As we mentioned above, recently clear-cut areas provide tons of downed trees and limbs to offer a lot of concealment for whitetails. As those Sign in to access your profile, save content and more. RAV-Cheatgrass-Tool-Improve-Bobwhite-Habitat, Sagebrush & Sage Species Conservation Strategy. The fresher the antler, the higher in value for horn traders and our four-legged friends to gnaw on. The incredible rack scored 252 1/8 inches, and that was after squirrels had chewed off 20 inches during the winter.. Some habitat types to accomplish this goal include tall grass plantings or frozen, thick cattail swamps. There are some changes this year from the way this has operated in years past and we wanted to get the word out to possible visitors to the area. Shed antler hunters focus their efforts on specific areas where big game are wintering with a very high likelihood of disturbing and displacing those animals. In addition to fines, each violation carries five license suspension points that are assessed against the violator's privilege to apply for, purchase, or exercise the benefits conferred by any licenses issued by CPW. Some sheds are white, others are brown and blend into the grass and leaves. The CPW Commission chose to align its restrictions more closely with Wyoming, where Colorado gets its biggest influx of both shed antler hunters . The goal of the Police Department is to maintain a high level of quality of life for Jackson residents in the least obtrusive manner possible. Sheds are white gold, prized jewels of the buck you've . They carry their horns for life. Want to find antlers without bothering wildlife? Before bombing over to retrieve it, keep glassing from that vantage point. You know I am just a dumbbell I guess, as I have never ever stopped picking up Moose, Elk, or Deer sheds due to the furry little animals I may be robbing a meal from. Simply walk these corridors from one end to the other, paying particular attention to areas with obstacles across the trail. Most deadheads have small to medium-size racks, but each year a few people chance upon a monster. The CPW Commission chose not to include private lands in its decision to enact a shed antler collection closure in Colorado. One of the greatest features about OnXMaps is that it shows public and private land ownership, giving you peace of mind when accessing hunting areas. Brown or white antlers are easiest to spot on an overcast day. think you get the point. The average price per pound for brown elk antlers is between $12 and $16. Deer will often rub their antlers on trees or other objects to shed them. Look for places deer trails encounter such obstacles. He also spends a lot of time with deer conducting research, promoting quality deer management, reaching out to hunt clubs, writing about deer, thinking about them. Brushy, wooded staging areas within 100 yards of old crop fields is the next place to check. Spend some time observing deer at other times of year, and youll be well on your way to learning some shed hunting hotspots. Possession of antlers or horns on private property without lawful access is prohibited. Anyone that observes illegal activity is urged to contact their local wildlife office. Whitetail hunting strategies for the next generation. If you dont have the time or inclination to train a dog for shed antler hunting you can always call upon a professional trainer for help. Bucks also will . Antler collectors are encouraged to stage at any of the public parking lots in town including the Home Ranch Lot, the Deloney Lot, the Phil Baux Lot and the Fairgrounds Lot. Bedding refers to making a safe area where the deer and any fawns can sleep, away from predators. But serious shed hunting will help you learn more about the animals you hunt in the fall. It makes sense then that deer are more likely to shed antlers in one of these two areas since thats simply where they spend most of their time. But elk have been known to migrate up to 125 miles to seek these places to endure the winter. Steep South In these spots, like winter feeding or bedding areas, it pays to search for antlers from multiple positions. Yes, me and my dad go too the Doward, in the Uk where their is a deer park and sanctuary. Youve got to look close, real close, says Drury. But when you said Bears get a source of calcium from them, I have to call BS. Thats typically what runs through my mind when I see a buddy walking towards one of those spots while shed hunting. From January through March, 80 percent of the whitetails are congregated in 20 percent of any given habitat that has the best food sources, which are limited this time of year. CPW will post signs, send press releases, work with sportspeople's groups and partners, news media, social media and other communication avenues to ensure the public is well informed about this new change. , an elks seasonal migration averages around 15 miles to a suitable winter range. Maybe you know what Im talking about. Matching sets, especially from a large or unique buck, are prized finds but can be notoriously difficult to get your hands on. Besides being a lot of fun and a great way to get outside after a long cold winter, finding this many elk sheds can earn you some money. Now that weve covered the two dominant sites to find shed antlers, lets look at the last place you can find them. Well never be able to go on a simple stroll through perfect shed hunting land and scoop antlers up left and right. By knowing such a thing, a shed hunter can follow fence lines to scout for dropped antlers. Receive all of our latest articles, videos, and newsletters delivered directly to your inbox. By keeping this information in mind, it will help you locate potential feeding areas that elk will utilize on a regular basis. If youve shed hunted long enough, youll recognize that those spots almost always hold an antler or two. Using a dog to hunt antlers is the fastest growing dog sport in the U.S. says Minnesota trainer Tom Dokken, Americas foremost authority on shed dogs. All of these factors make an area with evergreen cover preferred winter bedding for deer, and thus a great place to scoop sheds. White-tailed deer are over-abundant in the eastern forest, and well adapted to humans. They shed their antlers every year, unlike animals that sport "horns," which include antelope, sheep, cattle, buffalo and rhinoceros. You can train your family pet, say a Lab or golden retriever you keep in the house, to hunt sheds. http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3955/046.085.0307, https://bioone.org/journals/Northwest-Science/volume-85/issue-3/046.085.0307/Osteophagy-by-the-Grizzly-Bear-Ursus-arctos/10.3955/046.085.0307.full. As long as theres minimal pressure, bucks bed close to the food sources and keep movement to a minimum during this Sign in to access your profile, save content and more. Although mule deer and elk wintering areas will have some cross-over, most of the lower elevation elk sign will be cows and young bulls. Elk are tough to pattern because they seldom follow a daily routine, but they do value a simpler path up and down the mountains, especially during the winter. Tom Carpenter, Where I live in Utah, last night as a matter of fact my wife and I counted over 150 big bull elk, some bedding down for the night, others eating the hay we have supplied them. Usually, bull elk shed their antlers beginning in mid-to-late March later than any other North American cervid, and months after the rut, when the antlers served their role in battling competitors for cows to mate with. Gerald Almy. But when they are harvested each fall, deer need to instead scavenge waste grain on the ground. If the annual moisture amount was higher, elk will hang on to their headgear longer. If that is on the same ground where you hunt, great. Bone will shine and catch your eye. If you focus on the areas above, you should come out ahead when it comes to the search for shed antlers. Pay special attention if the trail is interrupted by a section of rocks or a cliff where elk would need to lunge their bodies, generating extra force upon landing, and possibly dropping their racks in their tracks. Evergreens provide terrific thermal cover by way of their thick-needled branches blocking wind and snow, whether its a solitary cedar, small patch of pines, or cluster of hemlocks. The freshly felled trees will provide lots of young tender browse that was inaccessible to the deer, but the sudden infusion of sunlight will also produce lots of stump sprouts next summer. That may seem like common sense, but youve probably walked by many because you werent looking. Bulls just hate the imbalance when one antler is off. You might want to bag the hunting boots and wear sneakers or soft-soled trail runners so you can feel those big sticks you step on. etc. They are often planted with switchgrass, big bluestem, or Indian grass, which are very tall, upright, and clump-forming. Any tips too find Fallow deer antlers? The specific time a buck will shed his antlers might be determined heavily by his individual antler cycle. That being said, youll want to wait to check out any bedding areas for shed antlers until you know that bucks have dropped them, simply because you can chase them to a neighboring property before theyre ready. A quick online search can unveil any qualified trainers near your zip code. The April 30 date is intended to help minimize additional stress during this critical time frame. Published Jan 24, 2023 11:41 AM EST. Listen to your subconscious. They walk too fast and look too far out front.. Thanks for the tips . High efficiency is critical if youre dealing with huge properties and want to find some deer sheds before the mice, squirrels, and porcupines chew them up or another hunter finds them. And in the spring, he hunts sheds. Look in a wooded area that was recently grazed by a herd of cattle. Antlers are hardest to pick out in full, harsh sunshine. Other studies of captive deer show that bucks usually shed both antlers within three days of each other. Shed antler hunters focus their efforts on specific areas where big game are wintering with a very high likelihood of disturbing and displacing those animals. My first set of matching Boone & Crockett sheds were found 200 yards apart; one on top of a windblown hill in soybean stubble and the other in . Thats typically what runs through my mind when I see a buddy walking towards one of those spots while shed hunting. He started hunting sheds more than 40 years ago. Looking at maps prior to entering an area lets you visualize the terrain without wasting time and energy scouring areas that are unproductive. When deer feed in ag fields at night theyll often bed down for periods of time, and the adjacent grassy strips offer a prime location for them to take a break. Yesterdays blog explored the enthusiasm some of us have for finding shed antlers and how that enthusiasm can turn into an obsession that threatens wintering mule deer and elk. "You really have to look hard because if you find an antler and the match was 200 . Scott Wait is a senior biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Eckley spends a lot of time in the forest. For more information regarding the May 1 Refuge access and travel changes please contact the National Elk Refuge at (307) 733-9212 or stop by their administrative headquarters located at 675 East Broadway. Searching Crop Fields There's no doubt that agricultural fields are prime places to seek sheds. This one is obvious but very important for success. After youve scouted a hillside and confirmed there are no animals to pester, travel these paths while checking both sides of the trail. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, this occurs as the males'. One of my favorite finds was a pair of antlers I found by a fence in the Flint Hills of Kansas. And theres a lot of online information, too, like my friend Hal Herrings definitive piece. Now well talk about the other main area youre likely to find most of your shed antlers. Across deer and elk country, almost all bucks and bulls will have dropped their antlers by mid- to late-March. You might find some bone in these places, or you might not. Smaller bucks may hold theirs longer, into March. Simply grab your chainsaw and cut down several trees in a small pocket (anywhere from a tenth of an acre to an acre or more). Grassy Buffer Strips The only other restriction that is also in place is the harassment of wildlife statute, which can be written to any individual who is harassing wildlife, including shed collectors. You may also find antlers on paths frequented by deer. 11. For example, yesterday coming home from work we saw a pair of antlers on the side of the road. Older bulls will also shed before younger bulls. Any grassy crop field edge is a must-search for antlers. But elk have been known to migrate up to 125 miles to seek these places to endure the winter. Shed Hunting Tips 1. Once you find an area like this, the probability of it being a great spot year after year will be high. For the past few years, Ive struggled to find elk antlers in the mountains of Colorado and quickly became frustrated withthe lack of my success. How Antler Drops Happen Use a good pair of binoculars to scan fields and woods for antlers that normally would have had to been walked up upon. If it's steep country there's usually more snow and glassing is a good strategy. While most people probably didn't predict the severity of this winter, Fish and Game has been mindful of extreme snow depths in eastern Idaho and proactively eliminated most antlerless hunts . In winter, deer often shift from the areas they frequented in the fall to take advantage of changing food availability and winter cover. Theres gold in them hills! Ive attached a press release to this email, but please feel free to contact me with any questions that you might have! Winter can be extremely difficult on wildlife as body weight is down and access to food is very limited. I spend as much time (if not more) in the woods during the spring as I do during hunting season. Finding Shed Antlers: Top 3 Locations. Its also where I have found many of my sheds. Finally, get out period, too many let laziness and the cold winds keep them indoors. You need to pretty much stick to trails and beds to find them. It feels like looking for an actual needle in a haystack after a while. To keep from wandering aimlessly the woods, it helps me to mark off grids with trees, rocks, logs, and other landmarks. They make up the majority of a deers diet during certain parts of the year, and are full of carbohydrates and protein, respectively. The act of shed antler hunting, as well as the illegal possession of each shed antler, are now viewed as separate offenses subject to individual fines. Deer antlers loosen, so obstacles in their path a branch, a patch of brush, a fence can knock them off. Since deer would typically drop their antlers in a feeding area during the night, youd have a great chance at finding a fresh deer antler before anyone else if youre up against other public land shed hunters. In 2018, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to prohibit shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 from January 1 through April 30, annually. Learn a bit about deer, and it's easier than you think. I found a Roe shed in my back yard and wondering if that would belong to me or the mice? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Im surprised at this article. As bulls drop their antlers, they leave the gang. But if you have any recent clear-cut areas from the year before, there is sure to be an abundance of young growth for deer to browse on. No, not the hiking trail. 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