300stw
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I see a shed Hunter on a snowmobile near Glasgow got lost wonder if any animals were harmed
"Western Montana hunters pledge to forego sheds"
- Thread starter PaulRevere
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sdkhunter
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The punishment for breaking the law has to be a real deterrent otherwise as was mentioned, people don’t care... My thoughts would be take away their hunting license for the rest of the year plus a fine... if they get caught a 2nd time that year, then they loose it the following year too, etc... has to be something people care about loosing...
EYJONAS!
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Pretty interesting topic and hearing some of the point of views on this one. I have gotta agree with most of the comments on here though. It's definitely the time of year when a lot of people just don't give two shits because..... it's "just" an antler. For some reason that mentality has grown probably 10 fold or more over the past few seasons. I have said for a long time I wish that they were only worth 5 bucks a pound like it was when in first started going. It seemed like even then not much interest in the sheds. Now at 14-16 I have seen guys doing pretty much whatever to get the brown gold, chasing bulls around on side by sides with tracks in February and have heard guys hazing animals with drones/ flying drones over closed WMA like Sun River so they can be the first to get to sheds GMAFB. Now there's people leaving ranches in places for sheds..... taking the market out of it would definitely knock the competition back and hopefully some of the poor choices folks are willing to make to get to them. At least it might go back to allowing the people who actually enjoy it a chance to enjoy it again.
Shed season's don't work and they never will especially in the vast western states because there's about zero probability they can be enforced.
Shed season's don't work and they never will especially in the vast western states because there's about zero probability they can be enforced.
Nameless Range
Well-known member
I recently laid hands on the largest elk sheds I’ve ever been in the presence of. A fellow I know found them in a few feet of snow and he was on skis.
This thread came to mind. I will say that drones are already a thing and are being used right now in places around here. I don’t know how a shed season would be effective without a wholesale closure of even allowing people into the mountains, and I wouldn’t support that. I suppose it’d be better than nothing.
I like the idea of a voluntary commitment of restraint such as the OP, though I’m skeptical how effective it would be in the large scale. Everybody’s got cabin fever. Everybody is burning to take to the hills.
This thread came to mind. I will say that drones are already a thing and are being used right now in places around here. I don’t know how a shed season would be effective without a wholesale closure of even allowing people into the mountains, and I wouldn’t support that. I suppose it’d be better than nothing.
I like the idea of a voluntary commitment of restraint such as the OP, though I’m skeptical how effective it would be in the large scale. Everybody’s got cabin fever. Everybody is burning to take to the hills.
Bambistew
Well-known member
I'm curious how you think a ban on selling sheds will solve the "problem." Prohibition hasn't work in the history, of forever... If you go with the ban, you'd need to include harvest/deadheads as well. Make destruction and discard of the antlers in the field a requirement as well.
Does anyone have a link to any credible study done that proves that antler hunting is responsible for killing animals in the spring/winter? There are bans all over the place, there must be some credible studies.
Does anyone have a link to any credible study done that proves that antler hunting is responsible for killing animals in the spring/winter? There are bans all over the place, there must be some credible studies.
D
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I think it would be impossible to prove that shed hunting is the direct and only cause of herd decline, but as an example herds in eagle county, co have seen a massive decline that is almost certainly a result of an exponential increase in human activity in their winter range.
I think trail running, snow shoeing, backcountry skiing, and mtn biking all contribute as well, though there are well documented cases of shed hunters harassing elk and deer to a pretty ridiculous degree.
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
To me "prohibition" would be to ban possessing or collecting. I just proposed stopping the sale of. As we do with game meat. It worked to save game when it was being decimated through market hunting.
While I agree any shed season is worse than no shed season.
I still feel that until you remove the $ from shed hunting you will always have guys doing stupid things.
I can without a doubt tell you that chasing a herd of bulls on an atv for miles when its 30° and raining. That is definitely going to impact their survival. But thats already illegal. No new law needed. Nor will a new law help. But if you deincentivise the profitable stupidity. As we have done with meat. Most of these guys don't care about antlers they are after either $$$ or likes on Facebook/ brag boards, mm...
Here February and March are critical times with a lot of winter kills. I find quite a few dead heads that either have shed one or both antlers.
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
It may also help with some poaching?
www.hunttalk.com
NMG&F drops the ball ....again.
Just did a quick read in the SF paper about a headhunting poacher who is entering a plea deal to get out of 41 of 45 counts of head hunting with 2 other nice young men. They shot over a dozen deer & elk, sawed off heads & left the rest to rot. They had a nice online headshop. Bet he gets...
www.hunttalk.com
HighWildFree
Well-known member
I've read before that because sheds are not "wildlife" they fall outside the jurisdiction of FWP. But FWP can ban the collection of sheep dead heads so...
shoots-straight
Well-known member
Not really sure how to respond to this thread. I know from my own experiences antler hunting (which I suck at), that I used motor cycles for running up and down ridges. In doing so I ran herds of elk and deer off those areas, and in doing so realized that most of these animals struggled through deep snow drifts, and headed up where they normally wouldn't go at this time of year. It wasn't a good feeling. (Most horn hunters around here use motorized of some sort). Usually illegally. Now we have wolves out there, with other predators chasing the same animals around. Not sure we are doing much but I do think that it might help some.
On the other hand, if we don't go out and hunt lions, and wolves (now closed) then we do those same animals we are hoping to save a disservice by not removing a few more predators that ultimately chase them far more this time of year. I feel better by not going out and running the animals around while looking for lion tracks, but not sure I'm helping.
On the other hand, if we don't go out and hunt lions, and wolves (now closed) then we do those same animals we are hoping to save a disservice by not removing a few more predators that ultimately chase them far more this time of year. I feel better by not going out and running the animals around while looking for lion tracks, but not sure I'm helping.
Schaaf
Well-known member
He's never spooked a deer from his snowmobile... or so he says.
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
I have been told this also. Yet they have the authority to control a season.
