Oddly Quiet

notdonhunting · Mar 17, 2021

I am not a big antler hunter I like to get out with my boy and my brother maybe 2 or 3 times a spring, mostly just some good hikes and some good bulls#$%&^* going on. We normally will try a new part of the State and grab lunch at one of the local food joints, there is some good burgers and some interesting Mexican dishes that you can find in some of these small towns across Utah. But we do always have a good time.
I know it is still a little early for elk, but agood amount of the bucks have dropped, and verry few posts.
I personally don't do Facebook or Instagram but my boy checks them out he says there is some posts of sheds but not alot.
What is the reason for the lack of posts?
Is it results from the deer numbers being down, is it from guys are just not posting like they used to or is it lack of opportunity, there has been a fair amount of storms throughout the western states over the last few weeks.
What do some of you more serious or not so serious shed hunters think?

Bluehair · Mar 17, 2021

Maybe it’s not shed season yet?

notdonhunting · Mar 17, 2021

Bluehair you are right, some of the states are closed but others aren't. Utah you just need to take the DWR Ethics course if you want to shed hunt.
I normally don't get out until April sometime when it is a little dryer. I really don't like mucking around in the snow and mud.

bonepicker · Mar 17, 2021

For me, I am hunting more but finding less. Fewer deer as we all know. The bad winter a few years ago really hammered the deer. I used to have the occasional 20-30 antler day, now I am happy if I find 3-4. I’m just not going to post about finding a spike and a couple 3 points.

nfh · Mar 17, 2021

Plenty of shed hunting sites on Facebook that have lots of post. Lot of the groups you have to join to see the post.

For me personally I don't post shed pictures anymore

Cooper · Mar 17, 2021

I haven’t had a chance to get out yet, with weather like this we’ve been farming already, I’m kind of ahead on stuff that I usually do in April

Bluehair · Mar 18, 2021

My neighborhood deer are still wearing their sheds. So are the spike elk, like these next to my house Yesterday.

dragonshed · Mar 19, 2021

most of the smart people have learned to not post photos on public forums anymore. Too bad they all learned about 5 years too late.

Cooper · Mar 19, 2021

What happens when you post photos on public forums?

Master Baiter · Mar 19, 2021

I don’t think the shed craze is as big as it was 5 or so years ago, for many reasons. One being, it’s harder than most people originally think when they decide to go look for horns. It’s hard to even get lucky and have success, even if you know what you’re doing but don’t go scout where the animals are during their shed period. Most guys just think they can go find a sage flat, and you’ll find horns. Not even close to the reality of it. It got pretty crowded a few years ago and was a nightmare trying to find places that hadn’t already been hammered. It discouraged a lot of people from going anymore. I use to go a lot before it was popular and everyone else was doing it. The first few years I could have an entire mountain to myself and never see another guy or cut boot tracks. Average year would be 150-200 deer antlers. The last couple years I went out, there were flatbrim kids driving their moms Tahoe down every dirt road they could find and walking miles during the week while the rest of us had to work. The 2017 shed season is what really killed it for me. I had a pile of bucks found, watched them, knew where they were when the bigger ones were dropping. Even glasses a brown set. I saw a kid out walking mid March with an antler in hand. I had a vehicle description and everything. Reported it, never got a phone call from an officer to ask me about anything of it. Stayed around in the area for the next several hours and an officer never showed either. On the opener, all I found was 1 month old boot tracks everywhere in dried mud. Never found a horn, the set I glassed was long gone.

The popularity and exposure of it to the world ruined it for me and a few other guys I know. Just not worth the hassle or competition anymore. Cant beat a kid that has no job and a ton of free time during the week while everyone else is at work. Plus, most of the best shed hunters out there can’t kill an animal to save their life, so that’s their participation trophy in the sport of hunting. I’ll just keep collecting my antlers 1 set at a time in the fall every year.

Master Baiter · Mar 19, 2021

Cooper said:
What happens when you post photos on public forums?

People try to figure out where you’re at based off back grounds or terrain types. I can look at shed photos without a background and I can probably guess at the very least the unit they are in, just given the rocks, vegetation and dirt that’s in the photo. Just cuz I’ve probably spent time there and know what the stuff looks like. Many people can if they are familiar with areas all over the state.

And it gets guys fired up about wanting to try it themselves.

Cooper · Mar 19, 2021

Last year with the noon opener in Wyoming it was crazy to see all of the people,found a cool spot that usually has a few deer there in the winter and besides seeing lots of hoof prints, I also came across a set of boot tracks, just goes to show how abiding by a law that’s rarely enforced can sure make you frustrated

hornkiller · Mar 19, 2021

Master Baiter you are wrong there is more and more people every year! As for the boots tracks before wy opener and spotted sheds already being picked up I agree with you the law is stupid. There are Plenty of people that find piles of sheds kill great animals every year I promise! As far as posts on public forums such as MM and complaining it's hurting the sport just go to Fairybook or Instagram and take a look for yourself it's a million times what mm is!

hornkiller · Mar 19, 2021

P.s. I will post a couple pics and if you can guess within 100 miles of where I found them I will give you $100 since your so good!

coloradoman · Mar 19, 2021

hornkiller said:
P.s. I will post a couple pics and if you can guess within 100 miles of where I found them I will give you $100 since your so good!

Same bet here!

SS! · Mar 19, 2021

I enjoy looking for antlers more than anything else in the world. What it’s became down in the 48 makes me sad. Not much competition where I go. It helps that a lot of times it 6 or 7 miles plus of hiking before you get to where the antler is. But I do have some competition..

Here’s a pic with my main competitor:

sometimes it’s just easier to leave him home:

no utards here:

Bluehair · Mar 20, 2021

Lol. I carried a f’n moose shed for 2 days in the Yukon. Finally gave up.

bonepicker · Mar 20, 2021

So Master, let's hear it, what unit did SS find those moose sheds in?

Master Baiter · Mar 20, 2021

bonepicker said:
So Master, let's hear it, what unit did SS find those moose sheds in?

In Alaska, on the GitFukt range

Master Baiter · Mar 20, 2021

hornkiller said:
P.s. I will post a couple pics and if you can guess within 100 miles of where I found them I will give you $100 since your so good!

I didn’t think you could afford the gas money to drive anywhere outside the red desert area in wyoming. Glad to hear things are starting to look up for you now!

hornkiller · Mar 20, 2021

Never shed hunted the red desert bud!
I travel alot farther than that and do very well for myself. You ready to make that bet on being master of knowing shed spots?

BLooDTRaCKeR · Mar 20, 2021

Slightlysober said:
I enjoy looking for antlers more than anything else in the world. What it’s became down in the 48 makes me sad. Not much competition where I go. It helps that a lot of times it 6 or 7 miles plus of hiking before you get to where the antler is. But I do have some competition..

Here’s a pic with my main competitor:View attachment 35533

sometimes it’s just easier to leave him home:

View attachment 35534

no utards here:

View attachment 35535

I think if I lived up there, I’d have a llama to pack my sheds out. Ain’t nothing fun about packing Yukons out of the back country.

Master Baiter · Mar 20, 2021

hornkiller said:
Never shed hunted the red desert bud!
I travel alot farther than that and do very well for myself. You ready to make that bet on being master of knowing shed spots?

You struggle at reading comprehension there, son? I’m a master at baiting. Not shed spot location detection. I simply stated one of a few reasons I’m aware of guys not posting shed pics for anymore. I can’t determine which golf course grass is different from the next. And all of wyoming winter range looks basically the same. So between the 2, no I’m not going to play. And, even if I were to guess correctly, no shed hunter who values their area will say “yup! That’s the unit!”. Not calling you a liar, but most hunters aren’t generally upfront with info sharing about anything. Unless they aren’t too intelligent to begin with or their area that they frequent isn’t too great and they don’t care if people know where they are. Maybe in your case it’s both? If so, my apologies to you.

hornkiller · Mar 20, 2021

"I can look at shed photos without a background and I can probably guess at the very least the unit they are in, just given the rocks, vegetation and dirt that’s in the photo. Just cuz I’ve probably spent time there and know what the stuff looks like."

Your words not mine!
I never said anything about a unit I said within 100 miles that could be in any direction of where I'm going so I won't be giving out any locations.

P.s. I've been beating those kids with no jobs for years and I've worked a steady 80+ the whole time!