding cover to food sources.

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SOUTH-FACING RIDGES

In the winter, bucks commonly bed on south-facing slopes for sun exposure and shelter from prevailing winds. Be sure to hit all of the south-facing slopes or benches in a given area. If you have a lot of time, hit the more remote ones that other hunters haven’t likely visited.

SANCTUARIES

Save this one for the spring when you know the bucks are done shedding, so that you don't bust antlered bucks out of the area and onto adjacent properties. A springtime visit to a sanctuary — a location that you avoid the rest of the year — can turn up some of the best sheds. Bucks love sanctuaries, and this is the one time of the year that isn’t excusable to invade these areas, as deer will have months to calm down and resume their normal routines.