shed hunters

[basinboy]

shed hunters

I wish all you guys that hunt would quit killing elk and deer each fall so I could find more sheds in the spring. My point is this. Shed hunters have been taking a lot of crap lately. a lot of it focused on those of us who live in Utah. I look forward every year to see if any of the bucks I gathered last year make it through to the next spring. Shed hunting is a renewable resource. Should I leave my son home because there is to many shed hunters. When done write there is nothing wrong with shed hunting any month of the year on any ground unless its private. This same logic applies to most activities in the outdoors. When I here about the good old days of hunting and or shed hunting I think to myself that would be nice but it will never be that way again. There are just a lot more people around who want to get outdoors some hunt,some fish,some hike,some ride atvs,some shed hunt and some dont do anything. So I work a little harder and start a little earlier looking for sheds. As long as I am responsible about it I see nothing wrong. Just like the guy who scouts hard before a hunt. I am not anti hunting I hunted in Montana, Idaho and Utah last year. Just multiple use

 

[dleonard3]

RE: shed hunters

I agree with you basinboy. I have cut way back on killing deer and I've decided to concentrate on finding the biggest one out there. I scout nearly every weekend from early August until my hunt starts, and I get out and film deer during the rut to see what has survived all three hunts. I try to keep track of the bigger bucks during winter, but they always seem to disappear. I love looking for sheds, especially when I have a chance to find some fresh ones. I know for a fact that I have NEVER caused a deer to die due to the added stress of seeing me out scouting, hunting, or shed collecting. I hike. I sit on lookout points with my big binoculars and search. I use GPS's to help me cover certain areas after the deer have moved elsewhere. I find more boot, horse, and atv tracks than sheds. I know that there are alot of people out there that enjoy the same outdoor activities as me. I also wish that the majority of hunters would back off a little on killing. If they could just let them go for a few years, we would all be seeing the "heydays" again. There would be more older animals dropping antlers for me to gather up.

 

[hotdiggity]

RE: shed hunters

The problem is some people aren't responsible shed hunters and go out chasing animals on their quads and snowmobiles. I personally scout all year but I try not to put undo stress on the animals nor tear up the terrain where I am looking. Most people typically adhere to a good set of ethics but it only takes a few goobers to screw things up. Policing ourselves would be the best policy but it's pretty hard to do when most folks are out away from the crowds. Word.

 

[dleonard3]

RE: shed hunters

I understand that there are some irresponsible idiots out there on quads and snowmobiles chasing the animals around. These idiots should be prosecuted, fined, and even serve some jail time. However, I know for a fact that a helluva lot more bucks are being killed legally during the legal seasons than are dieing from being chased for their antlers. It only makes sense that if we could all just pull back a little on the killing, more of these bucks would be left to shed their antlers. I don't have any problem with a first, second, or even third year hunter shooting a smallish buck. But for all of you experienced hunters out there that have killed a few bucks, you should be re-assessing the reasons you hunt. Over the years, you should normally lose a lot of the drive to kill, and gain a little bit more respect for the quarry. Next time you get a chance to hunt deer, go into the season with the idea that you won't be killing anything unless it is HUGE. Enjoy the sights and sounds of a buck getting away. Watch him and learn from his behavior. Don't be disappointed to go home empty. All through the season, count up the bucks you could have killed. And know that most of those bucks will probably be alive, and a little bigger next year. I think that if you go the whole season without killing a buck, you deserve the privilege and honor of picking up a few of those bucks sheds. But if you killed a forky on opening morning, don't be so selfish next year and hold out for something huge or go home empty. It's the honorable thing to do.

 

[Torch]

RE: shed hunters

I think you guys have made some good points. I miss the good ole days when no one was out there, but they are gone and now every shed hunter needs to be more responsible. I hunt muleys and elk in 2 or 3 states every year and I only harvest an animal every few years. I could kill a buck or bull on most hunts, but I don't and thus they survive another year. I think if trophy hunters were pulling the trigger as much as meat hunters there would be a lot bigger impact on the herds than people who shed hunt responsibly. I also think with more people "watching" the winter ranges it makes poachers think twice.(I don't have anything against meat hunters, I'm just making my point)

I made a post about what got people hooked on shed hunting a while back and some people didn't like it because they acted like this website, posting pictures, and discussing shed hunting has ruined it. Well, there are many other factors that have influenced the popularity of shed hunting from friends talking to each other, urban sprawl,commercialization of hunting, magazines, videos, limited quotas tags, and so on.

For example, In Utah it was hard to find a 330 bull 15 years ago and now it's arguably the best state for elk in the west. It has turned into a once in a lifetime hunt, but people can shed hunt for the big antlers every year.

I may have to work harder than I used to, but I still enjoy going out and picking some bone. Shed hunting is a popular sport and it's going to continue to grow. I guess I will just have to hike a little harder and further until my knees and back can't take it anymore if I want to pick up some bone. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ismith]

RE: shed hunters

LMFAO! You guys are a riot! You think you probally need to post that crap on THENOMADBUCK.COM instead of MONSTERMULEYS.COM?
ismith

 

[dleonard3]

RE: shed hunters

Are you claiming to be one of the "idiots" we're talking about?

 

[Huntemup]

RE: shed hunters

I think you guys need to be careful when pointing fingers at fellow outdoorsmen. If we ever lose our ?rights? to multi-use on our public lands it will be because outdoorsmen refuse to erase the lines of difference and work together for a common solution to the complicated issues we face.

Lack of ethics, selfish motives, lack of proper education, and lackadaisical penalties from our government agencies are our biggest enemies, I think. Hotdiggity is right by saying that we have to police ourselves. However, we must control our emotions, otherwise we lose our credibility as ethical hunters/shed-hunters. Our county, state, and federal agencies obviously don't have the manpower to put more of a hurt on those out there breaking laws and using poor ethics. These agencies are missing a great opportunity to empower ethical sportsmen as ?citizen police?, so to speak. We are the ones out there covering country (and a LOT of it) and witnessing things. So many times I have reported unlawful or unethical incidents and been blown off. But there have been those times when it did make a difference. Those who do get caught can usually pay their fines with a couple antlers and then they're right back out doing the same thing again. Until our legislators and agencies get the message that they are going to have to initiate much tougher penalties for those breaking laws or using poor ethics, we are going to have to do our part to help?if they let us. We need to urge them to make the penalties stiffer without taking away the privileges we have. The guys who are law-abiding & ethical are always the ones who take it in the shorts when we lose privileges, such as the new shed-hunting restrictions in Utah.

I can understand where you're coming from about hunting, dleonard3, and respect your view on hunting. Good for you! I have hunted big & small game, predators, birds and antlers since the early 70?s, and have gotten to the point in my life where killing an animal isn't nearly as fun as hunting them, so I have resorted to shooting mature animals or comfortably settling for a dry doe or cow (they're better eatin? anyway!) I think more hunters are beginning to catch on that this is the way we can make a difference in the numbers and quality of bucks & bulls in our respective states?both for hunting and shed hunting. It's good to see that many of the Rocky Mountain States are starting to see the actual value we place on our wildlife and have started cracking down on poachers with much stiffer penalties that should force many of them to think twice before they do something stupid. Then again, there are many poachers out there who are too dumb to know the difference.

I am primarily a foot hunter, but still utilize ATV?s (open roads only) or horses to get into the country I wish to hunt more efficiently. But nothing ticks me off more than to see some knot head buzzing cross-country on an ATV (whether animals are present or not). My emotions easily get away from me at that point. But for me to bash all ATV users is wrong too. They have a place?IF used ethically, and there are many ethical users out there too. They just get over-shadowed by the knot heads! I don't want to see anyone lose the privilege to use ATV?s on public roads, but I'd sure like to see the penalties become much, much stiffer on those guys who abuse it by tearing up the country or chasing animals on them. Maybe something like a week in jail, a $3,000 fine, and permanent confiscation of their ATV and hunting equipment. That might wake a few people up! Why is our government so hesitant to impose ?TOUGH? penalties?

Obviously there are so many other outdoor issues we face. I have just given my 2-cents about a couple. I think we all need to be careful at pointing fingers at other outdoorsmen and try to work together though. Otherwise we'll just make things worse for all of us.

Happy shed-hunting this spring, everybody, and remember to take a big breath and enjoy the privileges you have and hope to keep!

(Here?s a picture just to get the blood going!)

 

[AntlerKing]

RE: shed hunters

Huntemup
You gotta love that red dirt....Oh I can't wait to make my trip to Northern Arizona. That photo just makes the wait that much worse......But then again I needed a photo like that to keep the dreams going for the next month. That's one heck of a shed, thanks for posting.

P.S. Your comments were right on.

 

[wyohikeit]

RE: shed hunters

This is a realy good post!!! I can tell that all of you are passionate about this subject! I agree that the "good ol days" are gone and I am one that miss them, but for us to keep the priveledge of being in the hills doing what we want when we want we had better stay informed and work together not against each other. My bones are made of wild game but I have lost any desire to kill anything anymore. I spend a lot of time hiking the back country of Wyoming, hundreds of miles a year. I pick up sheds all along the way. Every one is unique. I have a collection that is valueable to me in many ways. I have helped the law inforcement people catch a few jerks, but to see the meat heads laugh at the little fines is almost a waste of time.In Wyoming it is a missdemener to poach a trophy animal that is pathetic!





Time in the hills is always worth more than money