When does shed hunting get good?

[7mmfan]

So I've never really hunted sheds before, just found them here and there when I was hunting, but I've just moved to Ellensburg and am just a hop and skip away from my hunting grounds and was curious when the shed hunting really gets good? I've been told that elk shed later than deer, like around late February or March, is that right? Just curious, I really want to spend some time in the woods this spring looking. I also just got some new snowshoes so thought maybe I could get out a little early if it was worth it.

[boneaddict]

Elk shed April (start in March) finsih in May.  deer tend to start shedding in January but really do in Feb and are mostly done by the end of March.

[boneaddict]

Early depends on your attitude.  If you don't care about the wildlife at all you can start now like a bunch of folks. OR......you can let them winter and pick them up when they have made it through the winter.  Its a moral choice.  yes, the early bird can get the worm.  YES the early bird can kill the worm.

PS there are alot of areas that are now closed until May 1st, so be careful.

[huntnphool]

I can tell you from personal experience that the moose in this state started dropping them November 28th

[boneaddict]

Yep, Moose are early, but thats REALLY pushing the early envelope.  Then whitetails, then muledeer then elk.   Not sure where blacktails fit in there but I suspect somewhere between whities and muleys.

[heavy hauler]

my friend shot a huge blacktail buck in dec years ago with a bow and it had no antlers.i have seen elk here drop as early as feb and seen them with antlers into may.who knows why???

[bucklucky]

my friend shot a huge blacktail buck in dec years ago with a bow and it had no antlers.i have seen elk here drop as early as feb and seen them with antlers into may.who knows why???

I'll second that, except that the buck a friend of mine killed, the antlers fell off when he shot it.

[lewy]

We start lookin for bt sheds super bowl weekend, but have seen bucks that have shed in Dec. If you live on the east side ur not gunna want to waste ur time over here!

[miah]

I second that, but I also think they drop em and than bury them to hide all traces of their existence.

[SHANE(WA)]

Mule deer yes into febuary, but whitetails around here start as early as late november, saw a buck missing a side last week and the little buck I took sunday lost a side when we drug it.I have taken 3 bucks now before dec 15 th that lost a side while dragging it in the last 5 years. usually by late december alot of the whitetails start missing sides or bare

[7mmfan]

Bone, in referance to your first comment on the moral aspect of it, I agree. The place hat I keep thinking of is the Bethel Ridge area, and up the 1500 and 1600 roads near Nile. I went up there just looking around last year and saw lots of sign of deer and elk, as well as about a thousand snowmobilers. It bothered me some that people were allowed to snowmobile and run all over hell up there in those animals wintering ground. I know that a majority of the animals are actually in the Oak Creek range thats closed to snowmobilers but there are plenty that don't go that far unless they HAVE too, and even then probably won't. I don't know I just felt compelled to voice my dismay with all the snowmobilers up there in my stomping grounds.

[BENCHLEG]

I WOULD SAY THAT YOU SHOULD VOICE YOURE CONCERNES TO WDFW. I HAVE AND THEY DONT CARE ABOUT US SPORTSMEN. BUT IF WE KEEP POUNDING ON THERE DOOR SOMEBODY WILL OPEN IT J