Shed Antler Contest?

[JJB11B]

I think CoryTDF should get his face painted like one of these pictures....then he would be pretty.

[MtnMuley]

Arteman, thanks for the slap in the face, but I fly solo. Grow up.

[jager]

I really don't see the difference between this and the very post created by bone himself and locked up top, but I'm over it already.  The great bone has spoke and his flock shall follow, Im sure if he would have agreed with me, you all would have been, yea what bone said the other way lol forget the whole idea.

What's that all about? I make up my own mind and I have my own opinions based on my observations. 

Nice work BTW 

[Miles]

I wouldn't think a contest would promote people to go more, Im out as much as possible as it is already, and I think it would be the same for the other folks that hit it hard as well. 

I'm curious as to how long you've been shed hunting?   It's the publicity of a contest like this that starts the gears turning in other peoples heads.  I've been shed hunting since before it was popular.  I can remember when figuring out where to look, what time of the year they dropped, and where the animals yarded was 75% off the work.  You learned from your own experience and every once in a while word of mouth.  Now you can just hop on the Internet, find all the info you need, look at pictures and background scenery in the pics.   Now you've got people who call themselves "shed hunters" out there running deer and elk down with sleds and quads in an attempt to make the antlers fall off.  They race in to areas that are closed off and stock pile sheds for the "opener".  They set up antler traps to get that little bit of an "advantage" over the next guy, etc...   

If you haven't shed hunted for that long, then I can understand how you might not be able to see how shed hunting has "evolved".   It's only going to get worse, and contest like this will only speed up the process. 

[JJB11B]

I am not a shed hunter. Not becuase I dont want to. But mainly becuase I do a lot of fishing that time of year. BUT I do have to agree with the  camp. Eventually shed hunting is going to be like the opener for modern rifle deer season...(IBA and ACH recommended)  a worthless but none the less

[antlerking]

This year is gunna be dif. with the lack of snow (which is good) we are seing bucks as high up as stormy mt. and beyond the bone is gunna be way scattered this year.  Gunna be a good excersize year and the biggest plus NO SNOWMOBILERS all foot traffic this year.  I think the 150 - 200 shed years are over.  gunna be lucky to break 50 this year, but the deer should faire well with the lack of snow.

[Arteman]

I am not a shed hunter. Not becuase I dont want to. But mainly becuase I do a lot of fishing that time of year. BUT I do have to agree with the  camp. Eventually shed hunting is going to be like the opener for modern rifle deer season...(IBA and ACH recommended)  a worthless but none the less

I wasnt going to comment about it anymore but It already is that bad jjb11b, especially the May 1st opener, but I live next to one of the best elk shed antler finding areas in the state, and I said one, I know there is others.  I know where to go to get away from people and still find them though, and i know I could go tomorrow and find them, it isn't seasonal for me.  I never known shed hunting to not be popular, but maybe its just my location.  However, I can see how this shed antler forum with all its threads can catch the eye of new enthusiasts, maybe it all should go.  Same with the deer and elk hunting forums, let's get rid of them too.  Getting to be way to many hunters in the state (I'm joking).  but I'm for introducing new people to the sport, kids, friends, etc.  Best exercise in the world and you can do it anytime of the year.  I don't keep the thats my hole mentality, if I'm running into people I go that much farther in.  In fact last year we was so far in we was finding fresh drops browns, whites, and even some so old they crumbled apart when you picked them up, like a sponge.  Clearly nobody goes in that far, thought i was going to die crossing a river waste deep, was about to go in when I caght myself funny with the heavy pack on and tweeked my back.  Filled my chest waiters with water, froze my ass off the rest of the day, and missed a weeks work for my back.  Only thing I can figure is it must be a pretty competitive thing on the eastside, everybody I run into here on the westside is very friendly.  You should go give it a try Jjb11b, I have a blast doing it, and i still run to my finds like its going to grow legs and run away, its like a big kids easter egg hunt!

[dscubame]

Love the idea.  To bad the shed hunting elitest have spoken.   

[Maverick]

I have to agree with arteman. Why can we have a predator contest but not a shed hunting contest. More and more people are going to go predator hunting more and more. At least with so many people shed hunting there aren't bullets flying everywhere like opening modern deer. If we can't have a shed hunting contest because too many people will get into it then we shouldn't have any contest for the same reasons.

[NWBREW]

I have to agree with arteman. Why can we have a predator contest but not a shed hunting contest. More and more people are going to go predator hunting more and more. At least with so many people shed hunting there aren't bullets flying everywhere like opening modern deer. If we can't have a shed hunting contest because too many people will get into it then we shouldn't have any contest for the same reasons.

I believe the problem it would create is pushing animals before they have dropped antlers. This is when they may be at their weakest. It is not the idea of the contest but the effects it may have going to early.

[boneaddict]

I would think there is a big difference between putting pressure on predators and putting pressure on the herds.   Being an AVID shed hunter, its difficult to self moderate or put ones own self control into effect.  Contests do nothing but encourage one with competetive spirit to get out there.   I used to be out there constantly, then decided enough was enough.   I didn't find nearly the amount of sheds I usually do but I got to say to myself I wasn't contributing to the problem.  There is a problem!  The government will step in shortly becasue we aren't able to do it ourselves.     DSCUBAME is one of my biggest critics and judges on here.  That being so, he'd have to notice that I rarely push the animals on the winter range/spring range.   Most of my photos get LONG from the target.  If I shed hunt at all its whitetails, which I believe can stand the pressure better than other prey animals. Its a choice I have made.   Yes there are others out there that will continue to do it, just like holding natives out of the water, shooting geese on closed days, etc, but I know what I have done.  If you want to insult me because I am trying to be a good steward, all the power to you. 

[Arteman]

I would think there is a big difference between putting pressure on predators and putting pressure on the herds.   Being an AVID shed hunter, its difficult to self moderate or put ones own self control into effect.  Contests do nothing but encourage one with competetive spirit to get out there.   I used to be out there constantly, then decided enough was enough.   I didn't find nearly the amount of sheds I usually do but I got to say to myself I wasn't contributing to the problem.  There is a problem!  The government will step in shortly becasue we aren't able to do it ourselves.     DSCUBAME is one of my biggest critics and judges on here.  That being so, he'd have to notice that I rarely push the animals on the winter range/spring range.   Most of my photos get LONG from the target.  If I shed hunt at all its whitetails, which I believe can stand the pressure better than other prey animals. Its a choice I have made.   Yes there are others out there that will continue to do it, just like holding natives out of the water, shooting geese on closed days, etc, but I know what I have done.  If you want to insult me because I am trying to be a good steward, all the power to you.

  No I agree with you its a major problem, ill hit the hillsides before the may opener, and never go below the highwater mark on the winter range before that.  You can watch these fools through binos from open spots on the hillsides or the highway chasing the herds across the river just to come out shake their antlers off and then more fools on that side chasing them back across again with their tounges hanging out the whole time, even witnessed a cow drown.  I know the department is understaffed but they dont seem to care because it wouldn't take much to catch these guys.  I'll use Google earth to find small pockets, draws with meadows in them where the elk feed on the other side of the highway, hardly ever bump elk, and might only find one or two antlers every time out, but I have good chances at finding fresh and older stuff and never seeing a soul because its a hell of a hike.  May be the reason I only found 33 elk sheds last year, that and i literally walked myself sick and had to stop from a hernia, and my buddy continued on to find 60 something.  Most these places you cant even make it to tell after the snow melt off, so the elk have made it through the rough time, but here on the westside the snow doesn't really pack up and hardly ever lingers for long, usually starts late and melts early. As far as a contest lol i am truly over it, and no I don't need my binki, not upset about it at all, in fact I don't even want to anymore.  My later arguments was more about the fact that I don't think anything we do on HW is going to increase, or decrease the impact on these wintering herds anymore than it already is happening, those people will still be out.  However I agree that it could draw attention to the dfw and give them some ideas about making a few extra bucks, but i see that coming soon anyways with some other states already doing it.  With that all said, I believe this is one of the main reasons the quality of bulls suck in this area as a quality bull hunting area, with the way bulls grow as soon as they drop, I may be wrong but i think they can grow 4 to 6 inches a day, some dropping antlers in mid march all the way to June, so some will be growing while others are still dropping, and instead of conserving nourishment for antler growth, they are getting pushed and using it to stay alive.  See a lot of bulls with weak bottoms but strong tops, as nourishment gets better.


 

[jess]

sounds good to me.. I start looking christmas day

[huntnnw]

If only I could snap my fingers and go back 15 years.   Shed hunting was a lot of fun before it became popular and turned in to a competition.

This is the beginning of the end.

[Maverick]

Ill be out shed hunting harder than ever this you. Why not just have the contest and who want to to it do it and who don't agree with don't do it?