Shed Antler Season Closed Jan 1 - April 30 (Colorado)

[COEngineer]

I went for a hike last week and stumbled across a nice deer shed. Out of habit, I stopped and strapped it to my backpack. As I was walking, I started thinking, "I feel like I heard something about shed antler rules...a season, maybe..." I had cell reception, so I googled it and realized I was breaking the law (if not the intent of the law). I took the antler off my backpack, even though the risk of getting caught is close to nil.

From CPW website: https://cpw.state.co.us/antlershed
"In 2018, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to prohibit shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 from Jan. 1 through April 30, annually."

Just a reminder for anyone that might find themselves in a similar situation.

 

[bushman13]

Same, last spring. Found a really nice muley deadhead. Stashed it under a tree away from the trail. Came back to get it, gone.

I went for a hike last week and stumbled across a nice deer shed. Out of habit, I stopped and strapped it to my backpack. As I was walking, I started thinking, "I feel like I heard something about shed antler rules...a season, maybe..." I had cell reception, so I googled it and realized I was breaking the law (if not the intent of the law). I took the antler off my backpack, even though the risk of getting caught is close to nil.

From CPW website: https://cpw.state.co.us/antlershed
"In 2018, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to prohibit shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 from Jan. 1 through April 30, annually."

Just a reminder for anyone that might find themselves in a similar situation.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I went for a hike last week and stumbled across a nice deer shed. Out of habit, I stopped and strapped it to my backpack. As I was walking, I started thinking, "I feel like I heard something about shed antler rules...a season, maybe..." I had cell reception, so I googled it and realized I was breaking the law (if not the intent of the law). I took the antler off my backpack, even though the risk of getting caught is close to nil.

From CPW website: https://cpw.state.co.us/antlershed
"In 2018, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to prohibit shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 from Jan. 1 through April 30, annually."

Just a reminder for anyone that might find themselves in a similar situation.

Leupold would appreciate your restraint

 

[BuzzH]

Makes a lot of sense, we have the same law in Wyoming in a part of the state.

A part of the State where cow elk are hunted until January 31. You can kill an elk, have it fall dead on a shed antler, but cant pick up the shed.

OK...nothing wrong with that picture.

 

[Dsnow9]

Makes a lot of sense, we have the same law in Wyoming in a part of the state.

A part of the State where cow elk are hunted until January 31. You can kill an elk, have it fall dead on a shed antler, but cant pick up the shed.

OK...nothing wrong with that picture.

It’s a general rule because of all the jack wagons out there that chase/stress elk when they are the most venerable just to get their antlers. Like many things, a few idiots ruin it for the responsible many...

 

[BuzzH]

It’s a general rule because of all the jack wagons out there that chase/stress elk when they are the most venerable just to get their antlers. Like many things, a few idiots ruin it for the responsible many...

Then ticket and prosecute them under existing State Statute and regulations regarding wildlife harassment...all states have harassment laws.

I can hike, ATV, birdwatch, trap, shoot coyotes, hunt lions, hunt small game, fish, snowmobile, motorcycle, ski, snowshoe, go for a picnic, photograph, geocache, ice skate, camp...but shed hunters are the only recreationalists that ever come into contact with big-game...got it.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Then ticket and prosecute them under existing State Statute and regulations regarding wildlife harassment...all states have harassment laws.

I can hike, ATV, birdwatch, trap, shoot coyotes, hunt lions, hunt small game, fish, snowmobile, motorcycle, ski, snowshoe, go for a picnic, photograph, geocache, ice skate, camp...but shed hunters are the only recreationalists that ever come into contact with big-game...got it.

Personally I would have liked to see the shed hunting license, season, and accompanying shed hunter's saftey course... you are consuming a public resource.

Plus it's commodifying wildlife so at this point I'm pretty much on board with everything up to making it fully illegal.

 

[BuzzH]

Personally I would have liked to see the shed hunting license, season, and accompanying shed hunter's saftey course... you are consuming a public resource.

Plus it's commodifying wildlife so at this point I'm pretty much on board with everything up to making it fully illegal.

I wouldn't be opposed at all to your sentence 1...in fact I would like to see that happen too.

Sentence 2, not so much. Its a cast antler and as long as you get permitted for it, no different than hauling a load of lodgepole out of the woods to heat your house. For the record, the legislature here had to pass legislation to give the GF commission the authority to regulate shed antlers. The AG legal opinion was that the GF commission, without being legislatively mandated, had NO control over shed antlers. Shed antlers are NOT wildlife...

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Sentence 2, not so much. Its a cast antler and as long as you get permitted for it, no different than hauling a load of lodgepole out of the woods to heat your house.

I'm excising my right to be a curmudgeon.

 

[Dsnow9]

Then ticket and prosecute them under existing State Statute and regulations regarding wildlife harassment...all states have harassment laws.

I can hike, ATV, birdwatch, trap, shoot coyotes, hunt lions, hunt small game, fish, snowmobile, motorcycle, ski, snowshoe, go for a picnic, photograph, geocache, ice skate, camp...but shed hunters are the only recreationalists that ever come into contact with big-game...got it.

I don’t disagree with your points at all, just relaying what I was told by a dow officer. It will still only stop the law abiding shed hunters and “antler” poachers should be reported and dealt with accordingly.

Also, where wllm1313 and I grew up elk populations are tanking, there is a good chance they may limit all of those other activities you have listed in the calving grounds or lose the herds. As of right now though the money is on outdoor recreations side and the elk are losing big time.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I don’t disagree with your points at all, just relaying what I was told by a dow officer. It will still only stop the law abiding shed hunters and “antler” poachers should be reported and dealt with accordingly.

Also, where wllm1313 and I grew up elk populations are tanking, there is a good chance they may limit all of those other activities you have listed in the calving grounds or lose the herds. As of right now though the money is on outdoor recreations side and the elk are losing big time.

Agree... I really hope they limit all activity. I had a turkey tag for a unit that had a lot of wintering habitat and probably kept myself from tagging out by choosing not to hunt those spots. It's a shame that non-hunters won't do the same.

 

[BuzzH]

I don’t disagree with your points at all, just relaying what I was told by a dow officer. It will still only stop the law abiding shed hunters and “antler” poachers should be reported and dealt with accordingly.

Also, where wllm1313 and I grew up elk populations are tanking, there is a good chance they may limit all of those other activities you have listed in the calving grounds or lose the herds. As of right now though the money is on outdoor recreations side and the elk are losing big time.

Seems there's much bigger issues than just picking up a shed antler...and they will be allowed to continue, because money is more important than healthy elk herds.

Makes sense to me.

 

[Dsnow9]

Seems there's much bigger issues than just picking up a shed antler...and they will be allowed to continue, because money is more important than healthy elk herds.

Makes sense to me.

I wish you were wrong

 

[BuzzH]

I wish you were wrong

That makes 2 of us...and 3 with wllm1313

 

[BuzzH]

Not to muddy the waters, but to muddy the waters...there is the notion running around that the WYGF is on the cusp of killing off a chitload of mule deer bucks, and perhaps mule deer in general, to control CWD.

Lots of regulations sometimes leave me scratching my head, shed antler seasons being one.

Don't want to let shed hunters to pick up an antler, because it possibly, maybe, perhaps could stress a deer on winter range, but we're fine killing the hell out of them to control cwd...

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Not to muddy the waters, but to muddy the waters...there is the notion running around that the WYGF is on the cusp of killing off a chitload of mule deer bucks, and perhaps mule deer in general, to control CWD.

Lots of regulations sometimes leave me scratching my head, shed antler seasons being one.

Don't want to let shed hunters to pick up an antler, because it possibly, maybe, perhaps could stress a deer on winter range, but we're fine killing the hell out of them to control cwd...

At night... with gov employees? Cause that would seem par for the course these days.

 

[COEngineer]

Makes a lot of sense, we have the same law in Wyoming in a part of the state.

A part of the State where cow elk are hunted until January 31. You can kill an elk, have it fall dead on a shed antler, but cant pick up the shed.

OK...nothing wrong with that picture.

Well, rule-making for every possible contingency would be pretty tough. And they can hardly end all rules with, "...unless you have common sense and weren't disturbing wildlife on their winter habitat."

On the flip side, it's pretty well understood that the game wardens aren't going to go out of their way to enforce this rule and unless you are being a total knucklehead, they are never going to fine someone for picking up a random shed.

The point about all the other outdoor activities causing just as much or more disturbance as shed hunters is well made. My guess is that CPW is making rules related to hunters, because that's their bailiwick (kind of "policing ourselves"), and rule-making on other activities would have to come from USFS or BLM.

 

[LuketheDog]

I worked for a guy who sat on the wildlife commission when they had the discussion about shed hunting regulations, and he told me it was a complete knee-jerk reaction to a problem with very, very little thought put into the solution.

 

[ZBB]

I feel like if it were difficult to SELL antlers it would help more than putting arbitrary dates on when you could pick them up.

 

[LuketheDog]

Same, last spring. Found a really nice muley deadhead. Stashed it under a tree away from the trail. Came back to get it, gone.

Even stashing the antlers or deadheads out of sight to pickup later is illegal. I discussed with a warden I know, he told me he found some guys with a hidden stash and gave them the choice of either getting a ticket or carrying all the antlers back to where they found them, they put them all back while he watched.