Shed Hunting

[mnoland30]

Here in NM it is illegal to take a skull of elk or deer. I've found some really nice elk over the years. My buddy is a dedicated shed hunter and he told me to look on the south slopes. I've also found quite a few in steep stream bottoms. Understand that in NM, stream bottoms are usually dry. Does anybody here sell sheds? Last year they were going for $17/lb.

 

[Diamondt]

Here in NM it is illegal to take a skull of elk or deer. I've found some really nice elk over the years. My buddy is a dedicated shed hunter and he told me to look on the south slopes. I've also found quite a few in steep stream bottoms. Understand that in NM, stream bottoms are usually dry. Does anybody here sell sheds? Last year they were going for $17/lb.

Actually, it is only illegal in NM to keep the skull(with antlers attached) with out purchasing the skull from NM DGF (usually $5-10.00). If you find one, haul it in and call a game warden to come look at it, and give you a paid receipt to authorize possession of said skull. This also applies to the other game animals also; sheep, goats, and predators

 

[George Dean]

Actually, it is only illegal in NM to keep the skull(with antlers attached) with out purchasing the skull from NM DGF (usually $5-10.00). If you find one, haul it in and call a game warden to come look at it, and give you a paid receipt to authorize possession of said skull. This also applies to the other game animals also; sheep, goats, and predators

What utter nonsense! One more wacky law ...

 

[Deputy Sheriff]

This years finds and saved the best from other years.

 

[codyadams]

Does anybody here sell sheds? Last year they were going for $17/lb.

To each their own, but I personally refuse to sell them. As soon as people saw the money in it, the whole shed hunting sport blew up, and got ridiculous. That is why shed hunting seasons had to be implemented, at least here in Wyoming. People chasing large elk with snow machines to get their antlers and such. And the fact that G&F have to try so hard to keep people from poaching antlers is pathetic. I expect better from our community (hunters) but unfortunately many have no morals or integrity when money is involved.

A great example of these kinds of people, this opening day I began hiking up a drainage with my 4 year old daughter in my back pack, my 8 year old daughter on one side of the drainage about 20 yards away, and my 10 year old son on the other about the same distance. I'm talking to them about respecting nature, we were picking up trash as we seen it, and enjoying our hike as a family. When we started up the drainage, I saw two 30-something year old guys take off from their truck in our direction, from about a half mile back. Naturally, my group wasn't moving fast. Instead of going up one of the other drainages, they came up the one we were headed up. Not sure if they saw the couple antlers on my pack or what. They hoofed it up from behind us, eventually caught and passed us, breathing heavy. After they passed us, they slowed down to barely faster than us, looking for sheds. I used this as an example to my children of how not to act, but it was a rather pathetic show of sportsmanship in my opinion.

The money in the antler trade has brought out the worst in many hunters unfortunately. So, all the ones we find, we keep for home decor, and the rough ones may go to the dogs for chew toys. I have absolutely nothing against those that follow the rules, do it right, and act like true sportsman and sell their sheds, I just personally won't support it. I have had a bad taste in my mouth from what the money side of it has brought out, especially working in law enforcement.

Sorry for the derailment, to add to my previous post and stay on topic, I noticed here in Wyoming (due to the hard winter) the sheds were not in their typical locations. There was a crazy number of winter kill, it was pretty sad to see.

 

[74honker]

To each their own, but I personally refuse to sell them. As soon as people saw the money in it, the whole shed hunting sport blew up, and got ridiculous. That is why shed hunting seasons had to be implemented, at least here in Wyoming. People chasing large elk with snow machines to get their antlers and such. And the fact that G&F have to try so hard to keep people from poaching antlers is pathetic. I expect better from our community (hunters) but unfortunately many have no morals or integrity when money is involved.

A great example of these kinds of people, this opening day I began hiking up a drainage with my 4 year old daughter in my back pack, my 8 year old daughter on one side of the drainage about 20 yards away, and my 10 year old son on the other about the same distance. I'm talking to them about respecting nature, we were picking up trash as we seen it, and enjoying our hike as a family. When we started up the drainage, I saw two 30-something year old guys take off from their truck in our direction, from about a half mile back. Naturally, my group wasn't moving fast. Instead of going up one of the other drainages, they came up the one we were headed up. Not sure if they saw the couple antlers on my pack or what. They hoofed it up from behind us, eventually caught and passed us, breathing heavy. After they passed us, they slowed down to barely faster than us, looking for sheds. I used this as an example to my children of how not to act, but it was a rather pathetic show of sportsmanship in my opinion.

The money in the antler trade has brought out the worst in many hunters unfortunately. So, all the ones we find, we keep for home decor, and the rough ones may go to the dogs for chew toys. I have absolutely nothing against those that follow the rules, do it right, and act like true sportsman and sell their sheds, I just personally won't support it. I have had a bad taste in my mouth from what the money side of it has brought out, especially working in law enforcement.

Sorry for the derailment, to add to my previous post and stay on topic, I noticed here in Wyoming (due to the hard winter) the sheds were not in their typical locations. There was a crazy number of winter kill, it was pretty sad to see.

This right here 100%. I've heard some bad stuff over the years about this. Theft and tresspassing and whatnot. Same kind of thing goes on here during morel mushroom season. Poachers sell them to highest bidder. We keep the old folks stocked for free cause that's what you should do.

 

[bscman]

We aren't really shed hunters, but she found this THICK crab claw 7pt when she jumped out of the truck to... stretch. It's been sitting a couple years. We spent two hours scouring the area for the other side. Nope.

Very few elk in this area. We haven't had an open elk season here in my 25 years of hunting.

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

My son and I have pick up a few a couple months ago. Found a couple decent match sets.

 

[mnoland30]

When I called NM Game & Fish about two dead bulls I found, they told me I couldn't collect them.

 

[DNB]

I had stopped for a few years but cabin fever forced me to get out and hike this spring. I ended up with 11 browns and 4 last years. There were trucks at every trailhead but they sure were missing lots of bone. Theres a lot of country out there for a bone to hide.

 

[Diamondt]

When I called NM Game & Fish about two dead bulls I found, they told me I couldn't collect them.

Quote from current proclamation, page 31:
"It is unlawful to possess the head, horns, or antlers of any big game species found in the field without a receipt from NMDGF (except for shed antlers ). "
Secretaries answer the phone; some are very knowledgeable and helpful, other got the job because they checked one or more boxes.......

 

[yobuck]

My son was at our camp in Cameron county Pa. and had been watching a nice bull for a few days hanging around there.
One day he noticed that he had dropped a horn, and was acting a bit weird by shaking his head.
Probably a bit off balance as a result of having just one horn.
Anyway as he was watching him the other horn came off.
So he walked up to where he had been and both horns were only about 50 feet apart.
A nice 6x7 set.

 

[Blkrflguy]

I did pretty good. I got skunked last year and didn't find one Elk shed. Made up for it this time.

 

[Blkrflguy]

To each their own, but I personally refuse to sell them. As soon as people saw the money in it, the whole shed hunting sport blew up, and got ridiculous. That is why shed hunting seasons had to be implemented, at least here in Wyoming. People chasing large elk with snow machines to get their antlers and such. And the fact that G&F have to try so hard to keep people from poaching antlers is pathetic. I expect better from our community (hunters) but unfortunately many have no morals or integrity when money is involved.

A great example of these kinds of people, this opening day I began hiking up a drainage with my 4 year old daughter in my back pack, my 8 year old daughter on one side of the drainage about 20 yards away, and my 10 year old son on the other about the same distance. I'm talking to them about respecting nature, we were picking up trash as we seen it, and enjoying our hike as a family. When we started up the drainage, I saw two 30-something year old guys take off from their truck in our direction, from about a half mile back. Naturally, my group wasn't moving fast. Instead of going up one of the other drainages, they came up the one we were headed up. Not sure if they saw the couple antlers on my pack or what. They hoofed it up from behind us, eventually caught and passed us, breathing heavy. After they passed us, they slowed down to barely faster than us, looking for sheds. I used this as an example to my children of how not to act, but it was a rather pathetic show of sportsmanship in my opinion.

The money in the antler trade has brought out the worst in many hunters unfortunately. So, all the ones we find, we keep for home decor, and the rough ones may go to the dogs for chew toys. I have absolutely nothing against those that follow the rules, do it right, and act like true sportsman and sell their sheds, I just personally won't support it. I have had a bad taste in my mouth from what the money side of it has brought out, especially working in law enforcement.

Sorry for the derailment, to add to my previous post and stay on topic, I noticed here in Wyoming (due to the hard winter) the sheds were not in their typical locations. There was a crazy number of winter kill, it was pretty sad to see.

Boy I couldn't agree more with this! SPOT ON. Where I shed hunt it's turned into a freaking circus! I turned two people in with the warden on site after he showed up prior to start, and he caught them 300 yrds in. I and and another hunter watched them jump the gate before the start time. About two weeks before the start date I saw a sign stapled to a gate post from a company that buys the sheds. I took that sign and one more at another gate, and tossed them in the trash! I too live in Wy currently. And although I work for myself in an engineering field, many people in Wy don't have gainful employment, and don't support any growth at all. So they cut their own throats for real jobs. This attitude breeds the money hungry shed hunter mentality, IMO. I'm glad that WGF have changed the laws for next year to not permit out of staters to participate until a week after. I've heard about the circus in Jackson the last several years and the 200+ cars in line there. Many were from out of state as i saw a picture of the license plates.