Thoughtless shed hunters.

[heyoldguy]

So the kid was back in about 8 miles on foot from the truck and spots some 15 bulls just below a ridge. Four of them have shed. With the spotting scope he can see sheds in the snow next to the bulls laying there.

Thinks to himself, "Man, I could be over there in about 30 minutes. But there is no sense in bothering them as they may move on by tomorrow. I'll check out some other places and come back some other time."

He heads off and a short time later glasses back to where the bulls were. GONE! Why? Horse riders, about 100 yards from where the bulls were laying, riding right towards the empty beds.

I'd like to think they hadn't see the bulls. But some people don't care about the animals the way my son does.

 

[MT_55]

I don't know.. I guess if it were me I would have picked up the sheds. Maybe that makes me a bad person but I'm just being honest.

If your son knew that there were horseback riders over the ridge and that they were shed hunting would have he went to pick them up?

 

[heyoldguy]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-10-19 AT 08:52AM (MST)[p]Not with the elk there. He'd rather lose the sheds to someone else than be the one who disturbs the elk.

However, with no elk in sight, I've seen him race horses when they were headed towards some sheds he's glassed.

Oh, and not lose the race. He is a different animal. A few days prior he came out with his 40# pack and 85# of sheds tied to it. Yep, 125# on his back.

Wait! It's after 8:00AM, he isn't in the shop and his truck is gone! He's back up there!

 

[arns]

I feel sorry for your son walking that far for nothing but that's the world of horn hunting these days.10 or 15 years ago we would watch a herd of bulls till they had all dropped and then go in and pick up all their horns.Now they watch a herd and as soon as one drops one horn the race is on. I guess a lesson learned,don't wait because someone else will be right up your azz.That's the main reason I quit horn hunting.

 

[nfh]

125 pounds of sheds, so whats the complaint???? sounds like he is doing ok

 

[heyoldguy]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-10-19 AT 10:09AM (MST)[p]Complaint? I'd like to think of it more as an observation.

My son is an intelligent man, he has his code that he goes by and understands that others will have different rules they work with. He is also persistent, 17 trips to find one special deer shed before he found it.

He was disappointed that the bulls were chased out, but knew he could find them again later. He's darn good at what he does......and he didn't come out empty handed that day either. It'll be a few weeks before I can join him, the 71 year old body is harder to get in shape after the knees started to deteriorate.

 

[MT_55]

Thanks for clarifying your son's situation. I can certainly see why he didn't want to disturb those elk.

It's also kind of like the contractor that has 19 jobs lined up for the summer, he'll quote that 20th one with a lot of margin because it doesn't matter if he gets it or not. Walking out with 100lbs of sheds on your back the day before makes one feel pretty content with the odds that nobody will disturb those elk that are laying there. I also suspect that there was a little bit of side motivation knowing that half of those animals hadn't dropped yet and leaving them in the same place will result in even more antlers in the following days or weeks...?????????..as long as nobody else knows they are there

Good for you boy.. good luck to you guys in the coming weeks.

 

[BillyBoB]

I tend to lean on the idea it's an addiction or an obsession more than just ?thoughtless?

Glad your boy has been rewarded for his hard efforts.
His thoughts of the animals well being as the priority means he's got his head on straight.

Thank you




?Wildlife and its habitat cannot speak. So
we must and we will."
Theadore Roosevelt

 

[heyoldguy]

Quick update.

He went back in and it was snowing so much that he couldn't glass for the sheds. Even so remembered where some of them were laying and picked up three nice sheds that the riders missed. Now if he'll just stay home long enough to finish his latest project he started.......

 

[dragonshed]

Pretty sweet deal there. How much does a guy charge for one of those skulls? Also I find it hilarious that people ##### and moan when shed hunters "kick around elk" when during hunting season they are tracked from sunup to sundown, shot at, flown at, chased with horses etc. You have to ask yourself a couple of things. 1. are you putting animals on a pedestal? putting them above your fellow man? Are you turning into an animal rights activist? #2 Are the elk numbers in your state declining? Rising? holding steady?

It's just a bit depressing knowing that sportsmen have been the main culprits in advocating for shed seasons across the west. Is it jealousy? Real valid concern for animal welfare? Perceived but not Valid animal welfare concerns?

I agree certain wintering areas near extremely high population centers need some extra regulations in this day and age, but as a whole I believe that the shed seasons have been pushed by an uneducated group of sportsmen that have allowed the state wildlife departments to grab more control over public lands.

 

[Cooper]

I think it's just common sense not to push wintering animals around, it's crazy to think the government has to tell people what they should already know

 

[heyoldguy]

>Pretty sweet deal there. How much
>does a guy charge for
>one of those skulls?
>Also I find it hilarious
>that people ##### and moan
>when shed hunters "kick around
>elk" when during hunting season
>they are tracked from sunup
>to sundown, shot at, flown
>at, chased with horses etc.
>You have to ask yourself
>a couple of things. 1.
>are you putting animals on
>a pedestal? putting them above
>your fellow man? Are you
>turning into an animal rights
>activist? #2 Are the elk
>numbers in your state declining?
>Rising? holding steady?
>
>It's just a bit depressing knowing
>that sportsmen have been the
>main culprits in advocating for
>shed seasons across the west.
>Is it jealousy? Real valid
>concern for animal welfare? Perceived
>but not Valid animal welfare
>concerns?
>
>I agree certain wintering areas near
>extremely high population centers need
>some extra regulations in this
>day and age, but as
>a whole I believe that
>the shed seasons have been
>pushed by an uneducated group
>of sportsmen that have allowed
>the state wildlife departments to
>grab more control over public
>lands.


To speak directly with the man who makes the skulls, see TAXIDERMISTS/Idaho this website.

As to #1) I'm not in favor of shed seasons. But again Saturday, my son as he was hiking in another area, glassed bulls bedded. Before long they were up and gone.......another rider with a pack horse moving in on them.

On pedestals? Oh yeah, I'm putting their sheds on pedestals, wall and table mounts regularly.

#2) Though my son has actually seen wolves working the herds in the past month (they are doing good job of stressing the animals by themselves) there seems to be a plethora of game in the area (hence the wolves?).

 

[Gator]

Would love to see that skull with the antlers on it when he gets it done.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[heyoldguy]

>Would love to see that skull
>with the antlers on it
>when he gets it done.
>
>
>"I have found if you go
>the extra mile it's Never
>crowded".
>>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>>the MM green signature club.[font/]

I forgot to respond to this post. So....I think this is the skull, but I'm not really sure because he has done so many. He found the odd left shed and not the right, so he made a steel copy to match the left.

 

[Comules]

Nice