I can't count the number of miles I put on last year trying to find shed antlers on some of my favorite private hunting properties. No luck. I didn't find a single shed. Heck, the best I did was find a dead 8-pointer that was frozen into the ground, partially mauled by coyotes. 

I'll always enjoy late-winter strolls through the woods in search of elusive piles of boney headgear, but it sure would be nice if there was an easier way to collect sheds. Low and behold ... now there might actually be a legit solution: the Rack Trap.

It appears the Mossy Oak BioLogic team cracked the nut on a shed-collecting device that's safe—and nutritional—for deer. The Rack Trap is a feeder with vertical bungee cords that you can strap to a tree or post. Its design "encourages" bucks to shed their antlers while they're getting a faceful of feed. If they aren't ready to part with their racks, they should easily be able to pull away from the shed-drop buffet with no harm done. Sounds like a solid concept.

Here's what Mossy Oak BioLogic's Bobby Cole has to say about the Rack Trap: "We love finding sheds, and were really excited to help design and test the Rack Trap. Animal safety was our main concern. The unit proves to be safe for bucks that aren't ready to shed, and great for encouraging those that are."
 

I'm hoping to get my hands on one as soon as they become available March 1. Hopefully by springtime I'll have a shed full of sheds.