Earliest Shed of the Week submission comes in

"When does Shed of the Week start?" RJ "Ron" Thomas texted Friday.

Apparently, very early, like today.

"I am getting ready to clear some brush and found this [Friday]," he texted. "By far the biggest I have ever found."

The bucks of white-tailed deer shed their antlers annually, generally in winter. The bell curve of shedding peaks in mid-February, so generally SOTW starts in late January.

In Illinois, sheds may be collected on private land with permission. It’s prohibited at all forest preserves and park districts I know. In Illinois, shed hunting is prohibited at state parks, nature preserves or where specifically prohibited, but allowed on Fish and Wildlife Areas, Conservation Areas, and Boat Access Areas, if open to the public.

SOTW, the celebration of finding shed antlers and their stories (the stories matter) around Chicago outdoors, runs when apt in the paper Sun-Times, usually on Wednesdays.

To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), X (@BowmanOutside), Instagram (@BowmanOutside) or Bluesky (@BowmanOutside.bsky.social).