Shed Antler Season for Utah ???

BrowningRage · Apr 14, 2015

Hey guys - I've been wondering how most guys here in Utah would feel about a "Shed Season" rather than an "Open Season"..??

I'm referring to something like Wyoming or Montana or restricted areas where the "Shed Season" has an opening date...

I have never actively engaged in shed hunting. I have found several smaller antlers as I've been out in the hills hunting, but I have avoided actually taking a trip to hunt for sheds for one reason only: Early-Season Pressure

As Utah allows shed hunting beginning Feb. 1st, as a casual horn hunter, I would be prone to taking just one trip somewhere where I might find some bone. Let's say I decided to hunt deer horn around the Henry's for example. Since its a 6 hours drive, and I'd only be able to go a couple days, I'd need to plan the trip late enough that the weather would be okay, and I knew I could get access on the roads leading in there, and that most of the animals had dropped. The trouble is that by the time I feel comfortable enough taking my trip down there (most likely in March) there have already been guys horn-hunting 24/7 for a month or more, picking up antlers as they watch them fall from the heads of the animals they are watching.

So my first question is, how would you all feel about an opening date as late as May 1st (like Wyoming)..??

How would you feel if Utah started requiring a permit..??

Is horn-hunting the new deer hunt..?? Go where you want, when you want... Except you get to take as much as you can find..??

I'd like to hear some thoughts...

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

Bulldog · Apr 14, 2015

I think that it's a horrible idea to let utah control any more of our hunting lives!!! Plus it won't stop the poeple from going out early and picking up sheds?! Wyoming still has a problem with people going out and collecting befor may 1. All that will do is hurt the guy who is honest and obeys the law. I feel utah is good where it is at! By the way utah does have a shed hunting permit/ pass that you have to keep on you between a certain time period( ethics course). I personally have never been asked to show it to a dnr officer

Deerlove · Apr 14, 2015

I read where a couple of Wy guys got caught, and they were punished with no hunting for three years!

hornkiller · Apr 14, 2015

it stops only the good guys from finding shed. its the worst idea you could come up with! all I see is old boot tracks and wheeler tracks everwhere on may 1st in wy.

elkassassin · Apr 14, 2015

Let's Start enforcing Laws already in Place!

Like Illegal Bastards on Wheelers & Trucks trouncing everything in Sight!

Lot's of people in the Basin this year without Jobs!

Illegal ##### Tracks everywhere!

LAZY SOB's!

We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!

BrowningRage · Apr 14, 2015

Since a couple guys have commented, I'm wondering then, if there are no Shed Hunt dates, how does a casual, employed citizen compete to find sheds..?

As a Weekend warrior..?

Even then, How can I expect to find anything when I know dozens of guys that can be out there everyday, or do it for 'a living'...?

Also, I'm not suggesting Utah create dates, I'd rather they not... But what do you guys that shed hunt 'casually' do to compete for sheds..? I used to think summer trips for sheds would be fun, but everyone's pickin up bone on Feb. 1st these days.

So it seems that in order to have a chance at sheds, I've got to go in late Feb and hope some antlers have been dropped and the weather allows access...

Also, I've seen the illegal ATV crap out in the Book Cliffs. It was a couple years ago when we were hunting. Hiked out across an open area to get to a canyon. As we crossed the open area, the ATV tracks were like a friggin grid. Back and forth, back and forth. I always figured CO guys do that over along the border...

So I guess that's it. Go early and go often. Weekend warriors, don't bother. :-(

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

elkassassin · Apr 14, 2015

Hey BR!

It's Perty Sad what it's come too!

Hiked in this last Sunday!

Still a little Early!

Half the PISSCUTTER Bulls I seen were still Packin!

I've Hit this Spot for 35 Years!

It Ain't a Place where you Find Big Sheds!

I get in there this Last Sunday Morning & Some Asssholle has Beat the Piss out of their Truck & drove everywhere in a Flat Ass Closed area!

Been several Illegal Wheelers as Well as Usuall,but the LAZY TARD in the Truck Blows my mind!

Guaranteed this Truck has many,many Pin Stripes from all the Brush & Vegetation He's destroyed!

Antler Prices are Up!

Jobs are Scarce out here with Many TARDS Un-Employed & it's been hit harder than ever!

Once again!

The USFS/BLM/DWR has let things get out of hand without hardly any Enforcement!

So Who get's SCREWED again?

Yup!

The Guy trying to do things Right & Ethical!

There are people out there this year doing it for a Living!

If they can't Enforce Illegal Vehicle Travel how do you suggest Enforcing a Shed Hunt date?

We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!

BrowningRage · Apr 14, 2015

"If they can't Enforce Illegal Vehicle Travel how do you suggest Enforcing a Shed Hunt date?"

I'm afraid you're right my friend... :-(

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

TheOneRidgeRunner · Apr 14, 2015

I'm with all the others, no shed season... Yes you'll run into tracks no matter where you go. The problem with a season is only the honest and law abiding will sit out until the opening day. Where would the line be drawn? Let's stop all winter activity's, that's right, no more late season cow elk hunts, no lion hunts, no coyote hunting Dec through may, no spring bear, or turkey hunts. Not sure how Wyoming controls these issues but I know there won't be anyway to control it here in Utah.

hornkiller · Apr 14, 2015

wy dont control it! you hear of 1 or 2 guys getting caught every year. but when there is 400+ douche bags out there poaching sheds every year thats not very good numbers for f&g!they dont have enuf badges to enforce a law why have it?

elkassassin · Apr 14, 2015

Same thing here hornkiller!

I guess when everything is Completely Destroyed they might do something about it?

I'd expect the DWR to start selling Shed Licenses before long!

Rather there's a Season or not!

We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!

Squirrel · Apr 15, 2015

YES!!!
We (all of us) need equality of outcome for shed hunting. And the only way to get there is for government to level the playing field.

It would be nice for those who can walk farther would have to put a percentage of their sheds out closer to the roads preferably in the open dirt for those who don't want to walk way back there...

It would also be preferable if nobody was allowed to shed hunt within 4 hrs drive of their house so those with local knowledge have to give that up too.

Permits... duh of course! Season dates... Hell yeah! FINES ... steeper the better look at all the good they would do if they just had more money...

Now dis-inventing the ATV??? I would like that but will not hold my breath...

All the morons on this site refer to "professional horn hunters", I find more than anybody I know and would never claim to make money at it let alone a "living"... (although I do fudge numbers in my favor during "marital discussions")

Brings to mind the "Outlaw Josie Wales" quote, "dyin aint much of a livin boy"

And yet the fewer the idiots find the more they stress all the "free money " they make doing it. Been that way for 25 years and only getting worse with more competition.

I have actually gone looking for antlers a couple times and will give you guys some free advice. If you are out there for the horns you need to re-focus, it's not the destination that matters, it's the journey, most never learn that, and they are worse off because of it.

pymulies · Apr 15, 2015

Don't allow it.

It only keeps the honest people from hunting sheds.

Its all a load of BS.

I've pretty much stopped hunting them due to the stupid foot races and poor sportsmanship that comes from the me first attitude.

py

bbrown · Apr 15, 2015

I love squirrel's posts! He's one of the few guys that make any sense on this site.

Squirrel · Apr 15, 2015

Yer box of 2 pts is in the mail bbrown...

bbrown · Apr 15, 2015

Could you send em ups? I don't want to walk all the way to the mail box

overthere · Apr 15, 2015

We don't need a shed season we need a four wheeler season there is too many people work out in the field to worry about a shed season

Squirrel · Apr 15, 2015

yep but you might find some #2's down at the bottom... been a tough year... You might need the long walk to the mailbox... works the winter lard off. Myself I'm workin' on the 400 mile window 'cording to my fancy new phone. Guess I need more restrictions, (gov't imposed of course) Damn and I thought ibuprophen was what I needed... silly me.

bbrown · Apr 15, 2015

400 miles, dang! You're earning them two points.

Hey Overthere, I haven't seen any pics posted yet. How'd you do this year?

BrowningRage · Apr 15, 2015

Thanks for the opinions guys.

Ultimately, those that don't abide by the law, hurt us all. I don't think a season would benefit those of us that would obey.

I'm guessing that it will take me a few years, but I think it's just going to take me trying out a few locations until I find one where animals at least hang out and will give me and my kids a shot at finding some bone. (My oldest is only 4, so I've got time).

I hope I wasn't putting those of you who sell sheds down. I plan on finding sheds just to have in my home. I think it's cool to find sheds since they are small, don't move, and are generally hard to find. Hiking a few miles to do so is the best part.

But in the end, if I drive for 5 or 6 hours and spend a day and a half hiking the hills, yes, I would like to pick up a shed or two...

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

overthere · Apr 15, 2015

We did okay not the best I posted some pics

HNTBIGBULLS · Apr 16, 2015

Shed seasons do not work! Ask the
state of Idaho, May 1st opener all
you find is boot and horse tracks!!!

elkun · Apr 19, 2015

squirrel. and what do you think our wildlife is getting out of this. out of all the antlers you've picked up , what did you give back to wildlife? The same with most of you take .take take.2,000.000 in antlers sold in Utah. wild life gets o % fff joke...

NVPete · Apr 19, 2015

Hunting sheds is no different than any kind of hunting...I do it for the fun and adventure, whether I find anything or not (my "end result" is in the TRYING). To others, the end result (a pile of antlers)is the goal, or a commercial gain. I hardly saw ANY deer while collecting a pile of sheds (28)so far this year, and only 4 were this year's, and 20 or so were prior to April 1. I would abide by antler collecting season if it was law, but I personally feel it would be too hard to enforce...and 'cheaters gonna cheat'!

hunter_614 · Apr 20, 2015

Go further in the back country (away from roads) Alot of the people watching them drop are doing it from a vehicle and will not travel far from the vehicle if they do not know there is an antler sitting there. I have picked up several antlers in heavy trafficked areas as well, they can not find them all and neither will you. I have started going after work 2-4 hours after a 10 hour work day. It takes a lot of time and miles but you can find them.

Ticks N Tines · Apr 20, 2015

>But in the end, if I
>drive for 5 or 6
>hours and spend a day
>and a half hiking the
>hills, yes, I would like
>to pick up a shed
>or two...

Do your research and scouting and you will find sheds. I don't care where you go, nobody can pick them all up. People can clean house pretty good, but there will always be whites and chalks in every area that get missed. It's hard to compete with locals and guys without jobs and families, but it can be done. Several of us do it each year. I take one big trip to CO, one to NV, and one to WY and we find stuff every year even after it's been raped. If you put down enough boot tracks, you are bound to find something.

Pooner · Apr 20, 2015

Browning, my advice would be to find a new hobby if you aren't already hooked. I wish the shed prices would drop way down personally. It gets worse every year, and will only continue to get worse every year. Squirrel made an awesome point, which I fully believe myself, its about the time outside, not about the the bone I bring home. Although I sure get excited when I see a big shed.

nfh · Apr 20, 2015

You start placing in rules/laws then down the road it expands into more control over us. Before you know it you cant enjoy the outdoors then you the rules expand into no horses and so on and so on and so on

Gunnie3035 · Apr 21, 2015

Seems awful similar to the big game point system and the auction tags. More restriction in the voice of equality. We all make personal choices on what to pursue or not pursue in life. Some choose to chase the almighty dollar and purchase auction or landowner tags. Some make the personal choice to forfeit other life events to hunt whatever. We all have the same opportunity to make personal choices. And that same opportunity means equality. Why should some dedicated individuals get restricted by other peoples priorities. Life is all about choices not self-perceived fairness or equality.

And there ain't nobody makin a livin off of the direct gathering of shed horns. As other have said it is all about the journey.

BrowningRage · Apr 22, 2015

I agree whole-heartedly Gunnie... I believe I will have to start to sacrifice other spring activities in order to pursue sheds. As my kids get older, I hope they will enjoy some spring camping and hiking in the hills for sheds with their dad. It's a tradition that I think I have to start with my kids because hunting gets harder and harder (it seems)... So, shed hunting is another outdoor activity we can pursue together...

As with any hunt, the harvest of an animal is the cherry on top. With sheds, a rare find is the cherry on top. The adventure and the bonding is what makes it wroth the time.

Thanks for all the responses guys. I think its pretty obvious where most of us stand on the idea of a "shed season"...

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

everbrownshed · Apr 26, 2015

Shed hunting is a effn joke now. A season will never ever work. What needs to happen is for the sport to go underground like it used to be, but that will never happen either.

Squirrel · Apr 27, 2015

OK Elkun,

I'll play if you want to. I was out chasing gobbles for a week and given the choice of sitting here with an argumentative idiot on MM or out in the woods having fun you didn't quite measure up to my test...

Do you really want my list of what I did for wildlife over the last 50 years??? I did not think so, but if you actually do I will bore you with it, just ask.

No you want me to give MY MONEY, to a THIRD PARTY(and possibly even some to lil' ol' elkun). I know this because 9besides being a sharp little squirrel) the last time I put a hundred on a hay bale the deer left it and ate the hay, it would appear that wildlife really doesn't desire money.

Now comes the part where you have to do something besides whine and throw insults, your specialty (along with many of your brethren here on MM). Tell me how much money I have to pay (and how you arrive at that figure) and to whom I have to give it to.

Now I know with you being the genius that you are you can see the next move on the chess board, I'm going to ask you HOW THAT WOULD BENEFIT WILDLIFE...

WAIT!!!! don't answer that yet, I just wanted you to have a peak at the playbook to make this fair, just answer the two questions and spend some thinking time (I know its hard) as the follow up depends somewhat on your 2 answers/explanation.

OR... you can just reiterate that I am a low life, declare moral victory and move on to your next internet conquest.

PS Gunnie that is a very well thought, well written post, you don't fit in here at all... move along!

wstrntines · May 4, 2015

I think the only way a shed season can work for shed hunters if all the rocky mountain states had the same day. Then you'd have to pick and choose and it'd keep the numbers down. Shed hunting is fun but it's getting super competitive and you have to spend your whole winter and spring to keep up with some of these guys. And it can be tough to beat the poachers in states with regs.

wstrntines · May 4, 2015

Shed hunting is super popular today I wished it wasn't but it got alot of exposure you don't have to draw a tag ect. And in Utah it's really blew up. Now this winter has made it a little tougher as far as finding a ton. But as far as a shed season the only way it's gonna be effective is all the surrounding States pick the same day. Then you are in the delima of choosing where you want to spend the opener. This then makes it to where you won't have So much pressure in one spot like Wyoming this year I've never seen so many shed hunters. But then you have to try to police it as well. I don't know what else to think I believe utah needs a season. And it's inevitable that it will happen there is alot of people out on the winter range all the time. As for this shed wars show they seem like cool guys but I'm not excited about the hype it's gonna bring to an already over popular fun activity