Author Topic: SHED HUNTING! when is the earliest? (Read 1688 times)

Hunter Fishman · « **on:** December 10, 2009, 11:18:41 AM »

As far as western states goes, whats the earliest you have found sheds. I live in Southern CA. & after last year Finding sheds in an area where deer have moved away from to head their wintering grounds, that kinda tells me that they shed them before the full force of the winter.
The earliest I found one is early February but was told by an older gentleman at the local forest service that they drop them between thanksgiving & CHRISTmas. I know the antler I found was a fresh one because it had a little blood & wax ring still on it but was bleached out more than normal & cracked all over. Is that just a characteristic of this particular deer? He wore threw the coating of the antler exposing the inside of it in two spots. he was a busted up 4 pt.
So what is the earliest you have found fresh sheds?
I'm going this weekend & i'll let you all know if I have any luck. I know its doubtful but I'm on a mission to find out about what time they drop. better earlier than later.

bearmgc · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2009, 11:34:05 AM »

Most of the physically accessible, wildlife wintering areas, in western Wyoming, are closed to the public until April, the earliest. Signs posted restricting all public access, usually from Mid November to at least April, often May. Usually high snow, with often avalanche danger, keep the unrestricted public land impassable until earliest late April.

Hunter Fishman · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:07:46 PM »

avalanches in WYO? How?
Dont you have to have mountains for that to happen? LOL
I thought it was as flat as a pancake out there? : )

weasel · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2009, 01:00:14 PM »

Here in Nevada, the rule of thumb is deer will start to shed in mid to late January, elk 1 month later. Bigger bulls and bucks usually shed first.

mauser98us · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2009, 01:50:27 PM »

here in the great Sonaran desert,it's about a month or so after the rut,which is usually Dec to Jan, depending on the weather

Graybeard · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2009, 05:51:31 PM »

Quote from: Hunter Fishman on December 10, 2009, 04:07:46 PM

avalanches in WYO? How?
Dont you have to have mountains for that to happen? LOL
I thought it was as flat as a pancake out there? : )

Ya really don't know much about Wyoming do ya?

Hunter Fishman · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2009, 07:41:57 PM »

no, I guess not. $:-\$
I was simply making a joke.
Every time I see speed goat or mule deer hunts on T.V, everything is wide open country or rolling hills at best.
I know they have mountains.

bigswede · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2010, 07:29:28 PM »

Here in N. Idaho, deer usually start dropping around Christmas. I have seen them as early as Dec 15th but it is rare. A lot of bucks don't drop until January, and a slect few wait until the beginning of February. Elk, usually the big ones first, drop the 15th of march and go from there.

Blue Duck · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2010, 12:58:06 PM »

Im in north Idaho. Just found a fresh shed on January 10th. It was in the snow so I know it was just dropped. On the 20th I saw a buck in the same area still waring his rack.

Hunter Fishman · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2010, 02:27:13 PM »

I missed going last weekend, which was my do or die day, before the snow hit & it hit hard for a week straight non stop!
I went yesterday but the roadside wasnt plowed enough to have a place to park so a friend & I went fishing with no luck either. I hope the snow melts off enough before next weekend.

I need my shed fix.
I'm getting twitchy & starting to come down with cabin fever. even though I went fishing yesterday, it doesnt do it for me anymore, I need my weekly dose of wilderness or I will go insane!

Last years shed count was 23. Any guesses as to how many I find this year?
Last year I had a strict agenda to look for sheds every weekend, year round.
I only found 6 fresh sheds out of all 23. I think someone beat me to em last year... but then again the rest of the sheds were in plain sight & several years old.

I know we have more deer than that.

I tied an antler to a bush & watched the progress of how long it took to be eaten away. It was relocated several times untill it was in an area where it got chewed on by rodent & even a coyote. I removed it before it got completely unrecognizable. I cut my experiment short for that reason but am now having regrets because I would have liked to see if activity would increase with the winter.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2010, 05:03:43 PM »

From the action in the backyard and I would say the shed has not started here. I took these pictures a couple of days ago. The top one is a very nice 4x4 buck with eye guards and horns are on the heavy side. The running fork went after the 4x4 and butted heads a couple of times, than backed off. The big guy acted like he did it every day.(01/22/2010) The small fork stayed out of the way.

I think the two forks were born in 2008 out by the wood pile.

Hunter Fishman · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2010, 07:58:51 AM »

Those are some beutiful deer! I always love seeing pictures of deer in back yards. Wish I had some like that in my back yard to enjoy. Thanks for taking the edge off of my cabin fever. I'm going out soon. Maybe tomarrow if its not raining or snowing. The snow was down to 2,500 ft. 2 days ago & now its melted all the way up to 4,500. I'm still having days where I can wear shorts. Our winters are light & dont usualy last long.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2010, 01:23:38 PM »

Notice how pale the horns look. The same horns were walnut colored in October. I think they will shed soon.

Hunter Fishman · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2010, 03:50:57 PM »

Quote from: Siskiyou on January 25, 2010, 01:23:38 PM

Notice how pale the horns look. The same horns were walnut colored in October. I think they will shed soon.

When I find em fresh in jan-march they are still dark. I have only found 1 fresh shed that was completely white all around. I wouldnt trust color as a sign of em begining to drop. Allot of deer spend time in the open & out from under cover, the deer in my area stay pretty well covered from the sun under the thick brush. Its hard to say weather this is the same in other states or even counties. I can only vouch for southern CA. mule deer.

this one was found in march & is my darkest shed.

I'll be posting pics like crazy as soon as I start picking up some fresh ones.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2010, 04:33:02 PM »

I have not seen horns bleach out as much as they do with this local herd. There is another herd that comes down from the high country and winters about forty miles from here. I have seen some old bucks that have almost black horns. I believe the black horns come about when the deer are rubbing their antlers on charred trees and brush.

An acquaintance in S. California hunts a mountain that has a fire burn on it every few years. He has an extensive collect for dark brown to black horns.

Many, many years ago I looked at a very gray fork killed by another hunter. It's horns looked dead they looked like sheds on his head. I believe it was a very old buck who rack had declined from the peak years.

I picked up one side of a 4 point one fall and got a very nasty sliver out of it. It took me a couple of days to dig it out of my finger.

Hunter Fishman · « **Reply #15 on:** January 26, 2010, 03:42:07 PM »

Well, I went out today on a 4 mile hike in 2 feet of snow. I didnt see anything until I was walking back.
I jumped a doe & her 2 fawns & a fat little bobcat right on top of the deer, I think I spoiled the bobcats dinner. Just after that I glassed the comunity meadows below & saw 7 deer running in the snow toward some guy at the fence who was feeding them. I"m sure there were bucks in the mix but I couldnt see antler from that far. I walked a few 100 yards & saw a few more groups of deer feeding in the snow.
I wish this snow would melt already. Its only been here for A week & I'm already sick of it.
Now its raining again...

bearmgc · « **Reply #16 on:** January 26, 2010, 04:24:04 PM »

Shedding hasn't started here in Northwestern Wyoming. New law now in Wyoming - No shed hunting allowed on ANY public lands west of the ContinentaL Divide until April 1st.

bearmgc · « **Reply #17 on:** January 26, 2010, 04:54:05 PM »

Letting would be shed hunters know with an FYI.

Savage_99 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 26, 2010, 04:56:57 PM »

bearmgc · « **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2010, 04:57:33 PM »

There is a good reason for restricting shed hunting till spring. The most obvious is to keep the wintering animals from being disturbed. Winter is a tough survival time for ungulates.

Hunter Fishman · « **Reply #20 on:** January 26, 2010, 08:28:01 PM »

Is there that strict of a policy about what we say here because I'm pretty sure I havent offended any one or used any foul language but for some reason my posts have been disapearing lately!
or is some one just being a prick?

At least have the decency to inform me that my repies have been deleted & let me know if I did somthing inapropriate.

Graybeard · « **Reply #21 on:** January 27, 2010, 05:43:48 AM »

When you post things that are illegal your posts disappear.

I am under no obligation to tell you when or why I make posts go away. Get used to it. Read the rules. We will delete or edit any post at any time we wish to in order to make them conform to site rules/policies and the law.

luciausarmy · « **Reply #22 on:** March 04, 2010, 02:21:56 PM »

a little old thread but just to inform the people from california that it is illegal to pick up shed horns/antlers in the entire state.(from what I was told so dont beleive me if you dont want to) I was informed that you cannot pick up any part of animal or wildlife and remove it from the place you picked it up at. not sure if its true but just giving you a heads up.

hillbill · « **Reply #23 on:** March 04, 2010, 02:52:35 PM »

that would not surprise me in cal.they have laws they never even thought of here in MO.glad i live in MO and not in california.im my woods i can pik up anything i want and do anything i want with it.for now.