Montana has the right idea.

[hunterofelk]

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_c916540e-a47c-11e1-a1e9-001a4bcf887a.html

[NWBREW]

  I do not see Washington doing that.......they would probably just get kept in a warehouse for years to come.

[bearpaw]

I like the fact that they put them back out there for the public to find. 

[bobcat]

I don't have a problem with them doing that, but for me I think it would take away from the whole shed hunting experience, knowing that some of the antlers I found were not shed in that location, but placed there by people. I guess if you were a person into shed hunting just as a way to make money it wouldn't matter.

[bearpaw]

I think some people are happy to find any antler regardless. If you found a marked antler and didn't like it you certainly could leave it for someone else. 

[bobcat]

The article said they removed the evidence tags from the antlers, so you wouldn't necessarily know if the one you found was dropped there by an elk or by a person. But like I said, that's just the way I would feel about it. Obviously there are plenty of people that would not care about the artificial aspect of the shed antlers they find, since they did have 147 vehicles there on the first day of shed hunting season.

I'd feel the same way about searching for shed antlers in this state in close proximity to feeding stations. It just seems artificial to me and I'm not interested in it.

We had evidence tags taped to the antlers, and some of the tape didn’t get removed,” Darrah said. “So when people found some with tape on them, they knew those were the antlers that we put back.”

[huntnphool]

 I like the idea of putting them back out there but I think I would have had MFW&P drop them throughout the gamr range from helicopter and not told anyone. They would still be found by the public but not look so "canned".

 Not sure why they advertised them being put back out there unless they are somehow generating revenue from it.

[bearpaw]

I like the idea of putting them back out there but I think I would have had MFW&P drop them throughout the gamr range from helicopter and not told anyone. They would still be found by the public but not look so "canned".

 Not sure why they advertised them being put back out there unless they are somehow generating revenue from it.

They are looking to do something positive, after the huge bungling of wolf management, the MFWP is under scrutiny by many sportsmen and legislators. If one of several governor candidates is elected governor there will be a big change of leadership in MFWP and the commission. Several coandidates are running on a platform of changing firing MFWP leadership and getting rid of the wolf lovers from the commission. Going to be a very interesting election in MT.

[buckfvr]

[/quote]

They are looking to do something positive, after the huge bungling of wolf management, the MFWP is under scrutiny by many sportsmen and legislators. If one of several governor candidates is elected governor there will be a big change of leadership in MFWP and the commission. Several coandidates are running on a platform of changing firing MFWP leadership and getting rid of the wolf lovers from the commission. Going to be a very interesting election in MT.
[/quote]

Lets hope the brainiacs here in Wa. State are paying close attention, realizing they are under a very similar magnafying glass......

[wlandrum]

   Nice!!!   

[Dhoey07]

I would rather have my state do this this, than auctioning them off to the highest bidder 

[blackveltbowhunter]

 

[pianoman9701]

I would rather have my state do this this, than auctioning them off to the highest bidder 

I don't mind the auction if the money stays in our DFW.

[Co]

ya , our state sells em... or destroys them,,  dont wanna give em back !

[KopperBuck]

Waste of time and money

[Dhoey07]

Waste of time and money

What money?  A day to pay some some employees to go stash some antlers, when 175 vehichles showed up to look for them.  It sounds like Montana made some happy "customers" as well.

[Huntboy]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[JLS]

I like the idea of putting them back out there but I think I would have had MFW&P drop them throughout the gamr range from helicopter and not told anyone. They would still be found by the public but not look so "canned".

 Not sure why they advertised them being put back out there unless they are somehow generating revenue from it.

They are looking to do something positive, after the huge bungling of wolf management, the MFWP is under scrutiny by many sportsmen and legislators. If one of several governor candidates is elected governor there will be a big change of leadership in MFWP and the commission. Several coandidates are running on a platform of changing firing MFWP leadership and getting rid of the wolf lovers from the commission. Going to be a very interesting election in MT.

Gov Schweitzer really gave the sportsmen that shaft by firing Director Hagener and appointing his longtime buddy and college roommate as the next director.  Director Maurier has set FWP back many years in terms of credibility with the legislature and the public.  It's a shame, and the blame goes directly to the top source, the one who many on this forum where ooohing and aaahing over when he proclaimed that FWP would not be investigating any "illegal" wolf kills.

[KopperBuck]

What money? Their salaries, the gas.... feel good story I'm sure, just not high on my priority as a tax payer.

[pianoman9701]

ya , our state sells em... or destroys them,,  dont wanna give em back !

Our state auctions them off and puts the money back into their budget.

[KopperBuck]

ya , our state sells em... or destroys them,,  dont wanna give em back !

Our state auctions them off and puts the money back into their budget.

  I'd rather we generate revenue than just spend it.

[ellensburgpo]

To me this was a good idea on montana's part. Did it cost money to do, of course. But they were gonna be paying those people to work that day anyways. So basically it was the cost of operating the vehicles. Those antlers were stolen from the public, and they gave them back as best they could. Not the same as if they were where they fell off, but to the kids who undoubtably found some I doubt it mattered.

[bobcat]

Actually the state of Montana did auction off a bunch of antlers recently, I just saw it on the "Warden" show. They had somewhere around 100 bighorn sheep skulls, along with every other kind of wildlife you can imagine.

[Grazer]

Pretty good idea if you ask me.  Why not give back to the honest folk every now and then.

[huntnnw]

good idea I guess..but my whitey shed hunting is used for my hunting in the fall and I wouldnt be to happy finding placed sheds