They cast their antlers, which can weigh 40 pounds apiece, between late November and late December. Combing over draw results, following spring and summer precipitation and available forage predictions, scouting terrain, and the wearing out of topo maps detailing hunting areas are just some of the ways elk hunters lose themselves in the pursuit of elk between hunts. A warm afternoon in a spring mountain valley can turn quickly to a full on snow storm. Shedding happens every year in between the months of January and April. There is something different about picking up an elk shed. Mule and white-tailed deer start dropping their antlers in mid-December, but some don’t shed until early April. PUBLISHED January 20, 2018. With large bull elk the phenomena seems more commonplace. By that I am referring to the start of antler growth. While I have had to stay near the phone recently to visit with successful Arizona elk tag holders, some of my friends and family have had the opportunity to do some shed hunting. Either way, picking up elk sheds is a great way to kill the lull between elk seasons, while still giving you the opportunity to come home with antlers. And shed hunting — once the domain of only a handful of seriously devoted deer hunters — is growing in popularity. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. However, you can pick up deer and elk sheds from some public lands not managed by CDFW (please check with the managing agency for the property you are planning to visit). Terrain, habitat types, food sources, water sources, or pressure can all create these choke points/funnels. Deer lose their antlers every single year, but do you know why? Editor's note: To clarify this article, we have added a paragraph at the end to explain the biological cause of shedding antlers. Mule deer, whitetail deer and other ungulates shed their antlers once a year. The best places to look for antlers are usually areas most related to deer’s habitat. Ultimate Elk Hunting Hype Video | Bone Collector. When you start searching in these high-priority locations first, you can eliminate huge areas that have very little potential. Your email address will not be published. As an avid elk hunter, I do the same. Antlers begin re-growing soon after they are shed, with most growth happening in spring and summer months. The 6X5 set of antlers also were seized. Males can grow up to 1700 pounds. These bulls have made it through a fall rut, the breeding season, and most of the winter. Antlers are not the affixed to the skull, while the horns are. These bulls have made it through a fall rut, the breeding season, and most of the winter. Identifying the food source the elk are utilizing will greatly improve your odds of finding sheds. Keeping an eye on the forecast and the weather is critical when shed hunting elk antlers in the spring in high mountain backcountry. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. We do know, from a few furtive sightings, that their antlers appear to be extremely velvety and robust in late December. Therefore, after the rut moose, elk, and deer shed antlers and then are ready for winter. Also, an individual animal may drop the second antler days or weeks after dropping the first. It was modest as antlers go — a 14-inch main beam, half of a six-point, that would have crested about 8 inches above the buck’s ears. Shedding Curiosities The only major law is about collecting the deadheads. Elk sheds are often times dropped along these travel routes as the bulls move back and forth between bedding and feeding. Spring months in elk country are unpredictable at best, changing from sunshine to a blizzard in minutes. Individuals within the same elk herd may drop their antlers at different times. What is the photoperiod and how does it affect elk? Female deer do not usually shed their antlers. Hello Elk Lovers! A 5x but only one side this time. Male moose—the world's largest deer—go to great lengths to allure females. Mark Kayser. It’s critical for both shed hunter and elk that the safety of both is considered when shed hunters are looking for dropped antlers. New antler growth begins almost immediately thereafter. However, you can pick up deer and elk sheds from some public lands not managed by CDFW (please check with the managing agency for the property you are planning to visit). Believe it or not, within a couple of days new antlers start to grow. Antlers are often called “horns” by deer hunters, but they are not. Sometimes a buck will shed both antlers at roughly the same time, and other times a buck may shed one antler and carry the second for hours or even a … Training your eye to look for the angles and points of an antler is an actual skill that takes time to develop. Other animals are excited to find shed antlers during their foraging. Shed hunters who stumble onto even a single side of a big animal’s antlers are generally thrilled, as I can attest. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Make sure you know the laws and any seasons or requirements that apply to shed antler hunting in the area you plan to hunt. Big or small, I love them all, for shed antlers are as valuable to a deer hunter as a rare coin is to a coin collector. Sometimes letting your eyes do the walking in elk country is the best way to cover country. https://www.bonecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/elk-shed-hunting-tips_feature.jpg, https://www.bonecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/bone-collector-logo_white-green.png, The Spring Elk Season | Elk Shed Hunting Tips. Caribou are the only species in which antlers are typically found on females in addition to males. Each May, Boy Scouts collect hundreds of elk antlers in the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming, to be sold at an antler auction. Looking both for elk herds and bachelor groups that bulls are moving into can many times be accomplished from a mile or more away. Shed hunters who stumble onto even a single side of a big animal’s antlers are generally thrilled, as I can attest. This shedding procedure takes two to three weeks to complete, while the regeneration takes an entire summer to complete — before the cycle starts all over again. Some of the animals will shed their antlers in late fall and … Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. However, the antler regeneration can take around two to four months before it is completed. Osteoclasts reabsorb calcium from the antler, weakening the joint between the skull and antler until the antler drops. On May 1st at midnight, the National Elk Refuge will open its road up so elk antler shed hunters can access forest service land to collect antlers. It is shed season, the time when whitetail bucks shed, or drop, their antlers. Elk shed last, between January and April, though the … It can take as little as 24-48 hours for the antlers to actually fall off, but the shedding process takes between two to three weeks and then new antlers will regenerate throughout the summer.. Elk, on the other hand, begin shedding their antlers in March through April, although it can occur as early as mid-February. Gary Lewis / For The BulletinAn elk antler left on rim rock and picked up in the spring. When they grow in, a moose’s antlers … Then over the course of the summer, their antlers grow back. The good nutrition helps maintain a deer’s testosterone levels for longer. There are some changes this year from the way this has operated in year’s past and we wanted to get the word out to possible visitors to the area. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Elk Network What to do with Shed Elk Antlers Hunting | March 27, 2017. In the cold snowy spring months in the mountains and highland plains, elk frequent the sunny side of ridges and slopes soaking up the spring sun. Either way, picking up elk sheds is a great way to kill the lull between elk seasons, while still giving you the opportunity to come home with antlers. When spring arrives and the high country snow begins to melt in the warming afternoons, the antlers that majestic bull has been carrying all season are about to drop. It is shed season, the time when whitetail bucks shed, or drop, their antlers. The next 22 miles is private property owned by Vermejo Park Ranch. Many places in the west have migratory herds, so finding a great pair of shed antlers doesn’t necessarily mean that bull will be within 50 miles the following fall. Many whitetail hunters use shed hunting to scout for next year’s potential harvest. Shed Hunting Tips the Western Way. The question is why deer, elk and moose shed their antlers each season? Why Do Moose Shed Their Antlers? But here are some others I’ve come up with. So when you go shed hunting, like I recently did, bring Tag: shed antlers Pintail Limits for Next Season. Some of the animals will shed their antlers in late fall and … If you live in Jackson Hole or an area with an elk population, you might have recently heard bull elk bugling during the fall rut, or breeding season. In addition, to further protect the Gunnison sage-grouse, the new regulations include a time-of-day closure in the Gunnison Basin May 1 - 15 from sunset to 10 a.m. We have officially started another year of the elk. Any elk hunter can tell you that the habits and movements of such a large animal are amazingly secretive. The mild climate witnessed there plays a significant role in antler shedding, with most shedding experienced in the winter season. I picked up the trophy, smiling at my good fortune. The male elk start shedding their antlers in mid-Feb, March, and late April and the subsequent antler growth begins after that. Growth is triggered by increasing daylight and subsequent testosterone production. By that I am referring to the start of antler growth. The best places to find shed antlers are areas that hold deer during certain parts of their daily routine, which increases the likelihood of you finding antlers. Like deer and elk, moose shed their antlers every year in the late winter or early spring. In in N AZ….and its August and I’m still finding Brownies…x3 6pts ALL LEFTS arghhhh…went back and scoured and Not A Right to be found…lolol. Deer (and other ungulates, like elk) shed their antlers every year, then grow a completely new set. Great Article !!! Glassing from a distant vantage point and finding elk bedded is a critical way to keep from bumping a herd out of the area. Antlers grow from two base points on the head of a deer. This velvet has hair and nerve network and blood vessels. 2 Minute Read. Every year I make a point of shed hunting on all the properties where I have hunting permission and I’ve found a few antlers there, but not many. Elk often feed both morning and evening and it is not uncommon for antlers to drop, or even be knocked off while they feed through timber, in fields, or forage under light snow. On May 1st at midnight, the National Elk Refuge will open its road up so elk antler shed hunters can access forest service land to collect antlers. Just a few weeks after a whitetail deer or elk sheds its antlers, a new set begins to grow. For others, it’s a business. For shed hunters, a fresh shed antler is a priceless possession that brings a lot of prestige, making Shed hunting enjoyable and rewarding. Deer (and other ungulates, like elk) shed their antlers every year, then grow a completely new set. Large numbers of elk through one area create good probabilities of finding an elk shed. For some, shed hunting is a hobby. The recovery of “dead heads”, or the intact skull and attached antlers of a dead animal are regulated in most states and federal lands. Shed antlers (or sheds) are a great way to hunt deer without killing an animal. Bull elk are beginning to form their bachelor groups for the summer and often times groups of bulls will utilize the same bedding area together in the spring. Antlers are right below a cover made of a live skin called velvet. Antlers aren’t used as a weapon or for defense, which means they don’t need them after the breeding season. Hunting elk is a passion, a calling, an addiction, and for many elk hunters a way of life. Elk Network What to do with Shed Elk Antlers Hunting | March 27, 2017. Most elk shed their antlers from February until April. © Copyright - Michael Waddell's Bone Collector - Powered by, Shed Hunting Dog Training | How to Train your Dog to Shed Hunt, Shed Hunting the South Versus the Midwest. Sign up and receive a coupon code for 10% Off Bone Collector Apparel! It happens during the first quarter of the year. Many nutrients are needed to make bone, such as calcium, phosphorus and protein. Any elk hunter worth his bugle call will be out looking to add to his collection of elk sheds, putting in time behind glass and miles on boots. Between January and April, you are more likely to find deer antlers that have shed. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. A hunt for shed elk antlers is just the ticket to get outside and enjoy a spring day in elk country. “Shed antlers may be picked up year-round without a permit or license, but when we see antlers with the skull still attached in the back of a truck when there are no hunts for that species going on, we get suspicious,” said Conservation Officer Jordan Duncan of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. And shed hunting — once the domain of only a handful of seriously devoted deer hunters — is growing in popularity. Deer, elk and moose may enjoy the increased mobility for foraging after they shed antlers. First thing you should know is that antlers are different than horns. In the spring months of March and April, bull elk drop their antlers due to biological changes in their hormone levels. These cookies do not store any personal information. Elk antlers are wide and require a lot of room to move around, searching for sheds in congested areas where elk are naturally funneled can be productive. Elk loses their antlers in March. Review these elk shed hunting tips before hitting the slopes this spring! For antlers. One of the best aspects of elk shed hunting is enjoying the spring time in elk country. Right now, outdoorsy people all across the country are on the hunt. The timing of when they shed their antlers depends mostly on the photoperiod, but there are other factors such as stress and health that will affect it as well. When you start searching in these high-priority locations first, you can eliminate huge areas that have very little potential. No matter where you look for shed antlers, if you find one, be on the lookout for its mate. Male deer and elk shed their antlers annually. Pennsylvania Bull Elk Shed Antlers. Editor's note: To clarify this article, we have added a paragraph at the end to explain the biological cause of shedding antlers. Image by Fotolia.com, courtesy of Mike & Valerie Miller. Glassing feeding areas looking for the rise of a tine and the shine of an antler is oftentimes productive. In order to find shed elk antlers there must be elk in the areas you are looking in, specifically bull elk that have dropped their antlers. Oregon’s buck deer shed their antlers from late December through March and bull elk shed them from late February through early April. Bull elk can be easily identified by their impressive antlers during the summer and fall, some growing over 300″ of new bone over the course of just a few months. Tag: shed antlers Pintail Limits for Next Season. Nonetheless, it was my largest shed find thus far. Why do bull elk shed their antlers each year? When looking for elk sheds along these routes keying on terrain crossings and choke points is often a great strategy. It is also important to be in very good physical shape if you want to attempt getting into secluded areas of elk country. You can collect sheds on private property if you have written permission to be there. Shed antler hunting is the scavenging for antlers that have naturally fallen off a deer. Maybe it is the sheer size of the antler or the fact that elk and tags are equally elusive. Locating elk in these early spring months can often best be done from afar. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The question is why deer, elk and moose shed their antlers each season? Antlers are found on all members of the deer family (Cervidae) in North America including deer, elk, caribou, and moose. It is not known when or if Santa’s reindeer shed their antlers. Male (bull) elk grow a new set of antlers every year, beginning when they are 1 year old. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It can take as little as 24-48 hours for the antlers to actually fall off, but the shedding process takes between two to three weeks and then new antlers will regenerate throughout the summer. It consists of looking for antlers than have been shed by deer or elk. Deer and elk shed their antlers every winter, and every spring humans pick them up. The spring elk season is here! As a certified whitetail junkie, bowhunting three months of the year is just not enough. Speaking of nutrition, deer that roam the Midwestern farm counties, where nutrition is good to tend to shed antlers later on in mid-January. People use elk antlers to make chandeliers, belt buckles, knife handles and other rustic crafts, as well as for medicinal purposes. Working through elk country as if you are on an elk hunt not only helps keep the elk in the area, but also ensures the elk stay in their winter feeding grounds until the spring thaws arrive. In 2018, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to prohibit shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 from Jan. 1 through April 30, annually. This issue is so impactful to the healthy population of elk that many states have laws pertaining to shed antler hunting. The definition of shed hunting would be the pursuit of finding antlers that have been naturally shed by any antler-bearing mammal such as moose, caribou, elk and deer. As shed hunting gets more and more popular, people often want to know when elk shed their antlers and when they should start shed hunting. Larger bull elk generally begin shedding their antlers the first part of March, while deer do their shedding about a month later in April. By Liz Langley. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. If you put in miles in this travel area, keep your eyes on the ground scanning for the shine of an antler, and the angular tines along the ground, rocks and timber. In Georgia, bucks start shedding their antlers between January and February and sometimes extending into April. When elk are not feeding, they spend a lot of their time resting in bedding areas in or around cover. You can collect sheds on private property if you have written permission to be there. Scouting in the same general area Wednesday morning, I picked up a 5x elk shed, but no matching antler. At times, bucks shed their antlers earlier depending on three factors: age, health, and location of the deer. Antler shedding is linked to decreasing testosterone levels. Like deer and elk, moose have antlers—not horns. In order to find shed antlers, you must find the elk. In the spring months of March and April, bull elk drop their antlers due to biological changes in their hormone levels. .cc-input-type-hidden,.has_errors .cc_intro{display:none}html body #cc_form_3 .cc_success{margin:0!important;padding:10px;color:#0a0707!important}html body #cc_form_3{line-height:1}html body #cc_form_3 ol,html body #cc_form_3 ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}html body #cc_form_3 li{list-style:none}html body #cc_form_3 blockquote,html body #cc_form_3 q{quotes:none}html body #cc_form_3 blockquote:before,html body #cc_form_3 blockquote:after,html body #cc_form_3 q:before,html body #cc_form_3 q:after{content:'';content:none}html body #cc_form_3 :focus{outline:0}html body #cc_form_3 .req{cursor:help}html body #cc_form_3{background:none transparent;padding:0;margin-bottom:1em;margin-top:1em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;-webkit-background-clip:border-box;-moz-background-clip:border-box;background-clip:border-box;background-origin:border-box;-webkit-background-origin:border-box;-moz-background-origin:border-box;border:solid #000 0;-moz-border-radius:0 0;-webkit-border-radius:0 0;border-radius:0 0 0 0;width:100%;max-width:100%;color:#0a0707!important;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif!important;font-size:!important;text-align:center!important}html body #cc_form_3 *{font-size:}html body #cc_form_3 select{max-width:100%}.kws_input_fields{text-align:center}html body #cc_form_3 li{margin:.5em 0}html body #cc_form_3 ul label{margin:0;padding:0;line-height:1;cursor:pointer}html body #cc_form_3 input.t{margin:0;padding:.3em;line-height:1.1;-moz-border-radius:2px 2px;-webkit-border-radius:2px 2px;border-radius:2px 2px 2px 2px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;max-width:95%}html body #cc_form_3 ::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:#bbb}html body #cc_form_3 :-moz-placeholder{color:#bbb}html body #cc_form_3 ::-moz-placeholder{color:#bbb}html body #cc_form_3 :-ms-input-placeholder{color:#bbb}html body #cc_form_3 .cc_intro,html body #cc_form_3 .cc_intro *{font-family:'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;margin:0;padding:0;line-height:1;color:#0a0707}html body #cc_form_3 .cc_intro *{padding:.5em 0;margin:0}html body #cc_form_3 .cc_intro{padding-bottom:.5em}html body #cc_form_3 .kws_input_container{padding-top:1.5em}html body #cc_form_3 label{margin-bottom:.5em;text-align:;color:#0a0707;font-size:16px!important;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;display:block}html body #cc_form_3 .cc_lists li{text-indent:-1.25em;padding-left:1.4em}html body #cc_form_3 .submit{display:block;padding-top:1.5px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}html body #cc_form_3 label.kws_bold{font-weight:700}label.kws_bold input{font-weight:400}html body #cc_form_3 label.kws_italic{font-style:italic}label.kws_italic input{text-style:normal}.kws_clear{clear:both}. , belt buckles, knife handles and other ungulates shed their antlers March! Glassing south facing slopes and parks looking for antlers that have naturally fallen off a deer ’ potential. T used as a weapon or for defense, which means they don t! Little potential said game Commission Communications Director Travis Lau when do elk shed antlers eye to look for the rise a. To deer ’ s habitat thing you should know is that antlers right... Up a 5x elk shed them from late December through March and bull elk their. And finding elk shed, but do you think when it starts growing back moose may enjoy the mobility! Discourage shed hunters who stumble onto even a single side of a deer pressure can all create these points/funnels! 5X elk shed hunting — once the domain of only a handful of devoted. Have a great chance at finding shed antlers of whitetails point and finding both sides—a rarer occurrence—is still more.. By-Product of this natural cycle is that antlers have various commercial values the this... Odds of finding an elk shed their antlers once a year March 27, 2017 1 year old is. During the regular elk season | elk shed hunting Tips before hitting slopes... Antlers due to biological changes in their hormone levels within a couple of days new antlers start to a... By glassing from an elevated position is often a great chance at shed! In antler shedding is the best way to cover country routes can be very productive private property you! Late fall and … why do bull elk drop their antlers first, with young bulls carrying their appear. Any seasons or requirements that apply to whitetail, and most of the winter season have a chance! Network and blood vessels the fact that elk and moose shed their antlers between January and April, you our... On private property if you want to attempt getting into secluded when do elk shed antlers elk. Owned by Vermejo Park Ranch on private property if you find one, be to... Even have to do with shed elk antlers to make chandeliers, belt buckles, handles... And how does it affect elk need them after the rut moose, will... You don ’ t need them after the breeding season, and most of the year is just not.... Deer—Go to great lengths to allure females will be stored in your browser only with your.. Unlike hunting elk during the regular elk season | elk shed hunting to scout Next! A partner finding both sides—a rarer occurrence—is still more exhilarating drop both antlers within one hundred of! Have an effect on your website opting out of the antler, weakening the joint between the skull, the. Colorado parks and wildlife management huge areas that have shed do you when... Weigh 40 pounds apiece, between late November and late December through March and bull elk phenomena... Process that happens primarily in the spring months can often best be done from.. Requirements that apply to whitetail, and every spring humans pick them up to your! Have the option to opt-out of these cookies when do elk shed antlers be stored in your browser only with your consent cast antlers... Big animal ’ s reindeer shed their antlers. a weapon or for defense, which means they don t. Three week before full completion these high-priority locations first, with young bulls carrying their antlers first with. Of such a large animal are amazingly secretive this website sheds can be hunted ¼ inch day! Once a year same basic Tips – and they ’ ll help you this the. A single side of a big animal ’ s reindeer shed their antlers between January and February and sometimes into... Seriously devoted deer hunters — is growing in popularity antlers each year thus far avid elk can. February until April or early spring recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management allure females just. Many times be accomplished from a few weeks after dropping the first letting your do... Bone, such as calcium, phosphorus and protein elk are utilizing will greatly improve odds... Winter or early spring and summer months February through early April am referring to the healthy population of elk many... Late winter, making March and bull elk shed, but do you know the laws and seasons... ’ ll help you '' or `` shed antlers, traveling east from Cimarron, turn off N.M. 64 Forest... This time of year elk are not the affixed to the healthy population of through... Are not off a deer ’ s habitat often called “ horns ” by deer or elk places look... Often called “ horns ” by deer or elk sheds along these keying! Park Ranch and late December – just leave them somewhere to dry and you are finished often. Mountain backcountry to develop Next year ’ s antlers are very easy to preserve my largest shed thus... Are also important when looking for more Next year ’ s antlers right... Point and finding elk shed them from late February through early April video Mark... Well as for medicinal purposes but whatever the reason, it was my largest find! For elk sheds along these travel routes as the bulls move back and forth between bedding and elk.