NFR: Shed Hunting?

[Panhandle]

I've really got into horn hunting the past two years. The Selkirk wilderness is behind my house, and since February I have literally hiked 100's of miles of game trails...... not one horn. I basically just cross country hike, finding game trails and following them for miles. Why am I not finding anything? I know elk start shedding now, but I would think I'd have found some Moose Paddles or deer tines by now. I know it was a tough winter and the deer may have shedded in groups down low, but what about moose? Advice strongly welcomed. :)

[Nate Dutton]

I have done well shed hunting where those animals spend the most time...i.e. any fields/clearings that you know the animals frequent. I know it really isn't much but that is how i have had most of my sucess..key in on those places and around those places....Good Luck i haven't found a really good shed yet this year just some small mulies..Waiting for the big one i know i will find:)

[Mark Speer]

Pan, while I am not a horn hunter..a couple of friends are. They say most of their success comes not from as much "walking" as it does from spotting them with binoculars or spotting scopes. They will sit for 15 to 20 minutes just scoping around. They are very successful at it. In talking to them... the 15-minute sit will make up hours of walking around hoping to stumble on some. Don’t know if this helps, so take it for what it is worth. They are both avid hunters also, so they know where they big bulls are at most of the year.

[Panhandle]

Mark, I never thought about that. Makes sense. I guess I need to go get a nice pair of binoculars. :)

[IveofIone]

The best find this year-right in the driveway 100' from the house! Ive

[Old Man]

I think I'm losing my mind. Shed hunting. You hunting for shed's now. How do they taste.

I get the picture. I'm not that dense.

Jim

[LD]

You need to know where the winter. Especially the bulls, bucks. If you are not there will be lots of hiking for the excersize. Next year really pay attention to where the animalis are. You are probably right about them being low this year.

[Panhandle]

I'm concentrating my efforts where I've seen moose and deer all winter long. I run in to them, especially the moose, on a regular basis, so I must be in the right area. The game trails I follow have fresh crap as well. It kind of feels like steelheading; I know they're there, but I can't seem to find them. :beathead:

[Otis28]

I think I'm losing my mind. Shed hunting. You hunting for shed's now. How do they taste.

Jim

How do they taste? Jim can you at least try to be serious once in awhile.

Pan I think this might be a case of you just searching to hard for a shed, walking around the hills following game trails for miles. I spotted several nice looking sheds today when I drove by Ziggy's and they deliver.

Otis28

[Dick Ross]

Deer and moose lose their antlers begining about the middle of Dec.-middle of January. The elk lose theirs the first of March thru end of March. Different winters bring different areas that they are in at that time. I have a friend with a dog that finds most of his (which is many every year). The deer and Moose this year were down much lower much quicker this year. Areas that had been good for me in the past had none, moved down in elevation and started finding horns.

[CoastalCutt]

Saw about a 130" 5x5 today in the fields near North BEnd, still had his horns. WEIRD! Winter won't die, the horns won't fall. The world is coming to an end.

[adamj]

Pan just start looking low where all the deer are hanging out still i have found quite a few sheds already for what time i have actually looked. but mostly a very close friend of mine has it down for finding them just grid out a hill side and start walking. Look for something that doesn't belong on the ground.

[Charlie Erdman]

There is this guy who lives in Harpster, ID. His name is Lyle and I believe there is a picture of him in Zen's gallery. He is a shed hunter jedi.

[Jake Bannon]

Our friend is big into shed hunting, Ive done it a few times and found a few antlers but nothing too big. His trick is he glasses bulls day after day until he notices that one or more of them has dropped. Its then he combs the hillside for the missing antlers. It can be tough if you are in thick country but it can be done. These are freshies our friend has found just this year.

[Jake Bannon]

Saw about a 130" 5x5 today in the fields near North BEnd, still had his horns. WEIRD! Winter won't die, the horns won't fall. The world is coming to an end.


I had always thought that mature bulls were the first to drop then deer but I may be incorrect. Though a 130" blacktail wis a pretty big buck for Western Wash.

[CoastalCutt]

I had always thought that mature bulls were the first to drop then deer but I may be incorrect. Though a 130" blacktail wis a pretty big buck for Western Wash.

Sorry, misleading sentence. A small framed 5x5 bull elk.

[Old Man]

Here in Montana they open up lands for the gathering of these antlers. They know where the Elk winter so they also know where they shed their antlers. I was up in the Highlands about a week ago and came across a herd of Elk but they were all anterless.

Jim

[Michael&Tanner]

I found this beauty a while back....




I'm sorry.

I just couldn't resist...


Really.

[obiwankanobi]

There is this guy who lives in Harpster, ID. His name is Lyle and I believe there is a picture of him in Zen's gallery. He is a shed hunter jedi.


Its somewhat easy to find sheds around Harpster only if you have perms to horn hunt on private land. I have rancher friends that have in the past given me permission to horn hunt in the valley's along the grade and have amassed quite a collection. I saw a large cougar the last time I was around that area.

[Josh Benjamin]

2 weeks ago a lot of bulls were still packing in the blues in s.e. wa.
i have had success with moose paddles on roads that are closed to vehicle access if the timber around is very thick. between the snow and thick vegetation, the moose use the roads to travel. we found the sheds of 4 different bulls within 200 yards of each other last year all on a road where no vehicles had been all winter.

[ribka]

Try bedding areas. Thick brush and draws, South facing. As mentioned glassing beforehand works too. Can't tell you the number of times walked through an area and have not seen sheds . Go back next time and very visible. Kind of a "zen" thing to finding sheds
My wife and I have found quite a lot this year.

[Randy Diefert]

I was horse back riding down at Mount St. Helens on Friday and saw several big bulls that still had there horns. Maybe this weird winter weather has something to with it. also, we saw 4 decomposing elk that must've got tired walking through all of that mudflow area.