Colorado Shed season

[sneak]

Just chased this down on the DOW website. Looks like they deferred a vote on this issue until the July meeting. If you have strong thoughts on the subject, now is the time to get your comments to the Wildlife Commission.

May 5, 2006: Wildlife Commission Meeting:

"The Commission heard testimony on a proposal to restrict collection of antler sheds on public lands only from April 1 through Dec. 31, starting in 2007. The restrictions would be imposed to prevent shed collectors from harassing wildlife during the most severe months of the winter. The prohibition would be in effect during late-season hunts in specific game management units. The final regulations will be considered at the July Commission meeting."

 

[cohntr6]

I will be voicing my opposition to it.
I believe that meeting is in Fort Collins in July.
Jeff

 

[Hiker]

I guess this was a result of the guy they caught up by Ft. Collins....harassing wildlife and he said he was shed hunting. Sad when they have to police everything!

Hiker

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

[BUCKSPY]

Most of the drive behind the shed season stems from the pressure the deer and elk wintering in the Gunnison Basin from shed hunters. There aren't many secrets in the West anymore and with some great bucks being taken in the units, the draw odds went way up, landowner vouchers are selling for many thousands of dollars, and some people don't know when to leave struggling deer herds alone in the brutal winter of the Gunnison Basin. Some locals got fed up with watching their deer get run around in January and February and the local wildlife managers recieved many complaints and were witness to some of it.

Unfortunately the pendulum might swing too far on this with restrictive regulations and a blanket statewide policy instead of implementing restrictions where the animals are most vulnerable. I think it might go to far and it will create an enforcement issue for wildlife officers. Leave it up to a few to screw it up for many.

 

[BuckSnort]

BUCKSPY, your last sentence is dead on. I have a few different hobbies besides hunting and theres always some idiots who mess everything up.

 

[Tomichi]

Guy's you are dead on. The problem is in a few Mt Area's. Yep I'm from Gunnison and yes we need a season. Ft Collins??? NO I'm on your team. I have no idea why they got hung up on a State Wide fix. Bad word State wide wont "Fix" anything. Please e-mail and testify!! I have been pushing "West of the Divide above 7000 feet". Falling on deaf ears. My latest e-mail even though I am a big backer of the season "HERE" is if you make it state wide Kill the whole idea. I hope you guys will help me in the High Country. I am being very clear it is a bad idea where it is warm and you have bare ground in Feb March. Whats wrong with "GMU" management??? I'm a cop, I know they can lie and say they picked them up in Salida. But our DWM's are smart enough to see parked cars!! And the ones who are getting dropped off and picked up after dark. Yea they might get away with it for a while. But there are enough locals who feel strongly enough about it they will call, and they will sign a statement. A season will work up here. State Wide is a bad idea!!!

 

[cohntr6]

Here are some previous thoughts on the subject
cohntr6 (839 posts) Click to EMail cohntr6 Click to send private message to cohntr6 Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-04-06, 10:50 PM (MST)
"What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

Does anybody know how the vote went today with the wildlife commission in regards to a shed antler season? I think the meeting was in Montrose. I emailed my disgust with the idea of a season.
We'll see if it did anything.....
Jeff

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Table of Contents

Subject Author Message Date ID
RE: What was the vote in CO on... littlecaseof200itus May-05-06 1
RE: What was the vote in CO on... Peashooter May-05-06 2
RE: What was the vote in CO on... huntsonora May-05-06 3
RE: What was the vote in CO on... browtine May-06-06 4
RE: What was the vote in CO on... Tomichi May-06-06 5
RE: What was the vote in CO on... sneak May-06-06 6
RE: What was the vote in CO on... cohntr6 May-07-06 7

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littlecaseof200itus (54 posts) Click to EMail littlecaseof200itus Click to send private message to littlecaseof200itus Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-05-06, 04:01 PM (MST)
1. "RE: What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

hey Jeff,
I haven't heard, but the would be bull sh#$ to the fullest if they passed one. I think I'll shoot those clowns an e-mail myself.
200itus

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Peashooter (52 posts) Click to EMail Peashooter Click to send private message to Peashooter Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-05-06, 11:19 PM (MST)
2. "RE: What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

The Commission heard testimony on a proposal to restrict collection of antler sheds on public lands only from April 1 through Dec. 31, starting in 2007. The restrictions would be imposed to prevent shed collectors from harassing wildlife during the most severe months of the winter. The prohibition would be in effect during late-season hunts in specific game management units. The final regulations will be considered at the July Commission meeting.


I think depending on the area it is good and bad. Some places the deer need all the help they can get that time of year, some places it would be pointless.

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huntsonora (2046 posts) Click to EMail huntsonora Click to send private message to huntsonora Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-05-06, 11:27 PM (MST)
3. "RE: What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

To a guy that does not spend a lot of time shed hunting it seems like a great idea to have a shed season. If nothing else it will help keep the majority honest and would be a huge benefit to the deer.

That being said, why do you guys not want a season? Help me understand...

Drum

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browtine (2146 posts) Click to EMail browtine Click to send private message to browtine Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-06-06, 03:51 PM (MST)
4. "RE: What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

For me.. It would give DOW better probably cause to nab those people who chase deer/elk during a criticle time in their lives. Im pretty tired of seeing animals ran all over h ell and back when they are packing one side or with a bald buck/bull.

Later, Brandon

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Tomichi (9 posts) Click to EMail Tomichi Click to send private message to Tomichi Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-06-06, 09:02 PM (MST)
5. "RE: What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

I will be e-mailing and calling in support for a closer on shed hunting between Dec 31 and April First. I was hoping it would not be state wide and only effect the high country where it is needed. And yes it is very much needed. It seems that there are some folks out there who belive it is OK to be out on the winter range during Febuary and March. In 2005 the amount of shed hunters in the Gunnison Basion effected the survival of our deer. In 05 we lost the largest number of bucks after they shed that we have since the winter of 83-84. In one drainage East of Gunnison, North of HWY 50 I found 13 pedisal only bucks (Spring Killed) in the bottom 6 miles of the drainage. A lot more of the local shed hunters reported the same thing. Yes we have all found winterkills that appear to have died after they shed, but how common is it?
The numbers from last spring were very "non typical". One example and I will shut up. March 5th 2005 only 10 inches of snow left close to the Hwy, 6 miles East of Gunnison as I was driving home I saw two guys with back packs sky lined headed back to the Highway. Just past them I looked up the Draw they were looking off into. "Cabin Creek" 80 deer on the run! they hit the fence as I watched. EVERY one hit the top wire...between 15 and 20 of them FELL when they landed. 2 fawns and one 175 class buck did not get up! I roared home changed to my private truck and went back to (Speak) with them. One fawn was still down at the fence. They had out of state Plates. They each had 8 to 10 sheds apiece. When I started (speaking) With them one ran away and crawled back through the Right of Way fence the other apoligized. He told me he saw the deer running and knew they had screwed up. I wish we didnt NEED a season. But it is very evident that some folks out there dont have the ethics to wait until the game is strong enough to make it to green up. Those of you who opose a season I am sure live at lower elevation and better deer habitat. Take a minute and think about the deer in the high country....So could you please add to your e-mail somthing like, A season should apply to areas West of the Divide above 7000 feet?. Brad Phelps

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sneak (46 posts) Click to EMail sneak Click to send private message to sneak Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-06-06, 11:41 PM (MST)
6. "RE: What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

Drum,

A shed hunting "season" is very controversial for several reasons, one of which Brad Phelps hit on. A season is needed, but only in a handful of higher elevation, high profile places, like the Gunnison Basin. There are vast tracts of public land/winter range all over Colorado that simply do not have winter weather or snowpack even remotely approaching the conditions you see in places like Gunnison, so a statewide season would really accomplish little in the big picture.

Second is enforcability. Our DWMs and BLM/USFS officers are already stretched awfully thin in this state, and frankly no one I know, including the DWMs, thinks there is any realistic way for them to enforce such a closure, except perhaps on a handful of high-profile, easily-accessible, critical areas, which they are already doing via existing wildlife harrassment laws.

Singling out shed hunters is a joke because enforcement is further compromised by all the other legal activities occuring at the same time: small game seasons run through February 28, coyote hunters and fur trappers are in the field throughout the timeframe they've listed for the closure, and there's no lack of winter recreationists in this state either (cross country skiers, snowshoers, snowmobilers, etc). So if we are serious about protecting deer from harassment and stress during critical timeframes, then we need to close entire areas to all human activity, not create seasons and restrict particular activities.

Finally, the language they offered up for the closure was ridiculously vague and anyone wanting to continue collecting sheds had any number of ways to circumvent the ruling. I'll be interested to see whether they actually approved it or not.

Hope that helps you understand where a lot of shed hunters are coming from. As with most things, the surface concept seems sound, but the devil is in the details.

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cohntr6 (839 posts) Click to EMail cohntr6 Click to send private message to cohntr6 Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
May-07-06, 05:59 PM (MST)
7. "RE: What was the vote in CO on a shed season?"

What happens with gun control issues? Criminals will get a gun however they please (stealing, buy illegally, etc). Gun control measures only hit the law abiding citizen.
A shed season will do the same. The unethical shed hunters who are out in Jan/Feb pushing deer, etc will do it whether there is a season or not. A shed season will make me fatter (he he lack of exercise)in the late winter!!!
What needs to happen is more enforcement of existing harrasement laws and or HEAVIER FINES not more rules!

Jeff
Hey Drummond you need to get out with me, I picked up 5 elk antlers yesterday.

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Jeff