Shed hunting with kids can quickly become a stressful and frustrating situation if you’re not properly prepared. The good news is that it also can become a truly memorable and wonderful thing to share with kids. These 7 tips will help ensure that everyone will have the best experience!
Tip #1 – Make It Fun
How Kids Learn
Children are born with an instinct to learn. It is the only way to ensure survival. By taking in new knowledge, children better understand how to protect themselves, obtain food, and grow. Intuitively, we all know this, but when kids seem uninterested, we all too quickly conclude that they don’t want to learn. But in reality, it’s just because children learn things differently than most adults do. Kids learn through play, having fun, and being intrigued. So the key is to provide an environment where kids can learn naturally
Get Creative
Kids THRIVE in a FUN environment, so it is our duty and responsibility to provide that for them. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is to have fun yourself! They will match your energy so be overly excited about things and truly make the trip an adventure. Be as creative as possible and encourage them to let their imagination run free. An example could be this: play a game where the first one to find 10 piles of deer poop wins. Poop is a magical thing that is silly to almost every kid! Just saying the word makes them giggle, and when they’re giggling they’re having fun. Also, this game can teach kids to be very observant of their surroundings (which is an important skill for shed hunting). Another huge bonus of this game is that they may very well stumble upon an antler. Finding deer poop means you’re in a bedding area or on a well used trail, which is an excellent place to find a shed.
Focus on the Right Things
Of course, the goal of shed hunting is to find sheds, but avoid putting too much pressure on that. Your mindset is really important for the influence you’ll have on kids. Put emphasis on being funny and having a great time. Do not focus on finding an antler so much that it becomes a task more than an adventure. In the end, kids are going to remember the experience as either fun or not. In fact, sometimes rolling down a hill, flying a kite, or playing tag is the highlight of the day! Be adventurous, creative, and outright silly to establish an environment that is fun and welcoming.
Tip #2 – Bring Snacks
Comfort is Key
Snacks should always be packed when you take kids shed hunting. The purpose is not only to keep their energy up, but to provide a comfortable environment. This plays back to the natural instincts of survival. One of those instincts is to find food, so it comes as no surprise that snacks can make kids feel safe, relaxed, and happy. I have discovered personally that the type of snack is less important than actually having some available. My kids simply like to know that we have some packed and ready to eat at any time. Giving them a sense of comfort in an unknown place helps to ensure a positive experience.
Break Time
Stopping to have a snack (or picnic) also serves as a great way to break up your time. Kids can become bored if they feel the task at hand is too long. For example, saying that at the end of this tree grove we’ll stop for a snack, gives them an obtainable goal. It allows their mind to focus more on finding a shed rather than worrying when they can rest. When you get to your goal location, take it one step further and have the kids look for a good place to “set camp.” Whether this is a flat shady spot or a fallen log to sit on, it gives the kids one more opportunity to consciously be aware of their surroundings. Again, being observant is a very important skill for shed hunting.
Break time is a great opportunity to bond and talk about the experience.
Tip #3 – Go When the Weather Is Pleasant
The Importance
This tip is pretty straight forward but can easily be overlooked. I personally am a shed hunting enthusiast, so no matter the conditions, i’m ready to get out and start walking. The weather elements don’t bother me because I have already developed that passion for scouring the land in search of an antler. Kids on the other hand, are in the early process of that development. They need to initially find themselves in a comfortable environment. A situation where they can have fun and not worry about the cutting wind, cold air, or drizzling rain. Again, fun is what drives kids to learn, but that only happens after their basic needs are met. In other words, when they feel comfortable. If they have to focus on overcoming the weather elements, they’re not having fun and they’re not creating positive connections.
Plan Ahead
The weather can sometimes be unpredictable, but you should be able to get an idea of the expected conditions. If it is going to be on the chilly side, bring hats, gloves, and proper jackets/coats. Also, think of the area you plan to walk and its orientation. Sometimes the forecast will dictate where I take the kids shed hunting that day. Staying on the backside of a slope or down in a valley just might be enough to block that cold wind; creating much more pleasant conditions.
When you’re evaluating the weather, keep in mind the individual kids. For example, my oldest son does not like the cold, but going out in a warm rain would make the trip even more fun for him! Even when you plan and prepare, kids will still get cold, hot, or wet. Just make sure they know that they can always tell you when they’re uncomfortable. Make it easy for them to talk to you and don’t keep pushing on if they’re ready to leave. Which brings us right into Tip #4.
Tip #4 – Keep It Short
Time Frame
In order to have the best experience, you want to end the trip before the kids get too bored or tired. The actual time frame is going to vary with kids, terrain, weather, and the situation. When I take my boys out (almost 5 years old and 3 years old) our excursion can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The longer trips consist of slower walking, more breaks, and even carrying the smaller one. Kids often have high energy, but their endurance may not match yours. An easy mile or two trek for you, may be way too far for them.
Listen to the Kids
Create an open relationship where you can talk back and forth to really understand their feelings. Let them know they have been heard, and that their opinions really do matter. It definitely is okay to push them a little bit – which plays back to creating and accomplishing a goal – but don’t over do it. When they say they’re cold, tired, or want to go home, simply listen to them. The important thing is to be very aware of their feelings and use your best judgement. If they feel comfortable voicing their thoughts, it will take a lot of guessing out of the situation. It definitely is a “learn as you go” thing and with so many changing variables, I can’t stress enough how important listening to them really is.
Tip #5 – Target Key Areas
Maximize your Chances
When you’re shed hunting with kids, you want to target areas that have the most potential for finding an antler. Watching them stumble upon one truly is an exciting moment! As mentioned before, this excursion might be short, so maximize your opportunity by targeting these 4 key areas:
- Bedding areas – Deer spend a good portion of their day bedded down, so statistically there is a higher chance of finding an antler here. Bedding areas include the south side of slopes, grassy areas, or thick cover.
- Food Source – When the deer are not bedding, they often are eating. Searching crop fields, food plots, or designated feeding areas are an excellent place to find a shed. An easy way to search these large open areas is to scan meticulously with some high powered binoculars.
- Travel Routes – Following deer trails between bedding areas and food sources often will produce a shed. Walk these main trails but don’t be afraid to take the path less traveled. Mature bucks will often have their own trail 30 – 50 yards off the main one.
- Jump Points – When an antler is close to shedding, it won’t take much to knock it loose. A sudden jolt of the neck will easily drop the antlers. This occurs when a buck jumps over something and impacts the ground. Searching fence lines, ditches, or creek bottoms will prove to be a successful tactic.
Identify Area Locations
Scouting an area prior to your excursion can really help identify some of these key areas. Scouting can be as thorough as visiting the area, or as simple as studying a topographical map. This preparation may just provide that little bit of extra knowledge that leads to a great shed. Of course, antlers can be found in random locations, but targeting these 4 areas will prove to be much more successful. If you have the opportunity to scout an area throughout the year, pay most attention to where the deer herd spends their time during late winter. In some cases, bucks will perform their rutting activities in a different location than their wintering home. Sometimes the best areas for hunting, are not the best places to find a shed.
Tip #6 – Bring Home The Treasures
What is There to Find?
The forest is an incredible place for kids to explore the world around them. There is so much to be discovered so use this as a teaching opportunity. When I take my boys out, i get really excited when we find anything cool. And “cool” is up to the imagination! Our list of “cool” things include feathers, bones, fuzzy leaves, cool sticks, mushrooms, skulls, fur, rubs, scrapes, tracks, poop, etc. Sometimes dead leaves or plants even make the cut. The point is, that if something is intriguing, then it is on the list. And by using your own energy, you certainly can provoke them to be curious about something.
Investigate Further
Having so many cool things on the list to find, also teaches kids to actively search the area. Becoming observant will be inevitable and eventually, they will come across a shed, not just a feather. Each item found provides the kids an opportunity to learn. Teach them as much as you can about what they found. For example, if it is indeed a shed, then explain to them the cycle of antler growth in whitetail deer. Count the points with them. Make an investigation as to why you found it there. Are you in one of the 4 key areas? Does the base still have blood on it, indicating a fresh drop? How many pieces of the puzzle can you fit together? The same process goes for feathers, bones, scrapes, etc.
Why They Should Bring Things Home
I have discovered that allowing kids to actually take these items home to show off, can be really rewarding for them. An old bone from the forest really is a treasure from their exploration. It can be something that is new to them, but also tells a story. I believe that it can help build that urge in kids to get back out shed hunting. When they are home and see their treasures, they are reminded of what they did find, but also what they could have found. It makes them eager to get back out the next time. Now, you may not want a bunch of bones and sticks in your house, so simply designate an area or an old box outside where they can place all the items they bring back. Sometimes, you find a lot of bones, so to manage how much we take back, I equip the kids with their own little backpack, and when it’s full it’s full. Unless it’s actually something rotten, they have full control as to what goes in that pack. It also teaches them to prioritize when it’s filled up and they want to add more. This technique simply gives kids freedom and permission to have fun, be curious, and explore. Providing a fun environment has been a common theme in these shed hunting tips because it is so important.
Tip #7 – Cherish The Moment
Be Present
Always keep a solid light on why you’re actually shed hunting with kids. It is to enjoy the moment. To be present with them, nature, and yourself. Shed hunting is an opportunity to carve a memory into their childhood. Finding a big antler is special, but when it is an experience shared with others, extra meaning is attached.
Time is the Greatest Gift
Daily lives in the modern world seem to operate at a higher pace. Use this time in the woods to let go of that urgency. Soak up the environment you are submersed in. Kids remind us that time moves faster than we ever expect it to. Time continually moves on whether we’re ready for it or not, so it is so important to cherish the moment. Love the experience fully and it is guaranteed that you will end the day with a smile.
Ready to Shed Hunt!
Follow these 7 tips and you will be able to truly enjoy a day shed hunting with kids. Practice never makes perfect, practice makes progress. So don’t be afraid of not getting everything exactly right on your trip to the field. The important thing is to just get out, do your best, and learn from the experience. Taking kids shed hunting is an opportunity for us to teach them, but often times it is us that learns from them. Have fun in the woods and GOOD LUCK!
