| The antler! What an
amazing thing. Each is different in shape, size, texture and color. There is nothing like
finding and holding this beautiful object of natural art. I realize that by now most of
the women reading this article have flipped the page. But please, let me explain why
antlers are so fascinating. We men
can't seem to get enough of a huge antler or rack. Antlers are the symbol of manhood and
dominion in the animal kingdom.
We talk about them...
We dream about them...
Some of us spend all our spare time looking for them, just to get a glimpse of that
illusive non-typical 200-class buck or the 400-class Monarch bull.
There is just something about an antler
that makes us so excited, and yes, there are a few elect women who do enjoy antlers as
well.
I personally am addicted to antlers and
shed hunting. My house is overrun with them. At times, I find myself picking them off the
wall and scoring them - again. My wife, now and again, will ask, "Did the score
change from last week?" I now tape their scores to the main beams for quick
reference. I love to study them and take note of the differences in each antler. They are
so impressive, and like a fingerprint, all are unique.
WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES ANTLERS SO IMPRESSIVE?
The antler is the fastest-growing tissue known to man. Cancer
researchers have attempted to identify a relationship between tumor growth and the growth
rate of antlers. Antlered animals shed their antlers each season and experience a complete
regeneration within a few months, usually with added branching, mass, and length from the
year before. This as opposed to "horned" animals, which keep their horns
throughout the year. The horn is formed from hair growing off the animal's head and then
being hardened by keratin. The pronghorn antelope is the only exception to this rule, in
that they shed the outer sheath of their horns each year.
Males in the deer family, which include
various species of deer, elk, caribou, and moose grow antlers. In the case of caribou, the
females also grow antlers. Antler growth begins on the pedicles of the skull. During
growth they are covered with "velvet" that holds the numerous blood vessels
which carry nutrients and oxygen throughout the antler. When the antlers have matured, an
increase in testosterone production cuts off the blood supply, causing the antlers to
harden into a calcified tissue. The velvet is then rubbed off. The blood remaining in the
veins combines with whatever foliage or landform is used to rub the velvet to create the
different "brown" hues of good, fresh antlers. The final stage of rubbing and
coloring occurs during the annual rut or mating season of late autumn to early winter.
As winter approaches, there is less
sunlight in the day, especially in the higher latitudes. The rut has finished, and the
male's testosterone levels are diminishing. The lower hormone levels cause the male to
drop or shed his antlers for the season. This would explain why these "cactus
bucks", as we like to call them, do not lose their velvet or shed their antlers.
These bucks usually have smaller testicles, or none at all, and do not produce, nor can
they sustain, the amount of hormones necessary to harden the antler. The antler continues
to grow the velvet.
With the onset of spring, adrenaline
begins to surge through my veins. The deer have dropped their antlers and the elk have
begun to drop as well. I am anxious for some time off so I can hit the hills. Finding even
one fresh antler shed is all it takes to make my day complete.
GOOD FUN FOR EVERYONE
Like any dad who hunts, I can't wait for my two little boys to be old
enough to hunt. At two-and-one-half, my older boy thinks he is ready now and gets tears in
his eyes when I have to leave him behind. Nothing excites him more than to go on a shed
hunt with me. He is so proud of the sheds we have displayed in our home. He shows them to
any and all who come to visit and likes to make-believe how he "shot that big buck
running up the mountain."
Shed hunting can be a great asset to
hunting families and those who want to pass these traditions down to their kids. It can
also be a terrific family activity to introduce your kids to hunting and teach them to
appreciate a fine set of antlers, fresh or old, big or small. This gives my family a
chance to spend some time together, teach our kids about wildlife and the outdoors, and
participate in a favorite hobby with my favorite people. Shed hunting can also turn into a
great off-season hobby for any hunter.
Lannie Offret, a very good friend of
mine, and his brother are avid shed hunters. They both anxiously look forward to spring
every year and take a week off work to hit the hills together. This is something they have
done for years and have developed a close relationship because of it. I was howling with
laughter at a story Lannie told me about a time they had gone shed hunting. They are both
so addicted to sheds that they made quite a scene. If you can imagine seeing two grown men
spotting a shed at the same time. They don't have time to argue over who saw it first.
They are making a mad dash to the shed, pushing or tackling each other to get to it. It is
like two kids in a candy store fighting over the last piece and enjoying every minute of
it.
 Just as Opening Day of rifle
season is a traditional get-together with your buddies, so can this be. And the difference
is that the animal lives on another year. The day before May 1 at Jackson Hole, WY, is a
great example of the camaraderie that can develop from a shed hunt. Just north of Jackson
on the elk preserve, local Boy Scout troops can go in before May 1 to gather sheds to sell
at the annual antler auction in mid-May. After May 1, the east side of the preserve is
open to all. The night before attracts hundreds of die-hards who all take their place
along the highway outside the preserve waiting for dawn. The atmosphere is exciting and
everyone is talking, laughing, playing jokes, or honking their horns throughout the night.
I don't think my friend Lannie or I slept much the night that we went.
What happened the next morning made me
think of the Oklahoma Sooners; how they lined up, someone said "go" and they all
ran as fast as they could to claim their homestead before someone else did. As I was
running to the nearest shed, I could see others running and bumping their ways toward the
sheds. Unfortunately, horses were allowed and those riding them had a distinct advantage.
But I did manage to "stake my claim" and came away with seven nice elk sheds.
Most importantly, Lannie and I had a great time together and some good laughs over the
weekend.
If you have the antler itch like I do,
here are a few tips to aid your spring
shed hunting adventure.
ESSENTIALS
The best tools you could have for shed hunting are a good pair of
binoculars and a spotting scope. I get on high hills, ridges, or canyon overlooks and
glass the entire area. I try to cover every inch, move to another hill nearby for another
angle and glass again. It saves a tremendous amount of unneeded walking and allows you the
luxury to plan your route. I am able to pick up each shed I see in order while making my
way back to the truck for another go.
A light pack frame is handy to carry
your sheds. I use one when I'm gathering elk sheds in particular, because of their bulk
and weight it allows me to carry more at a time. Good hiking boots are a must for me. With
all the hiking I do, a good pair of boots makes a huge difference.
Other essentials may include a map of
the area, a daypack, and whatever else you might need for the day or weekend.
HUNT WHERE THE SHEDS ARE
This principle seems straight forward enough. I can remember back when
I was a kid and all the time I wasted looking for sheds in areas that seemed good, but the
bucks had left the area before they shed their antlers. You need to know where the
bucks/bulls have been wintering and where they go to shed their antlers. A little homework
may be necessary for a successful shed-hunting day. Concentrate on watering and bedding
spots and trails to and from them. Feeding areas are also important. Deer love the
bitterbrush in the desert and tend to spend a great deal of time where the bitterbrush is
abundant. Fence lines are excellent. On the mountain benches and plateaus, cedar trees and
sagebrush house the majority of the sheds. There is a transition zone between where the
sagebrush meets the cedar trees that also seems to be a good area.
CONTINUALLY MONITOR THE ANIMALS
This is a sport that takes a lot of time, especially if you are hunting
for a certain set of antlers. Monitor what the animals are doing and watch where they go.
Sometimes it takes whatever free time you have after work in the evenings and on weekends.
Keep records of what you observe. When you see the first animal lose his antlers, take
note of where the animals are and where they dropped their antlers. This can save you a
lot of blind hunting and hiking the hills, not to mention blisters, and it may just save
that certain set of antlers you are chasing from someone else's greedy fingers.
TERRAIN
Sheds can be found in many different types of terrain and landscapes. I
have found sheds in the mountains, plateaus, deserts, basins, and in the river bottoms.
*MOUNTAINS and PLATEAUS
Hunting in the mountains requires a lot of hiking and stamina to do well at it. It is even
more important to monitor where the animals are during shedding season when hunting in
this type of terrain. It can get frustrating and discouraging after spending an entire day
hiking in the mountains and finding nothing.
*DESERTS and BASINS
The advantage the desert has over the mountains is that there is a lot of flat area to
hunt. Hiking is much easier and ATVs can be of great use. In many desert areas a large
migration of animals is involved, namely in Wyoming, southern Utah, and Idaho. Animals
will travel long distances. Deer have been monitored in Wyoming traveling as far as 60
miles from mountain range to wintering range. Some of the desert areas and basins will
have large numbers of animals concentrated in one area. When they shed, it is a first
come, first served free-for-all.
* RIVER BOTTOMS
River bottoms seem to hold a lot of shed antlers. The majority of whitetail sheds are
found there, as well as some mule deer and moose. These sheds are tougher to locate due to
the thick brush. The key to finding sheds in these areas is knowing where the bucks hang
out during shedding season. Porcupines have been known to carry sheds into the trees to
eat. I know people who have seen it happen.
CLIMATE
The climate and weather can affect antler growth and where the animals
shed their antlers. Years ago, I was filming a friend of mine, Lindsay Parker, on a hunt
when we came across an area where no people had been for some time. There was a buck skull
with antlers lying in the sand and 20 yards away were a set of sheds from this
particular buck from a year earlier. Not 500 yards away, we found another shed from this
same buck. It was amazing to me that this buck would go to the exact place he shed his
antlers to die; and just as amazing that he would come to the same area every year to
shed. In certain areas, if the weather stays similar from year to year, some animals will
come back to the same spots to shed their antlers. Elk seem to follow the snow level. I
believe they like to lie in the snow and seem to prefer this, maybe due to their thick
hides.
FINDING THE MATE
If they haven't been pushed, I have found that larger elk will drop both antlers within a
couple of hundred yards of each other in the mountains. Deer on the other hand, can drop
both right next to each other or drop a side, then travel long distances, even miles,
during the night and drop the other. During a rifle hunt a few years ago I was driving up
a canyon toward Lindsay. When I got to him, he had a big non-typical 10-point mule deer
shed in his hand. I couldn't believe how awesome it was! Lindsay wanted to find the other
side so we split up to later meet at camp.
He looked in that area for the other
side. I decided to go clear around the rim, two miles apart, to look for some bucks. I
came around the only cedar tree on that rim, and there was the other side, a nine-point
non-typical shed. I made my way back to camp. When I got there I walked into the trailer
with the shed and didn't say much, just sat there holding it. Lindsay later told me he
wondered what I was doing holding his shed because they were so identical it was hard to
tell the difference. I told him it was the other side and he said, "No way!"
I finally convinced him as he saw his side lying out on his action packer. We both
sat in awe at the site of this amazing set of sheds. The chances of finding both sides of
this buck had been slim, but we were sure glad we did. The sheds are being mounted as we
speak and what a gorgeous mount they will make. We were lucky with this buck, but most of
the time persistence is the key to finding the other side.
Animals will also force their antlers
off on trees and bushes. Sometimes you'll find their antlers in trees four and five feet
high. The best thing to do when you find one side and you want the other is look for the
animal's track. If the shed has just been dropped, a fresh track near the shed may lead
you to the other side. If that doesn't work, start walking circles around the shed, making
certain you can see the last circle you made. It takes a lot of persistence and patience.
Hunting shed antlers isn't easy and can sometimes take as much work as actually hunting
the animal during hunting season.
HOW LONG WILL THE SHEDS LAST ON THE GROUND?
Each area is so different. Up in the pines and mountain terrain, the
porcupines, squirrels, and coyotes love to chew them up quickly. I have found fresh elk
sheds in May in Wyoming that already have the points chewed all the way off. On the other
hand, in the deserts, the antlers don't seem to get as much abuse, other than by an
occasional cow or coyote. Despite a nibble here and there the rest of the antler will
slowly rot away over time. The side facing the sun and weather turns bone white after a
year or so and eventually cracks. Sheds can lay untouched for years and rot away to chalk.
Depending on the area, a shed can lay for a decade or more.
In Mexico where I do some filming, I
occasionally find sheds of a different texture. The pedicle on the bottom of the burr is
sometimes concave. Because of the lack of water, they will lay on the ground for a very
long time. Water is the main reason for a shed to decay. It will expand and contract when
wet, with the heating and cooling, which slowly break it up. Wind and sun also make
contributions to antler decay.
Just an interesting note: I have picked
up shed antlers of red stag deer in Scotland and found that female deer will chew them up
to supplement themselves with protein and other vitamins to pass to their young as soon as
they are shed.
SEASONS AND DATES
Each state's Division of Wildlife is responsible for the wildlife
management policies and/or regulations. Each state has different policies regarding the
picking up of sheds. Some have certain laws prohibiting the removal of shed antlers until
May 1 of the given year. My home state of Utah tried to pass a law in 2000 that would
prohibit the entire state to shed hunters until May 1. The law did not pass, but there are
some areas of Utah that have this regulation in effect. I am aware of other states that
use the May 1 cut off as well, such as parts of Idaho and Wyoming. Jumping the May 1
proverbial gun may push the animals into areas to shed that you aren't familiar with and
any homework you have done will have been a waste.
If you would like to learn more about
the laws and policies of your state, consult your local Fish and Game hunting proclamation
or contact your local Division of Wildlife. All 50 states have web sites available with
Division of Wildlife pages and contact information.
Again, shed hunting is beginning to be
regulated because the health of the animals is being jeopardized. We need to do our part
to ensure the future of the sport and take better care of the animals.
RESPECT THE ANIMALS
The most important thing that I can stress is not to push the animals
if at all possible while shed hunting. When the antlers are shed, the animal's body takes
on a drastic change. I feel it could be the reason many die soon after shedding their
antlers. They go into a feverish state and if they are pushed and run all over, it could
endanger their health. Let's protect the animals for future shed hunting and keep the Fish
and Game from having an excuse to regulate this sport more than they have.
Shed season is almost as great as
hunting season. You get to enjoy the animals and nature, while bringing home a nice set of
antlers to have mounted. Plus, we can satisfy our antler craving in the off-season and can
display our successes with great pride. Antlers truly are a work of art. Shed hunting is a
way to bond with your family and hunting buddies. Despite the time and patience you put in
preparing yourself, the hunt itself is great fun for all involved and can be financially
rewarding.  |
