I need advice planning a out of state shed hunting trip

[TJK2005]

I need help and advice hopefully someone on here can help me. I have just turned 19 and Im wanting to go on a trip to Colorado to look for sheds elk specifically. and I've been doing research and I'm not sure where the best place I could go for the highest success rate. Ive been looking at Gunnison Valley and White River National Forest if anyone has some input on where to go that would be greatly appreciated.

Also because I'm 19 I feel like lodging could be a issue because most hotels at least in Ohio you have to be 21 and I can sleep in my vehicle but preferably a place to unwind at the end of the day would be nice this is my first time planning a trip out of state like this and looking for tips to help elevate my experience. I am also wondering how it all works like do you pull up to the start of a trail and hike in from their are their parking lots I have no idea how that all works once I'm in the wild I will be fine I'm no stranger to the wilderness I've been hunting and fishing for 10+ years. I just have never been on public ground like this so anyone with insight please reach out.

I have been trying to do research but everything I come up on is dead-ends so hopefully someone on here can help me out any advice or tips will be much appreciated thanks you.

 

[westslopelaker]

I'm not a shed hunter, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. In Colorado there is a shed hunting season and you can't pickup sheds before May 1. There aren't really parking lots or trails on the vast majority of public lands. I think you just pull over and park on the shoulder of the road and start hiking. You probably want to get some maps for winter concentration areas and start there. You might check out Utah for shed hunting because they don't have a season so you could go earlier when the grass is shorter and the animals are near the winter area to help you barrow in on where to go. Also the elk in Utah are typically bigger so if you find some sheds they will likely be nicer.

 

[h2so4]

Utah would absolutely be better.

 

[TJK2005]

Utah would absolutely be better.

I'm not a shed hunter, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. In Colorado there is a shed hunting season and you can't pickup sheds before May 1. There aren't really parking lots or trails on the vast majority of public lands. I think you just pull over and park on the shoulder of the road and start hiking. You probably want to get some maps for winter concentration areas and start there. You might check out Utah for shed hunting because they don't have a season so you could go earlier when the grass is shorter and the animals are near the winter area to help you barrow in on where to go. Also the elk in Utah are typically bigger so if you find some sheds they will likely be nicer.

Do you guys have any insight as to where in Utah I'm not dead set anywhere I just have a incline to elk because in Ohio we don't have access and I have a bunch of whitetail sheds and I want more of a challenge as in terrain chance and a change of scenery. Im open to anywhere I just want to start the planning process.

 

[AHayes111]

PM sent

 

[Wrench]

Call the bio in the area you're considering. Ask about elk winter range and where MATURE BULLS tend to be in comparison. Ask where the above would be found in march and april.

With that information you can put together a reasonable route that makes sense to focus on.

Once you have that, imagine what your bulls would be doing.....likely looking for food and solitude. Small openings in tough to get at locations make sense. Feeding stations make sense, travel routes make sense.....


Now multiply that by your luck and you'll end up with your answers.

 

[LongWayAround]

I would bail on Colorado with our shed restriction. Maybe the northwest corner of the state, if you're coming in May. Colorado CPW website has a hunting atlas with winter range and migration layers, that would narrow your search quickly. Low country/BLM lands are probably the best bet.

Wyoming, east of the Continental Divide has no closure.

Or like others have said, keep going to Utah.

You probably won't get many specifics. Shed guys are pretty tight lipped and winter range pressure is often frowned upon.

You can camp almost anywhere on National Forest or BLM lands. Check the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for restrictions on dispersed camping.

Trailheads will mostly be into areas with more of a summer range type of habitat.

 

[Ross]

Each state will have its own nuances. I’ve been shed hunting Idaho and Nwest Montana for 30 yrs. Recently started going to Oregon. I use trail systems in some locations, others I just park on a pull out and take off just like hunting. New shed laws are popping up all the time, so make sure you check the Regs. Some new ones, as of 1/1/25 Idaho nonresidents need to have a hunting license. Wyoming is now giving residents a 1-2 week head start on the season. All the major elk states have shed opportunities it will take years to figure it out. Good luck as noted above sheds spots are secrets like hunting spots…my boys have kept good secrets.

 

[dirtytough]

If you stick around long enough to PM, send me one. I have a few areas for you.

 

[Rjk300]

You’re a lot closer to PA and they have some big elk. I can definitely appreciate going west for the experience though.


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[InkedElkSlayer]

I have looked for sheds since I was a kid. I do it for fun, for scouting, and to get miles and vert in. My oldest son is absolutely psycho about sheds.

Couple things…
Waiting until May 1 would suck.

As long as you’re >18, you shouldn’t have problems getting a motel in the western states (under 18, you’re screwed).

For elk, go to the where the snow line was when they were shedding. Also, think about what elk are doing about 20hrs a day in April and spend the majority of your time looking there.

If you are going during the time they are shedding. Stop on the highway and look broadly at the mountain range. You should be able to pick out locations to hit from the valley.

Bring snowshoes.

If you go to Utah, don’t let a blonde Mormon girl convert you.

Hiking in the early spring when the snow is coming off and all the vegetation is smashed down and dormant is a great time of year to be out.

 

[CorbLand]

I would highly suggest doing research on where you are going. Where I am, much of the good winter ground is private and I wouldnt suggest driving a couple hours to come here, let alone from Ohio.

I would skip the hotel and just bring a tent. Save your funds. Ideally, pack camp on your back as sometimes the sheds can be a long ways in. Would suck to be 7-9 miles in when you find them, have to hike back to the pickup, drive to a hotel and then do it all the next day. Some of the better places for sheds dont have towns nearby that have hotels. You could be driving a couple hours a day.

Like others have stated, hitting a state that doesnt have a season so you can come earlier would be advisable. Watch Utah as they do enact emergency closures but I doubt that will happen this year.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Well dude. Most elk antlers are hitting the ground in March/April in co. Magically many of these sheds vanish long before the May 1 start date… anywho I would probably look at another state with no “season” id go early, like 1-2 week of April. Should be most productive for you. You can’t really expect to figure it out until you just come out and experience it. Often I can go miles and miles without finding any, or I can find some piles of them, but those come off a private ranch I have access to. Just read up about it. South facing slopes with good feed and sun and either glass a bunch of hike a bunch. Good luck.