Shed Hunting- is there mounting opposition?

Pramo

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Jan 13, 2015
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Westminster, MD
Personally I've never liked the idea and prefer to leave the animals alone during this time. I have found sheds, an elk skull with 5x5 antlers attached, bear skulls and all kinds on neat stuff in the woods when hiking, hunting and camping. But I never take any of it out, I snap a picture then go about my day and think about who else may find it and think its neat.

I've got plenty of antlers, heads and hides but they all got killed my bow and I had a tag to get that animal so its mine. Everything else I leave out in nature as untouched as possible for everyone or animal to enjoy

Now the next question is this a bear or mountain lion skull I found last season in the San Juans?
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gwl79902

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Sep 30, 2013
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I am in Oregon and live near a large winter ground, I do not shed hunt.
I have direct knowlege of one case of harassment involving shed hunting. That one should have been dealt as harassment but not sure it was. My point is that I do not have first hand knowlege of a specific incident where the shed hunting has been a harm to wildlife. I do have knowlege of incidents where people have violated road closures on 4 wheelers and were doing it to hunt sheds. I would consider it a harm and should be investigated. We have laws against it and local police are working it.

Over the last six pages do we have any specific incidents of harm to wildlife that is not covered by another law. I have heard of people running elk to try to get them to drop antler but only rumor. Rumors are not alway true. Can anyone point specific criminal activity?

We have a lot of activity on the winter range that is legal.
 
Joined
Dec 18, 2016
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Hardin, MT
I don't know about she'd hunting, but every time I find a deer with the horns cut off and the rest of the animal left to waste I get super angry and am inclined to blame the antler buyers. I suspect that as was said above, making the sale of antlers illegal will only lead to a price increase and not prevent it from happening.
 

Ross

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Liberty Lake, WA
I've been shed hunting for 20+ yrs in nidaho and nwest Montana. These are crazy tough areas to shed hunt thus competition has and remains slim just like the hunting. The allure for me is getting out, learning what has made it through the season and winter and pushing my body to to the limit along with finding some dandy trophies to add to my collection. Most days looking for elk sheds start at 4-5am and return home at 7pm. It is not for the faint of heart in this area and this is the way I like it. Just like anything a few bad apples can give anything a bad name. The only thing stressing animals out in the winter time in this country is the wolves 365 days a year and they don't just chase them they kill them one way or another. I know many fine shed hunting and elk hunting fanatics who work very hard and would never harass an animal to pick the antlers. If there was a season or fee so be it but it would not deter the bad seeds in those areas where they could abuse the law.
 

realunlucky

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Eastern Utah
This is timely, guess they're not too hard to catch: Officers enforcing shed antler closure


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16 people in the first 13 days I actually thought the number would be bigger. They all acknowledged they knew it was closed but did it anyway. These are the type of people that don't care because it doesn't apply to them they deserve the rewards.
Very nice to see some enforcement. A wall of shame on the udnr homepage would probably be more of a deterrent than a possible 1000 fine

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Gobbler36

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Dec 6, 2015
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None your business
Definitely don't think there is anything wrong with it, would love to see seasons for it during the snow melt, but I think it goes beyond agencies and takes an understanding of sportsman that it's not about limiting the activity but more about having good land ethic and what's better for the animals. We simply cannot continue to improve the pump but not improve the well
 
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robby denning

robby denning

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They blotted out that dudes face in the Utah article. But I have a gut feeling there was a Flatbill in that photo. Hahahahaha


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robby denning

robby denning

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I didn't have time to listen to the podcast part so post up your take-away if you do listen to it.
From Nevada DOW

Shed Hunting Opportunities in Nevada

Shed antler hunting is a great hobby that gets families out into Nevada’s vast expanses during late winter and early spring, but those who wish to hunt sheds have a duty to do it responsibly and legally, in order to minimize stress on winter-weakened wildlife and avoid impacts on animal's habitat.
This week wesit down with Chief Game Warden Tyler Turnipseed and Aaron Keller, outdoor educator, to talk all about shed hunting.
 
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