Jackson WY shed opener

[Hunt&FishCO]

Anybody else planning on going? I’ve got a <100 spot in the lineup this year

 

[appaloosa]

They just stopped feeding elk on the refuge yesterday. Most of the bulls have already shed their antlers on the refuge. There will be a lot of disappointed runners this year.

 

[geewhiz]

How do you figure that most of the bulls have shed already? I live not too terribly far from there and only a small fraction of the bulls have dropped so far

 

[appaloosa]

How do you figure that most of the bulls have shed already? I live not too terribly far from there and only a small fraction of the bulls have dropped so far

Yeah, the raghorns are still packing....

 

[packsaddle]

agree with appaloose...this year set the record for deepest snowpack in town in history, and it barely has begun melting. Last year there was zero snow in the valley in end of march. . The mass majority of bulls stayed well within refuge boundaries all winter and the big bulls have all shed. I think this year will be the biggest mess of people with the combination of it being the last year non-res will ever be able to go, and the lack of horns on the forest that people are used to seeing. . Cant wait for next year though, might even have to bring an extra pack horse with 1000 less non-res out there on the opener

 

[rogerthat]

Do the Boy Scouts get to go pick the refuge? Can’t remember how that works

 

[BuckRut]

agree with appaloose...this year set the record for deepest snowpack in town in history, and it barely has begun melting. Last year there was zero snow in the valley in end of march. . The mass majority of bulls stayed well within refuge boundaries all winter and the big bulls have all shed. I think this year will be the biggest mess of people with the combination of it being the last year non-res will ever be able to go, and the lack of horns on the forest that people are used to seeing. . Cant wait for next year though, might even have to bring an extra pack horse with 1000 less non-res out there on the opener

That's unless we all order up some fake WY IDs and join the party anyway.

 

[nrpate05]

I'll probably try and go a few days after and look for some scraps from near the other feedgrounds. We'll see. Very likely won't find many sheds, but it'll be nice to get out in the woods that time of year.

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

I read an article today that said they may push the opener later than May 1 due to the historic snowpack. It said they haven’t made a decision yet.

 

[wyoboypt]

Us locals have been keeping it clean outside the refuge
Sorry

 

[rogerthat]

Us locals have been keeping it clean outside the refugeView attachment 271680
Sorry

Poacher

 

[wyoboypt]

Poacher

I turn poachers in! For real

 

[BuckRut]

Here is another genius idea. If the state is allowed to regulate the collection of shed antlers that means that they are still deemed wildlife and thus should not be a saleable item. If we ban the sale of shed antlers this entire problem doesn't exist.

 

[Carnage2011]

Here is another genius idea. If the state is allowed to regulate the collection of shed antlers that means that they are still deemed wildlife and thus should not be a saleable item. If we ban the sale of shed antlers this entire problem doesn't exist.

That’s assuming that people only shed hunt to sell them. I don’t think that’s even remotely close to the truth.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

That’s assuming that people only shed hunt to sell them. I don’t think that’s even remotely close to the truth.

I think it’s a large percentage of those that are serious shed hunters. 20-50% would be my guess. Why do less guys trap/predator hunt today than when my dad was my age? My dad could go calling fox over a weekend and buy a new rifle on Monday. Run a beaver trap line in the winter etc.

I’m not a proponent of government regulation in general, but I find irony that I pay for a tag and cannot sell the meat that I harvest with it but can go collect an unlimited amount of antlers with no tag or fee and sell those. Also the irony in having to pay the USFS for a mushroom picking, firewood cutting, Christmas tree taking etc. permit but shed antlers, which are more valuable (maybe mushrooms are more not sure how you quantify time vs. unit of measure), don’t.

I don’t get the guys watching bulls every day and running in the day they drop. It takes the fun out of it to me. Remove the $ and there would be less rushing in after them.

 

[rogerthat]

I think it’s a large percentage of those that are serious shed hunters. 20-50% would be my guess. Why do less guys trap/predator hunt today than when my dad was my age? My dad could go calling fox over a weekend and buy a new rifle on Monday. Run a beaver trap line in the winter etc.

I’m not a proponent of government regulation in general, but I find irony that I pay for a tag and cannot sell the meat that I harvest with it but can go collect an unlimited amount of antlers with no tag or fee and sell those. Also the irony in having to pay the USFS for a mushroom picking, firewood cutting, Christmas tree taking etc. permit but shed antlers, which are more valuable (maybe mushrooms are more not sure how you quantify time vs. unit of measure), don’t.

I don’t get the guys watching bulls every day and running in the day they drop. It takes the fun out of it to me. Remove the $ and there would be less rushing in after them.

Yeah the fomo on public lands is the worst. A local guy here flew for 10 hours mid March. Most of the bulls were still packing yet he and his crew went in to try to scoop the few that had dropped. I asked them why not wait? The answer was that since it was public land that someone else would just do it if they didn’t. Truly a shame imo

 

[ccc23454]

Yeah the fomo on public lands is the worst. A local guy here flew for 10 hours mid March. Most of the bulls were still packing yet he and his crew went in to try to scoop the few that had dropped. I asked them why not wait? The answer was that since it was public land that someone else would just do it if they didn’t. Truly a shame imo

Seen a guy from Minnesota out yesterday and 3 or 4 of the same trucks from Montana have been hitting one area here pretty hard as usual. I asked a pair of Montana guys why they come here, said its so busy in montana its not worth it anymore so they come here. Didnt know horn hunting was such a big thing but traffic this spring has been significantly more than any year i have ever seen.

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

Didnt know horn hunting was such a big thing but traffic this spring has been significantly more than any year i have ever seen.

Must be guys out for a last hurrah before the nonresident ban next year.

 

[wyoboypt]

I’d like to see the prices drop to 0. Then those of us who like to collect for fun can do so with less competition.

 

[thomas89]

Whatever happened to that outfit offering guided shed hunting?