Celebrity Hunting Couple Loves Shed Hunting with Dogs

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Tiffany Lakosky and her antler dog Mattie show off a shed they found.

Tiffany Lakosky and her antler dog Mattie show off a shed they found.

Shed hunting isn’t rocket science. The basic premise is, bucks drop their antlers in late winter and you hike around trying to find them. However, just like in all other types of hunting, he who is prepared is most likely to be successful. Serious shed hunters develop and work a strategy. A likely part of that strategy is a well-trained canine companion. A good shed dog greatly improves your odds at this needle in a haystack game.

Lee and Tiffany Lakosky eat, breathe and sleep whitetail deer hunting. When the couple isn’t on the road filming for their show The Crush or making public appearances, they’re at home in Iowa hunting or preparing their farms for hunting. Shed hunting is an important facet of the Lakoskys’ annual plan.

“I’ve been shed hunting for 20 years. Before I had property of my own, I’d look for sheds anywhere I could, like city parks or public land. Now, I find more sheds in a day than I used to find in a year. Sure, a lot of it has to do with having a well-managed land, but my shed dog also has a lot to do with it,” Lee said.

For years, Lee wanted a shed dog, but felt he couldn’t have one because of his and Tiffany’s crazy travel schedule. That all changed when Tiffany’s mother, Linda, moved to be closer to her daughter and son-in-law.

“Once Linda agreed to help with a dog while we were gone, there was no question about it, I was getting one,” Lee said.

Tank is now five years old, and this season he has really matured into an incredible antler dog.

“As a two year old, I would probably find 10 sheds for every one Tank found. But now, as a grown dog, those numbers have reversed and Tank is finding the majority of the sheds. There is no telling how good he is going to get,” Lee said.

Although Lee works with Tank year-round, whether that is for shed hunting, waterfowl hunting or pheasant hunting, he doesn’t take much credit for the dog’s expertise.

“Look, I could probably train a dog to be a decent shed hunter, and so could just about anybody. But if you want a really great dog, then it should be professionally trained,” Lee said.

After witnessing Lee’s bond form with Tank, and the success the two were having in the field, both Tiffany and Linda decided they wanted shed dogs of their own. So now Tiffany has Mattie, and Linda has Kyah. All three of the Laskosky family shed dogs have come from and been trained by professional shed dog expert, Tom Dokken.

“Picking the right breed of dog for shed hunting is extremely important. That’s where the knowledge of someone like Tom really comes into play. See, if you want a dog like Tank, who shed hunts but also pheasant hunts, duck hunts and goose hunts, then you want a different breed than a dog that will only shed hunt. Someone like Tom will be able to properly match what you want with the right dog,” Lee said.

Shed hunting is a great way to stretch your legs in the off-season, while spending time with friends and family, and learning about your property. There’s no bag limit on sheds, so you can pick up as many antlers as you can find. Shed hunting with a canine companion makes it even better.

See you down the trail…

Brandon Butler

 

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