There was a ton from my conversations with Matt Knox (above, with Izzy) that didn’t make it into today’s column on shed antler hunting. Here are a few highlights.

On when to go shed hunting: You can start finding sheds as early as late December. I don’t get serious until February 1st and that’s still a little early. Mid-February to mid-March is by far the best time.

On why all deer hunters should shed hunt: It provides a tremendous opportunity to scout. If you want to learn where the deer are and where they’re moving on your property, you think you can do it pre-season, you’ll learn 10 times as much post-season. That’s because in the fall the leaves have fallen down and you can’t see where the deer are walking and right now the deer trails are like pig paths.

On picking a shed dog: I’m convinced now that the drive for the hunt is much more important [than the retrieval instinct]. That drive to search and look. I predict in a decade is bunches of people will have [shed] dogs.

When you find one antler, Knox says, keep your eyes peeled for the other: The most amazing thing to me is how often both antlers fall off at the very same place at the very same time. You’d be amazed.

Here are a few outside resources that can help you learn a little more about the hobby.

http://www.shedantlers.org is a good place to start. It’s the Website of the North American Shed Hunters Club.

For an article from Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine…click here.

Field and Stream’s Bill Heavey on shed hunting…click here.

Tips from Outdoor Life…click here.