Getting Started

FamilyMan · Mar 16, 2006

LAST EDITED ON Mar-16-06 AT 04:00PM (MST)[p]I'm looking for your advice on how to get started shed hunting. I have never participated and am interested in getting in on the fun.

So how do you pick a spot to go, what do you look for in choosing an area? Once you choose a place, how do you know if you have made a good choice or are wasting your time? And finally, how do you find sheds in the first place (I've heard of glassing for sheds?)?

I know some of these sound like dumb questions, but I hope you will have patience with me and offer some advice.

Mark
Missoula, MT

Droptine25 · Mar 16, 2006

First of all you have to find good wintering grounds and adjacent areas, then you will need to put in the leg work and do alot of scouting. There are no bad spots some are just better than others. I don't feel I'm wasting my time unless I'm not getting out there and looking.
hope that helps
Foster

BBB · Mar 16, 2006

Nice post Droptine25. I love your quote "I don't feel I'm wasting time unless I'm not getting out there looking". The bottom line is If you want to fine a fair amount of sheds, you will put in the time. I have recently moved and hunt new country, different than anything I've ever shed-hunted. I have put in some time talking to local hunters, ranchers, trappers, etc. trying to find decent populations of bucks and bulls during the late winter season. Secondly, I then go into those areas knowing I might spend an entire day glassing animals and maybe coming home empty-handed. Eventually you will learn certain "hang-outs" and come across your first couple fresh antlers. These hotspots that will become sacred to you come springtime. I found my first blacktail shed a few weeks back, a true hawg. I am now focusing on these Roosevelt elk. I have spent several days watching bulls and making notes on locations, if they are still packing horn, etc. I hope to find my first roosie antler this weekend. I do miss my old stompin grounds. I am plannin a trip in a few weeks to get back and scoop some serious bones!!! Good luck Family Man.

TheKnack · Mar 16, 2006

Good advice about wintering areas above.

To save your legs a lot of walking, climb to a high spot and glass from there once in a good area. You will be surprised what you will find if you take your time and slowly move up and down the area with your glass. I usually completely check an area at least five times slowly before I start glassing other areas.

After finding what you can see with your optics look in areas where you cannot see on the way to and from picking up your sheds spotted earlier.
When walking through an area too brushy to glass look close then farther out and then close again as you move....I used to look ahead too far and almost missed some sheds hidden in little cuts in the terrain till I almost stepped on a few.

To know what to look for before you head out place a brown and a white shed out at different distances and glass for them to see what your looking for. Really helps before a trip out.
Best of luck.
Jerry

thecrittergitter · Mar 16, 2006

Mark,

I grew up and have shed hunted near your area for years. I will be very honest. It is getting very difficult over there because there are so many people that pound the countrtyside. Most of my spots that my buddy and I used to go, we would pick up anywhere from 3 to 20 or so a day. The last 4 years i have hit those same areas, I have found 2!! Lots of people tracks in the snow. Best thing is to find where the animals are spending their time come general shedding time which in your area, the deer are from Mid-late december to First of March. Elk have been typically late march to Mid may. One good area for deer there is the 9 mile area. Would be worth poking around the public land up that drainage. Couldn't agree more with the quote above..."I don't feel I'm wasting time unless I'm not getting out there looking". Right now is the time to be out looking where the elk are as they are starting to drop right now. If you can find where bulls are right now, thats where I would be looking for sheds. As far as the glassing, I typically just try to cover as much ground as possible and some of the time that ground is covered with binocs. If I am in a very open area, i will usually sit and glass open areas on other ridges to determine whether its worth walking over too. In openings, with shorter grass, they stick out like a sore thumb. Anyway,good luck over there. You might do some checking toward drummond....some good pickin over there.

mooseman · Mar 16, 2006

not to try and discourage you but when i went to school in missoula back in 96 to 99 i bumped into a guy that lived in missoula and he only worked part time at norm job but come shed season he went out a lot by 1st of march he told me he had hit every area he liked to hit with in a 200 mile radius of missoula he even told me of times he would go into private ground and get kicked out so good luck i was only able to go out a few times and only found a few sheds in the area. good luck to ya.