3 For 3 ("Seed Antler")

So we finally got out to do some moose antler hunting in my little spot over in Croydon today.
James met me at my place bright and early and we were welcomed by a brisk 10 degrees and no wind. after a short ride and a whole lot of anticipation we were under way.

I was surprised at the lack of sign at first but the snow had only been on the ground a short time so the animals had probably been there just the snow had erased their signature. We got on some good deer tracks and followed them for a ways up a ridge to a crossing on the stream to get down to a moose yard. We went quite a ways and finally picked up some fresh moose sign and started to follow. We jumped them and followed some distance back in to the big moose yard. I was seeing little bull sign ( the two we tracked were either small yearling bulls or a cow and a calf) but once again the snow probably covered it up. after another 100 yards or so I spotted a curious site, something red and yellow and quite large. I called over to James and told him I saw something "An antler?" he asked ."Nope, a half a canoe!"

Yes a half a canoe in the outback of Croydon at least 2 miles from any navigable water way.

I still am at a loss.

We continued on into the depth of the area and started to find rubs and fresh chews on the trees. We worked an edge of some feeding areas and I started getting that vibe. We started to go down along a small bog and came out in another feeding cluster and I noticed a tree stand. How in the hell did they get that out here? I took another step and bam ! sticking up out of the snow Not three steps from the base of the tree stand was a meaty tine. GOT ONE ! And this was James response," Your kidding!" I detected a bit of envy in that statement. Sometimes being an antler addict can get me in trouble.

Anyways, it was a non typical shed with a whitetail style brow tine and a kicker off the back. The bases are really large like a mature bull but the antler itself has short beams like a five year old. Maybe a bull on the decline I am not sure. Well after a few pics and a grid search we did not find the match at this spot so we began looking in the surroundings to no avail. After James so kindly strapped my treasure to his pack we were off.

We came across a ton more rut rubs on trees closer to the stream .

We then laced our way back to the road following rubs and tracks. At one point we sat for a bit on a blowdown and James asked if I would sell him the antler. I told him no. (I did not plan on selling him that antler, my plan was to make him sweat carrying it back to the truck and then give it to him.) But I let him know then that it was his. I think he was shocked. I honestly thought he was gonna fall off the log! "You see, sometimes you need a seed antler." I told him. James asked, "What is a seed antler?" It is a antler you give some one that they put in their trophy room and it mysteriously starts adding more to the collection.

We made our way back to the truck me with another find in the books and James with the start of his moose antler collection and another push towards complete antler obsession.