A different style of hunting has become popular in central Iowa. 

Iowa Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer for Guthrie County Jeremy King explains that shed hunting is when people will search for shedded deer antlers. King says it’s gotten so popular that hunters have started Facebook pages and competitions to find antlers. 

“It’s unbelievable the popularity that has become and it’s a good hobby for her families, too, if you have a spouse and kids or just your spouse or just you or you got a dog that likes to go for a walk. If you got permission on private property or in public to go out and go hiking and look for some antlers.”

King discusses what hunters normally do after they find the antlers.

“And some people keep them in and just for just to look at, some people sell them and there’s, I think, shields. They buy antlers by the pound from people that they find and then they cut them up and sell them for dog chew toys.”

King says that according to Iowa State Law the antlers must be unattached from the skull of the deer before taking them.