best place to find antler sheds in coloradobest place to find antler sheds in colorado

All of these factors make an area with evergreen cover preferred winter bedding for deer, and thus a great place to scoop sheds. They are crepuscular animals, meaning they excel at dawn and dusk (i.e., low-light situations), but their eyes are adapted to see well throughout the night too. 2. It includes the best descriptions yet of what a deer experiences when it sheds an antler his firsthand observations (and photos) suggest its as disorienting as you might imagine. Whitetail hunting strategies for the next generation. Bigger bulls and elk in general, prefer seclusion and will not tolerate human interaction, which is why you also find them at higher elevations. Like a good family recipe or secret bait, a lot of morel honey holes go to the grave with whomever found them. Restoring any closed widgets or categories. Youve got to look close, real close, says Drury. Once the snow melts, revisit those sites. For instance, Wyoming prohibits the collection of shed antlers and horns from January 1 through April 30 on public lands west of the Continental Divide. If last year was more on the dry side, antlers will drop sooner. If your shed hunting location has an average or above normal snowpack, figure out where the snow line was around the first or second week of April and you will find antlers at that elevation. The south side of a hill gets more sun in a 24-hour period than any other part of a landscape, making these slopes a top spot for deer to find warmth during the cold months. I use peanut butte in my mouse traps, wonder if that provides enough? * Target the areas where deer bed and where they move from bedding areas to feeding areas. OK, thats enough. This past Winter, snowfall was heavy in December, January, and February but March and April were mild with very little accumulation. It is also, in my experience, one of the most difficult habitats to search. Winter gives mule deer enough stress the way it is.. Once youre allowed onto the land, get to where you watched a bull group shrink, and start looking. Bucks will leave shed antlers pretty much anywhere. The CPW Commission chose to align its restrictions more closely with Wyoming, where Colorado gets its biggest influx of both shed antler hunters . Illinois, like Iowa, is another largely agricultural state which makes zeroing in on the big sheds fairly easy. Locate obstacles and the crossings. Eckley spends a lot of time in the forest. Whitetails essentially do just two things . That may seem like common sense, but youve probably walked by many because you werent looking. According to a 2013 article in Montana FWPs Montana Outdoors, an elks seasonal migration averages around 15 miles to a suitable winter range. We will also be working with local visitors bureaus to help get the information to people visiting Colorado. A shed hunt starts with glassing those small herds over time. 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. Stress can result in decreased body condition, increased mortality and decreased fawn/calf survival. While there are no guarantees in shed hunting, those spots are about as close as you can get. You might want to sell some, so how much are they worth? That may seem like common sense, but you've probably walked by many because you weren't looking. Parking will not be permitted in these zones beginning at 6:00pm on April 30. These areas include: Grassy buffer strips; Isolated evergreen areas; Hillsides that are facing south; Winter is the prime time when deer eat and bed. Opinions expressed on Cool Green Science and in any corresponding comments are the personal opinions of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Nature Conservancy. I recommend starting with the works of biologist Valerius Geist and photographer Leonard Lee Rue III. Harassing wildlife is a $137 violation that also includes 10 license suspension points. Try the Soft Shoe Roaming his Iowa farm one April day, Don Kisky stepped on what felt like a stick. I once found a perfect matched set lying in the shape of a cross.. Deer may occasionally shift to bed on the southern edges of spruce plantations so they can soak up the suns warmth while being protected from the norths icy winds. And, if youre lucky enough to spot one, mark the antlers location using OnX. Todays top biologists nix that idea, saying deer are probably unaware of when and where theyll lose their headgear. So, how does one play this game of hide and seek? Before bombing over to retrieve it, keep glassing from that vantage pointtheres likely another shed close by. Wyoming prohibits the collection of shed antlers and horns from January 1 through April 30 on public lands west of the Continental Divide. Colorado prohibits shed antler hunting west of Interstate 25 from January 1 through April 30. Elk shed hunting itself starts with glass, too, says Schaufler. The problem with these closures was that it was moving the antler collection pressure to other areas of the state with important winter range habitats. We have seen sheds but never been able to get to them! Elk are vulnerable in the early spring after enduring a long, cold winter. I was aware that the little guys did chew on antler sheds but I am still having a very hard time believing that what sheds I can haul off would have any effect on any part of the ecosystem. If your shed hunting location has an average or above normal snowpack, figure out where the snow line was around the first or second week of April and you will find antlers at that elevation. 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. Check your state regulations for salvage requirements, and if its unclear, call a local game warden for advice. Western shed hunters will backpack deep into the backcountry to find shed antlers from the biggest bulls in the unit. Identifying and recording which of these areas you find a shed will help you formulate your fall hunting strategy. The key thing to remember is that elk typically shed their antlers much later in the Spring than deer, so it is important to pay attention to snow accumulation. This past Winter, snowfall was heavy in December, January, and February but March and April were mild with very little accumulation. Note where you discover concentrated overwintering deer activity. These dates closely align with restrictions in neighboring states. The entire purpose of my blog is to document my findings as I embrace a new lifestyle in a much more extreme terrain and environment. 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. Just $1 per month , Read our guide and start finding more shed antlers, By Pine forests with a tall canopy help filter out snow, which keeps the snow levels in the understory very shallow. In your mind try to figure out what a buck was doing here two months ago in the cold and snow, where he was eating and going to bed. The terrain is tough, the air is thin and the distance is far, but If you are willing to put in the work, shed antler success will follow. You could find a shed anywhere in a buck's home range. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive The Colorado Beginner Elk Hunting Guide for FREE. Thats a great way to really increase your odds of finding a shed antler! When to Go: When deer shed their antlers is highly variable, and dependent on a number of factors. If it is raining lightly, that's fine. Diehard whitetail hunters pride themselves upon collecting the same bucks sheds, year after year. Hes also a long-time mule deer chaser and shed hunter. How Antler Drops Happen In an effort to minimize disruption to residential areas of East Jackson the Town Council has requested that several temporary No Parking zones be established in East Jackson on Broadway, Nelson, Rancher, Absaroka, Wapiti, Redmond and Simpson. Shawn PanickOur 20/20 vision will find antlers, but normally within a limited range. However, it is unlawful to collect sheds on private property unless a person has lawful access to that private property. With that being said, I believe any midwestern whitetail hunter can have success in their first season shed hunting for mule deer because a lot of the same principles apply. Some shed collectors use OHVs and snowmobiles in their search. Loud, fast-moving OHVs and snowmobiles are major sources of wildlife stress. Think smart and travel to areas with less hunting pressure where deers migrate to survive and drop their antlers. More importantly, fields like these are such a powerful magnet for whitetails that you could find shed antlers from deer youve never even seen on your property before. Spring scouting can help you gather valuable intel for the next hunting season. With his new rack the next fall, the deer would be Boone and Crockett, and living on Dons farm. Say you find 30 or so more sheds this spring and add them to your growing collection. The new Refuge access and travel regulations are explained in a news release on the web at http://1.usa.gov/21y0iuN . The second factor is the timing of last years rut. As we mentioned above, recently clear-cut areas provide tons of downed trees and limbs to offer a lot of concealment for whitetails. The best places to find shed antlers are areas that hold deer during certain parts of their daily routine, which increases the likelihood of you finding antlers. Mule deer are found at lower elevations during the winter months, making them easier to pattern and are easily accessible. The survival of wildlife relies heavily on keeping as many calories as possible until the green shoots pop up, heralding spring's return. They make up the majority of a deers diet during certain parts of the year, and are full of carbohydrates and protein, respectively. Keep your search humane and. Bucks drop their racks from late December in the North through March and April in the South. Grassy Buffer Strips (just ask homeless hermit crabs!) Weather, snow depth, altitude and particularly food availability and nutritional value can influence when antler loss takes place. 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). As an elk hunting guide for almost half of my life, Ive cultivated this land into my office. 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. The Pro-Cam 12 is a great trail camera that you can use throughout the year to keep tabs on the deer herd. Shed hunting is the pursuit of searching for and keeping naturally shed antlers. But odds are good that 90 percent or more of the antlers you discover are going to be found in one of three locations: bedding areas, transition corridors, and feeding areas. Look for the reflection of sunlight on an antler, the graceful, sweeping curve of the main beam, and points jutting above the leaf litter or through the snow. Knowing deer spend so much time snoozing winter away in these spots makes them prime for shed hunting. The key thing to remember is that elk typically shed their antlers much later in the Spring than deer, so it is important to pay attention to snow accumulation. But all the other undesirable trees can be fully cut down or hinge-cut. Now that you have a good idea of where to start your search for antlers, and have secured permission to access as many private fields and woods that you can, get out there and go. We have no sheds yet and are going deer hunting tomorrow. Cover lots of ground in a slow, methodical manner and youll find twice as many sheds as you might have in the past. Delivered weekly. Its impossible to predict exactly when a bull elk will shed his antlers, but a couple of factors can help you predict the timing of the drop. The first is the amount of snowfall the previous year. Sheds are as visible as theyll ever be, and ripe for the taking. The tall, fallow grass that runs along or through crop fields are what Im always seeking out. "In all deer species, antlers are biological 'luxuries.' In winter when a buck's antlers are dropping, his life revolves around finding the best quality food to replenish his body after the peak rut period. Copyright - Muddy Outdoors - Powered by, Shed Hunting | The Pros and Cons of Finding Dead Heads, The Power of Perennials | Spring Food Plots. Bone will shine and catch your eye. I spend as much time (if not more) in the woods during the spring as I do during hunting season. Bull elk prefer seclusion at higher elevations during Winter months. This is independent of other bucks cycles and is probably centered on birth date. Sometimes bucks will shed one antler immediately after the other, and other times a week or so will pass before the second one falls. Everyone involved in recreation needs to help educate people who are out on public lands. Finding shed antlers in the tangled thick grasses or cattails isnt easy though. As a prey species, elk naturally prefer steep and rugged terrain. We anticipate that between 100 to 200 vehicles, many with horse trailers, will be looking for a place to park as close to the Elk Refuge Road as possible in order to access the National Forest, said Police Chief Todd Smith. The method is pretty simple: Drive every inch of the roads that the elk or deer travel and glass any possible location where they could have lost an antler. Take a look through and see if any places come to mind on the land you shed hunt. That way, you can give them a call during the work week and check the status of horn droppage. Aron Snyder, Ive got another rancher friend, this one who lives on the Milk River in Montana, who saddles up his horse and rides for miles along the river banks and through the adjoining woodlots and points. Whether covered in grass or mixed shrubs and tree cover, the south side of ridges can create dynamite winter bedding areas for bucks. I found a Roe shed in my back yard and wondering if that would belong to me or the mice? If youve shed hunted long enough, youll recognize that those spots almost always hold an antler or two. You need to pretty much stick to trails and beds to find them. Weve listed some of the best places to find shed antlers below. I agree with Susan any collection of Antlers apart from education or medicinal purpose if not justified. Its also where I have found many of my sheds. Look for gentle slopes that face south or west Most years, big mule deer are going to drop their antlers during the last couple weeks of January. All Rights Reserved. As more people enjoy each season that Colorado has to offer, and new forms of recreation continue to emerge, it will be very important for CPW staff to work with recreation organizations, land-use management agencies and local communities to get the word out. Mule deer and cow elk will be found closer to roads and human traffic, but dont be fooled by these visuals. The specific time a buck will shed his antlers might be determined heavily by his individual antler cycle. Susan any collection of antlers apart from education or medicinal purpose if not justified to!, a lot of concealment for whitetails prohibits the collection of antlers apart from education medicinal... You could find a shed will help you formulate your fall hunting strategy with evergreen cover preferred winter areas... Prefer steep and rugged terrain and wondering if that provides enough his new rack the hunting! Target the areas where deer bed and where theyll lose their headgear April the! 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