But there are plenty everywhere. The lacy blooms are like nature's lingerie, and they emerge like clockwork each winter. And they tell me it is time for another annual occurrence that is far more subtle. It is the time when whitetails shed their antlers. And it is the time to walk the forests and hike the secret trails along bedding areas and clearcuts where whitetails spend their winters.
Sheds are wonderful treasures, especially large ones.
Now is the time to find the thick-beamed antlers dropped by Evil Sneaky Clearcut Buck or the Exalted One who eluded both bow and bullet during hunting season. Shed hunting is a great excuse to go back into the woods long after deer season. And it's an equally wonderful outing for a curious child. Give it a try sometime. But we are unfortunate that some of the state's worst slobs aren't too far behind.