Anybody picking up sheds?

[Lungdeflator]

I am up to 27 so far this year. Biggest is in the mid 60" range. Waiting for a little more snow to melt before I start crossing off areas!

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[bones32]

Picking some up got 13 this year so far mule deer out west here still are carrying horns most whitetail have dropped though

 

[Kickemup]

Most of the deer in my area lost there horns by the second week of January. I haven't been out and probably won't to wet and muddy now.

 

[buckhunter24_7]

I know a few guys that are over 200 already

 

[Ponyroper]

Picked one up last fall and bought a new tire to celebrate. ;:;banghead

 

[LBrandt]

Did you have it mounted. Just a little pun, sorry.

 

[tikkalover]

And Dean in 3-2-1 about stressing them out more by chasing them around. :;:duel;:;rofl

 

[ORCUS DEMENS]

Found a small pair by a carcass two weeks ago. Yotes had a feast.

 

[BDub]

A friend of mine found a nice 5 by 5 in his yard last month. They were still attached to a buck that was frozen sitting up.

 

[gst]

Over 100 so far, the best two were in front of the silage pile..... Still got a lot of snow left in the fields up here so alot are still covered up that dropped early this year.

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Picked one up last fall and bought a new tire to celebrate. ;:;banghead

Last spring it was the inside rear triple on the tractor......$1600 later we were back going.

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Had over 500 deer in the yard and soybean field this winter after the snow got too deep in the corn. Have found about 35 dead deer this winter so they actually aren;t doing too bad. A bad march and April can tip the scales in a hurry.

 

[Kickemup]

Picked one up last fall and bought a new tire to celebrate. ;:;banghead

The jacks that gm vehicles send with there pickups suck. I had to use one out west one day on wet scorio (sp).

 

[Wildyote]

And Dean in 3-2-1 about stressing them out more by chasing them around. :;:duel;:;rofl

Right now it is not stressing them much to go hike through winter cover or concentrations. Believe me people were stressing deer looking for sheds at the end of Dec and January. They get running through deep snow and weakens them even more. This cause lung problems(pneumonia) and also makes them more of an easy target for predators. There is a reason why many of the western states have banned shed hunting on federal winter ranges until spring. There is already serious talk by the NDGF about placing a dates when shed hunting is allowed.

 

[gst]

If passing more laws because stressing deer is your concern, shed hunting right now in typical years is as much stress on them as in most Decembers or even January. Deer by the beginning of March have lost most all reserves and are living of only what they can consume that day. If that consumption is interrupted significantly then it has as much or more impact on survivability as it would earlier. Typically year in and year out we have as much snow the first of March as we do in Jan. We have watched as more deer have died in Mar and April on given years than did in Dec. Jan. 2 or 3 years ago was a perfect example.

The cold and running only impacts a deer significantly if they are pushed hard enough to get them running full on for a bit of a distance. Most guys are not out shed hunting on -25 below days when the wind is blowing 20mph.

Given we typically have a few hundred deer "surviving" in our hay yard and trees surrounding our place and given we leave standing crop and cattails and put out second cutting alfalfa for the deer away from our feed yard and given that come Mar on I don;t have the time to go walk and look for sheds, if the NDG&F want to pass a law and write me a ticket for picking up a shed in Jan. it is not going to go over very well.

Driving around sheds in hay yards or get a ticket for picking them up wouldn;t go over very well any where in the state so the G&F would likely write an ag exemption in the law and given the attitudes of some seen in the trespass threads that is only going to create another reason to bitch;:;banghead

 

[Wildyote]

There were enough guys looking for them when it was cold. I am not going in favor of the game and fish limiting shed hunting. I just recommend people to use common sense. I have no problem with people picking them up hay and farm yards as I have livestock as well as my family. My wifes family has lots of deer in the winter time and have to do the daily walk around and still has plenty of tire problems. I am just stating shed hunting is getting to be an obsession for many and they have dogs walking through draws and to stresses deer. It would be a nightmare to regulate anyways. I agree that many of the deer that die late winter early spring perish from their stomaches being burned up by too much silage and corn and not enough browse. I have seen many tip over in spring next to silage piles.

 

[Lungdeflator]

I agree with trying not to push the deer when they are stressed. I have found 95% of my sheds so far this year without spooking any deer. Just going in at the right time when they are not there.

If pushing them at the end of December and January is a concern, why does archery season go til the first weekend in Jan? Same goes for pheasant season. People can just as easily push the deer and wildlife out there hunting as they can picking up sheds.

 

[Wildyote]

I agree with trying not to push the deer when they are stressed. I have found 95% of my sheds so far this year without spooking any deer. Just going in at the right time when they are not there.

If pushing them at the end of December and January is a concern, why does archery season go til the first weekend in Jan? Same goes for pheasant season. People can just as easily push the deer and wildlife out there hunting as they can picking up sheds.

All I was trying to display is common sense when you do it. If weather and snow conditions allow by all means go do it. There is a reason why other states shut it down on winter ranges on federal land. There have been some bad experiences in Wyoming of guys camping out on deer and pushing them around. I sure it doesn't help pushing deer out of a draw or brushy area during December and early January when we have bad weather.

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I agree with trying not to push the deer when they are stressed. I have found 95% of my sheds so far this year without spooking any deer. Just going in at the right time when they are not there.

If pushing them at the end of December and January is a concern, why does archery season go til the first weekend in Jan? Same goes for pheasant season. People can just as easily push the deer and wildlife out there hunting as they can picking up sheds.

All I was trying to display is common sense when you do it. If weather and snow conditions allow by all means go do it there is no need for a set season as long as common sense is used. There is a reason why other states shut it down on winter ranges on federal land. There have been some bad experiences in Wyoming of guys camping out on deer and pushing them around waiting for them to shed. I sure it doesn't help pushing deer out of a draw or brushy area during December and early January when we have bad weather.

 

[Lungdeflator]

Yea I get you there. I don't know much about western states hunting seasons, I wonder if they would shut down a hunting season early for the same reasons they don't want shed hunters out there?
Some more snow has accumulated around here in the last week so probably going to wait for another decent melt before going out again.

All I was trying to display is common sense when you do it. If weather and snow conditions allow by all means go do it. There is a reason why other states shut it down on winter ranges on federal land. There have been some bad experiences in Wyoming of guys camping out on deer and pushing them around. I sure it doesn't help pushing deer out of a draw or brushy area during December and early January when we have bad weather.

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All I was trying to display is common sense when you do it. If weather and snow conditions allow by all means go do it there is no need for a set season as long as common sense is used. There is a reason why other states shut it down on winter ranges on federal land. There have been some bad experiences in Wyoming of guys camping out on deer and pushing them around waiting for them to shed. I sure it doesn't help pushing deer out of a draw or brushy area during December and early January when we have bad weather.

 

[Jake G]

snowmobilers are the worst! Shed hunting off a snowmobile should be illegal Imo.

 

[LBrandt]

I picked up a shed once. Blew one side off a nice buck right above the brow tine. Hunted that SOB the rest of the season and never got a chance to get the other side.

 

[fullrut]

Just a reminder to shed hunters, watch for posted land. Just because it's not deer season doesn't mean the signs don't apply anymore. Checked my camera yesterday. Nice profile pic of a local and his young son on Sunday about noon. Had to walk by two signs and within six feet of a tree stand on ground that's posted year around. Had deer every day on camera since November until this jack-wagon went shed hunting. By the way if your reading this, the "big" one (135ish) still had his headgear four days ago. I catch him on camera again, I'm posting pics on here and placing a call to the sheriff. Neighbors are getting sick of your families shit too.