| It was mid October, 2001,
the tenth day of a once-in-a-life-time desert sheep hunt in southern Utah. I would
eventually spend 29 days bow hunting, backpacking, and hiking the sandstone slickrock
canyons of southern Utah. It was
mid afternoon, the hottest part of the day, and I was trudging back across a sandy
pinion-juniper bench to our spike camp after the morning hunt along the rims of a large,
terraced basin. It was just another of a string of hot, bright, cloudless days we
experienced. However, unlike most afternoons when it was shade-up and rest time, I was out
in the sun, nearly out of water and hurriedly covering the several miles back to camp. As
I was cutting through a fairly dense stand of pinion-juniper, I walked up to the scattered
remains of a skeleton. At first I thought it might have been a sheep, but when I picked up
the skull, the large antler pedicels of a mule deer buck were prominent. At the moment, I
thought it had to have been a big antlered buck for the antlers to fit the pedicels of the
skull. I didn't stay long admiring the skull and skeleton, only a minute or so. I had only
gone a short distance, maybe 40 yards, when off to the side my eye caught an unusual
grayish-white flash of something. My first thought was that it was a piece of oddly
tangled root or juniper branch. As my eyes and brain came together, I realized I was
looking at antlers. They were right together, one on top of the other.
 Later that night around the
campfire, Bryan and I ooed and awed as we roughly recorded the basic antler scoring
measurements. There were 15 measurable points on the right and 14 on the left, but the
mass is what really sets this buck apart. My gripped fingers would not encircle the antler
anywhere along the beams from the base to forks. The circumferences were about the same as
a fair sized elk. The rough Boone and Crockett system score, estimating inside spread, was
in the 240s, and the greatest spread was around 43 inches.
I knew the buck that carried these
antlers was something special, but little did I realize the stir they would make when I
brought them home. At the DWR office in Springville, UT someone recognized them as looking
like previous sets of antler sheds picked up and later named the "Buck of
Justice." Since then I've compared these other sets with the ones I found, and they
are from the same buck.
It was interesting to compare the
integrity and growth of the individual points. For several years his antlers remained
nearly identical. Even in this set, there was little loss in the overall score. The mass
measurements were even larger. He really would have been quite a buck to see on the hoof.
It does my heart good to know that a giant buck like this lived out his life and
apparently died on his own terms. I hope he passed on his genes to many a buck of the
future. It would only be true "Justice" to the hunters who pursued him.  |
| Shed hunting
is at its most popular time as far as the number of people heading into the hills. Like
most good things, it will come to an end if we don't manage our actions and make wise
choices. Deer and elk lose their antlers on the winter range and during a very crucial
time of survival. The winter range is an area of retreat where deer and elk migrate to
from the higher elevations to escape the deep snow. This winter range area is vital to the
survival of the deer and elk herds. This is a time when they must conserve energy to get
through the bitter cold conditions and decreased food supply. Why is this information important for the shed hunter? Because shed hunters,
anxious to be the first to get the dropped antlers, can put life threatening pressure on
these animals if they pursue them in the hills. The energy that has been stored to get
these deer and elk through the winter will instead be used to flee ignorant shed
collectors and eventually lead them to an early death. This is a problem that will only
get worse as the popularity of shed hunting increases. For example, in 1997 when Popeye
was just about to drop his second side, there were 27 trucks lined up on the winter range
watching and in pursuit.
Whether you are a die-hard shed hunter or just a weekend beginner, if we don't act with
integrity and follow the ethics of nature, shed hunting will be taken from us. Southeast
Idaho is already closed to shed hunting until May 1 and similar restrictions have been
submitted into legislation for Wyoming. Other areas throughout the West have road closures
and date restrictions as well. Like hunting itself, we want our kids and our grandkids to
enjoy the thrill and fun of shed hunting and enjoy the beauty of wildlife and the
outdoors. Let's not allow this to be taken away from us because of our own ignorance and
selfishness.
What do you need to know before heading out into the hills
* Put wildlife first - keep your distance
* Do not chase, push, or pursue game during this crucial time
* Keep ATVs and trucks on designated and legal roads
* Go out on foot or horseback and get permission before entering private property
* Check the hunting proclamation for any regulations on shed collecting for your state
* Take a friend along and have fun |
