Duo promotes shed hunting at Ozarks Hunt and Fish Show

Submitted photo/ Mike McSpadden, left with his dog Rau and brother, Mark, at the Arc of the Ozark Hunt and Fish Outdoor Show in Springfield last weekend.

Last weekend, as I looked out my kitchen window, I saw several deer feeding on acorns under a big oak tree. Several of the deer stood out as their antlers gleamed in the sunlight. This signified to me that it was time to start looking for shed antlers. Now that most of the hunting seasons have ended, including rabbit and squirrel, antler hunting gives hunters a winter diversion that has its rewards.

While checking out the 7th Annual Arc of the Ozarks Hunt and Fish show in Springfield, last weekend, I ran into Mark and Mike McSpadden from Lone Jack, Mo., who had a booth at the show. Along with their dog, Rau, they were promoting hunting shed antlers with a dog.

Mike said, "My son Sam and I work as a team to train dogs to hunt antlers. Our Show Me Shed Dogs is a family operation, started from a passion as whitetail bowhunters. We are self-trained and have devoted ourselves to train dogs to find shed antlers and discover successful techniques.

Submitted photo/ A buck last week, with antlers still attached ---- will soon be dropping the antlers.

"Our mission is to try to help others who are interested in having their dogs to go out and find wild deer shed antlers and be successful. We like to pass on our successes on what works and what doesn't as well as what works the fastest and what establishes the desire for a dog to retain that desire.

"We go to the national championships every year up in central Minnesota. We are here in Springfield to teach people about how to train a shed dog and also to promote the North America Shed Hunting Dog Association. This a sport that anyone can be involved in. The neat part of shed hunting is getting out of doors. You are hunting, you are working with your hunting companion, the dog, you don't have to carry a firearm and you don't need a permit to pick them up. In Missouri, should your dog find antlers still attached to the deer's skull, you need to report it to a conservation agent before taking it."

Hunting for shed antlers has become an increasingly winter activity. In some communities, groups of neighbors join together to look for shed antlers in their area.

Submitted photo/ Pam Price, Animal Education Director for Dickerson Park Zoo, held a seminar about birds at the Arc of the Ozarks Hunt & Fish Outdoor Show last weekend.

McSpadden said, "The beauty of hunting sheds with a dog is that it is doing the work for you. For every shed you spot, a dog is going to find four or five sheds. The dog will cover a lot more area than you on the same walk.

"When shed hunting, you need to pinpoint bedding areas. In the winter, deer have patterns. Look for deer trails because they get very patterned. You will find these trails going to and from feeding to bedding areas. Check fences where they might cross because they impact their front feet when they jump over a fence and an antler might fall off."

When ask what he considers a good day hunting shed antlers, McSpadden said, "It depends on the area. On a area where we know there a lot of deer, we might find four or five antlers, but we also have days when we might find 15 to 18 antlers in a place where there a lot of deer."

McSpadden pointed out that there are a lot of different uses for the shed antlers including making knife handles, lamp shades, chandeliers and other useful items.

The questions most often asked of the McSpaddens, are: How do you get a dog to hunt sheds? And is it hard to get a dog to find sheds?

"The answer is, it's not hard to get a dog to hunt sheds, but the most important element is time. You have to devote time and attention as well as consistency. Your interest and emotions will transfer to that dog. It's fun and it is the fastest growing sport in all of the sport dog industry. It all started slowly with about a half dozen dogs.

"Last year, there were 50 dogs that qualified for the championship from several states from New Hampshire to Mississippi. Our mission is to continue to grow, its fun, its challenging and its also rewarding."

For more information about shed dogs, contact McSpadden at showmesheddogs.com.

Beginning late last month, bucks start dropping their antlers that they began growing during last Spring. The exact timing differs from year-to-year. This year, it seems more bucks still are wearing antlers longer than usual.

For the next month, hunting should be good for finding shed antlers. But don't wilt too long because there is competition. Mice, other rodents and even deer look for the shed antlers for the deposits of calcium and other minerals.

The 7th Annual Hunt and Fish Outdoor Show, that brought the outdoors indoors, featured a trout fishing pool, more than 140 booths and seminars by crappie expert Rick Flint, Joe Tucker on ways to keep from catching fish, Pam Price on Birds of prey, The McSpadden on shed hunting dogs, Paul Price on mushroom hunting and Josh Delozier on reloading.

All proceeds from the show will benefit Riverdale Instutute of Learning and Center for Autism.