Dead Heads

Discussion about shed antlers, etc
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Lockdown
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Dead Heads

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:25 pm

Nothing tactical just a topic for discussion. When some people find a dead head they get REALLY excited. To me that's the last thing I would ever want to find in the woods... A big dead buck. Or one that was going to be big the next fall.

Finding a big shed? Yeah absolutely! That means he's still alive. I'm cloud nine then. But dead heads are a day ruiner for me. Unless you are super excited to display a buck you didn't shoot, then it's a bit hard for me to understand.

Would you rather find a dead head? Or nothing at all?


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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby DeerDylan » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:34 pm

Same thoughts on this. I'll take nothing.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby Master Chief » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:35 pm

For me antlers are just antlers. If you killed it its still exactly the same antler as it would have been if you picked it up. I dont use antlers as a validation of "hey look what I did" so do I like picking up big dead heads and displaying antlers that I didn't kill? Of course!

I would rather watch a deer over its life and pick up the deadhead than to kill it in its prime. It would suck to find one died rhat had a lot of potential, but even that does t really bother me.. theres a lot of big deer out there.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby Outdoor814 » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:40 pm

This actually happened to me yesterday. I was scouting an area I had been looking at online. Was following a small Creek looking for bedding and stumbled upon the largest dead buck I've ever found.

It bummed me out. He would have been an absolute monster this year. Would have had fifteen points had a brow time not been busted off.

He was destroyed by a bear or multiple bears. There was crap everywhere. All that was left was a cape, skullcap and antlers. I would have much rather found his sheds than his head.

I did take the antlers home with me. I couldn't leave em. I'll post pictures when I can get photo bucket to cooperate.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Feb 21, 2017 2:54 pm

I'm usually more mad at the hunter for wounded and losing the deer. I usually take them home to add to the collection. I have left a few in the woods. To answer your question I would rather not find them.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:27 pm

Same here...would rather not find them.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby Motivated » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:37 pm

Good topic. I would rather find a shed, but a dead head when scouting is a huge clue in my mind. Where did he feel safe and where will the next one feel safe. It makes me happy to be figuring things out. And I would rather find it and know than spend a lot of time searching for that buck again.

It's like a Wednesday. It's certainly no Friday, but at least it's better than nothing and we're on the way to the weekend. Moving forward at least.

Can't get too sad that he's dead. After all, I was trying to kill him anyway! There will be more for me to hunt. Many more.

BTW--I find way more dead heads than sheds! I would love to find more sheds. Just doesn't happen for me.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby strutnrut716 » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:43 pm

Shed yes, dead no !! :doh:
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby stash59 » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:55 pm

Yeah it stinks. But if it showed me a primary bed site. I would still be optimistic about it!
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby PK_ » Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:17 pm

I don't find many. I don't like finding little ones dead. I love finding a big one. Same reason I like to find a big one that is still alive... either way you have found something that every other human in the area has missed or overlooked.

Walk into a new area and find a big dead, you now know the potential in the area and likely where the big ones feel safe and where not many hunters travel if it has been there for any amount of time. A big dead gets me as jacked about a spot as any other big buck sign.

Also they are just rare and so cool whether they are attached to a deer that is alive, dead or been cast. Just my .02
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby swampyak » Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:39 pm

I don't mind finding them. Unfortunately most that I find are winter killed that have already shed
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby JakeB » Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:43 pm

I found one of a descent 9 point the first time I had set foot on some new ground. I was pretty pumped because it showed deer were in the area I was looking. Now in my regular spots, no I'm not excited about it.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Feb 21, 2017 6:08 pm

The only dead deer I like finding is the one that I killed.

No excitement for me to find a dead head. Always bothers me to find one that wasted away. Hope I never find another one.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby Ack » Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:29 pm

Found a dead spike yesterday while scouting......as soon as I saw the antlers I was bummed.
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Re: Dead Heads

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Feb 27, 2017 3:25 pm

I see the good and the bad in deadheads. It's a shame that they won't be around next season. However, a mature deadhead can demonstrate what the area can produce and it can inspire confidence in it. Finding a mature deadhead in its bed can verify what a hunter needs to look for to find mature buck bedding. I'd always prefer the buck was alive but appreciate what it can teach.


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