OOD contributor Justin Hoffman has checked something off his bucket list after documenting some unique antler shedding stories with the help of his trail cameras this past year.
Hoffman first spied one particular buck with both antlers in full velvet on July 12, 2020. The deer showed up again on July 25 missing one full antler on the right, earning him the nickname “One Side.”
Trail cam goals
Hoffman, who then followed the whitetail’s on-camera appearances through the summer and fall, said the mystery behind the missing antler quickly made One Side a favourite to watch.
The Ottawa-area freelancer writer and photographer set up his trail cams in areas where hunting is prohibited.
“It has always been a goal of mine to capture on film a buck shedding an antler,” he wrote. “A lofty one I know, but in the back of my mind I one day hoped it would come to fruition. This is my sixth year running trail cams and finally that wish came true!”
Shed hunting
The experience is the ultimate high for a shed hunter and trail cam enthusiast, Hoffman enthused. “I not only scooped up an antler that I set a goal to find, but captured the entire shedding process on video. It honestly doesn’t get any better than that!”
Videos of deer shedding their antlers, particularly ones recorded in daylight and of sufficient quality, are rare. The time to search for sheds ranges anywhere from late December to late February, and is a time-honoured way to enjoy the outdoors during brisker, shorter winter days.
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