Moose Shed Tips

[Alan K]

Okay guys, just finished the last of my school work yesterday, and have all of finals week off before graduation and heading back to the west side.  I've done pretty much everything on my list of things to do with my time in Idaho aside from finding a moose shed.  I'll be busy getting all my stuff packed this week but will be getting out here and there when I need a break and find time for a last hoorah to complete this goal.  Will hopefully get a couple mornings and afternoons in.

I'd like to get a thread going on what sort of areas to search, elevations, etc.  Whatever could increase the chances of finding some paddles. Please post anything you can think of that would increase ones odds of finding moose sheds! Elevations / Slope Aspect / Bedding Areas / Winter Feed / Shedding Months ETC.  Really anything you take in to consideration when choosing a spot to look.

I'll start with a couple tips I've been able to collect from some local guys over here that do pretty well:

Cedar sapling groves in reprod like clear cuts.  I guess these cedar trees provide some good feed for moose in the winter months when they are shedding their antlers, and they also like to bed in them. 

Edges between reprod and timber, and between reprod and clearcuts.  Really any transition areas.

High(er) elevation.  Thanks to their long legs, snow depth forces deer and elk to lower elevations before it does moose.  They will generally stay higher.

Aspect not a huge factor?  People I talk to have found them equally regardless of aspect.

They generally shed from late November to early January.

Older clearcuts with winter feed in them.  I can't remember the name for the plant that the moose in this picture are eating around Thanksgiving.  A local told me what it was one time but I can't recall.

[Alan K]

Also,

The two bulls there were two of 13 that my dad and I saw one day in this general area during Thanksgiving weekend.  Assuming they do in fact drop their antlers starting in late November and into December, I would think that the sheds should be in the same general vicinity.  What do you guys think? 

Also, it looks as though there is still some snow up in that area, that is the same snow that was sitting there in Thanksgiving.  Would it be worthwhile looking in an area with 6 or so inches of snow still, in hopes that the sheds have been exposed since they were dropped on top of about a foot+ of snow initially?

Thanks guys!

[benhuntin]

Headed out right now for moose so I will have to see if you tips work

[Devinshoe]

Dang i've found alot paddles but im not soo sure about spud land .  I always look for places where there is alot of cianosis and aspen trees. through out the years i've noticed moose will stay in the same spots. ive found paddles in 3 feet of snow before, so it might not hurt to go back to the same spots where you have the photos from.  But heck ya never know sheds are where you find em!

[oldleclercrd]

Thanks for the tips!

[Alan K]

I am by no means an expert, I was just passing on what I have heard from the locals here trying to help me find one before I go home. I've never found one myself.

And the terrain here around Moscow is pretty much the same as what you'll find in NE Washington so I figure the tips people provide (including the ones I shared) will be relevant in all areas.

[Alan K]

And anyone who has ever found one, please chime in.  Even if you've only found one ever, what kind of country was it in? Rough elevation, slope aspect, feeding/bedding area etc.?

[Elkslayer]

Alan,
The majority of the ones that I find are up pretty high. Usually right on the tops of ridges and benches. These are usually in feeding areas. Alot of the people i know pick them up right off the roads when they are snowmobiling as moose tend to bed right on the roads alot. If you saw 13 bulls in that spot the last week of November I would guess that a few definately shed out in the area.

Here is a ATL of the last one I picked up!

[twinners]

Gold Hill area.  Of course by now the locals have probably got the roads picked clean from their snowmobiles.  Good Luck.

[Alan K]

Been up there once so far, not since the snow dropped, but found a WT and rag horn elk shed. . . The area I'm talking about going to is actually in through Laird Park / Camp Grizzly and up towards the Divide, all the same sort of country. 

[THEBUGLER]

Ive found a couple moose sheds. One was at about 3000' elev, the other about 4-5000'.  The lower one was in a yew wood thicket, the other one was on a ridge trail with moose crap every 20'. 

[Alan K]

Okay, well I'm going to make a run up there and see if I can't luck into something.  Hitting the thick stuff, going to be a slow go through that brush making sure I see everything.  Going to be my last shed hunt in Idaho. . . 

Going to take a deet bath and head out the door, hopefully don't get eaten alive too bad by the ticks. 

[bucklucky]

Good luck Alan.

[Alan K]

Well, no dice.  Did pick up a deadhead spike WT and a 4 point (or 5 point as the locals call 'em) WT shed.  The anti tick bath worked, didn't have any on me or at least none that I saw and none that burrowed. 

Covered reprod patches full of feed and cover as best I could, probably 15-20 passes through each. Zip.  All kinds of sign, and beds.  Lot of the moose crap was dried/old looking so I figure it was from last fall/winter.  Was a good area, and I'd imagine there were some sheds in there somewhere but not for me to find I guess.

Also bumped into some guys who had their dogs out running bear. They had had their dogs on one but it got up into too deep of snow so they called them off.  Unfortunately they were scattered all over the place I guess and the old timer I talked to had his antennae out trying to find a couple that were still out.  Neat to see the equipment, first time I had.

[bucklucky]

I feel the hounds guys pain