Shed Hunting (opinions needed please)

Antlershed · 02-01-2007, 06:29 PM

I recently found a place pretty close to home that holds a lot of Elk, so I'm sure it will be pretty good shed hunting once they drop 'em. I went out there today, and I spotted about 100+ Elk about 2-3 miles away (wide open country), including 4-5 very nice bulls. I drove another 300 yards, and planned to get out and make a quick hike (didn't have much time) when I drove up on a herd of about 60-70 Elk that were approx. 250 yards away. I stopped immediately, but they took off running. Where they are, the snow has pretty much melted, but it hasn't been much above freezing recently. My main question is how much stress can they take? I didn't anticipate coming up on that herd, which is why I kept driving in the first place. I would like to get out and hike looking for antlers where I saw them, but they will see me coming from 3 miles away, and get spooked.

Sorry, now I'm rambling...my main concern/question is how worried should I be about over-stressing them if I am just hiking? I should add that I believe it is a winter range area even though it is still pretty steep country, because I never saw any Elk in there early in the year. Thanks.

sliverpicker · 02-01-2007, 06:47 PM

Just observe those wapiti from a distance. The bulls won't start dropping for another 6 weeks or so. Climb up on a high point or ridge and glass the ridgetops and south slopes for an antler, and resist the temptation to poke around this early.

Deer tend to be more tolerant to human activity, elk tend to boogy to parts unknown!

Be patient and you'll get rewarded!

Antlershed · 02-01-2007, 09:29 PM

Thanks sliver. I've never spent too much time in the woods/hills this time of the year. All the sheds I have found in the past have been by luck/accident, and I'm just getting into predator hunting this time of the year. Like I mentioned, the one's I got close to, I didn't mean to, and I wasn't expecting to see Elk where they were since it was so close to the highway. I was getting ready to turn around anyway. The ones in the distance (where the bulls were) were across the canyon and to the East of me on a South facing slope.

I'll wait it out though, and hopefully I can find some bone when they start dropping.

sooslaw · 02-02-2007, 06:16 AM

I have read alot of posts on here critisizing shed hunting because of the stress factor. This may be true in some parts of the country. They are not alot of folks in the woods around here this time of the year. The elk aren't too spooky anymore. When i bump into some, they only travel a couple hundred yards and slow down and make sure everything is cool. I dont consider this stressfull. It may be different in areas that are a hotspot with the bone collectors.

huntercgr · 02-02-2007, 06:39 AM

My guess is when the time comes for them to drop them, they won't be in that area. They will have moved on closer to their summer range, or closer to fresher green up. But it'd be worth a shot to start in that area. Good luck.