Whats the odds that this cold snap will help drop some antlers? My earliest find was jan 30.

My earliest shed find was on Jan 15 2008, and I found his set right beside each other. But they came from a badly injured buck. I watched him the evening before barely able to drag himself across the field. The next morning there were his antlers laying where he had been.
Most generally the injured will drop sheds first, then the smaller immature bucks, then after the testosterone level has dwindle down the bigger and more mature bucks start dropping their antlers.

IDNR studies have showed that around 10% of deer have usually dropped their antlerless by mid January.
As always the stress on the deer, will play a part in when a buck drops his rack.
It has been a little colder then normal the past few weeks but with the late harvest, lots of down corn, very little crops tilled under, & some corn still standing, there has probably been more food for deer to find this fall & winter then we have seen in a looonnngggg time.
Forecast looks good too, so we will soon see the snow cover going away & making really easy for all the animals to find all that food again.
For now I foresee a normal amount of bucks dropping there racks at their usual times.

I usually wait til mid february and start hitting the woods pretty hard. It will be here soon. I can't wait. I have heard a few people saying they are getting pics and have seen some bucks already with dropped antlers.

As shed hunting impaired as I am it'll be April before I find any LOL

Does it really help to walk fences and ditches? I have found very few sheds, and they were all in the middle of the woods.

Does it really help to walk fences and ditches? I have found very few sheds, and they were all in the middle of the woods.

Yes, fences and ditches are good spots. Found my biggest shed ever right where the big boy jumped the fence. My favorite spots are in tree lines and edges of fields. I love CRP fields. I find about 20 - 30 sheds every year. I don't find very many in the middle of the woods. Look in feeding and bedding areas most.

Winter bedding areas & field edges is where my wife & I have had the best luck.
Grassy ditches, where they bed during the day &/or night are great spots to find them that get over looked by other shed hunters a lot.

A shed is found where it lies... the miles between them is the only difference on where you'll find em.

Fencelines, creek edges, water ways, wood edges, and any area that is lower that deer travel through are the first spots I go to. They can usually be done on 4 wheeler first ,but come late Feb the walking starts.

A shed is found where it lies... the miles between them is the only difference on where you'll find em.

Ahem lesson one from my teacher... "BURN BOOT LEATHER" ;)