Male deer and elk shed their antlers annually. This past season, four or five years after I got my start, I found over 25 antlers You could face steep fines if you're caught collecting shed antlers in Western Colorado. Shed hunting has become more and more popular every year, and with more participants come more rules. It is way easier to find 500 lb elk than it is to find an antler, so defining their home range or winter sanctuaries is half the battle when shed hunting. When Do Bucks Shed Their Antlers? One hunt out in CO I set a buddy of mine up on a game trail and called in a nice 5x bull for him, which he double lunged with his bow, and the bull dropped about 50 yards from where he shot it. There comes a time in the off-season when whitetail deer hunters all over the country become obsessed with collecting deer antlers. The dropping of the antlers may take place within 24 to 48 hours, but the entire shedding process may take as long as two to three weeks before the antlers actually fall off. Bulls will typically reach their peak antler development somewhere between the age of 8 to 12 years. Antlers still attached to skulls must remain in the woods. This obsession corresponds with the time of the year when deer shed their antlers. Hunting for whitetail shed antlers dominates the antler scene, but like dreaming about a western elk hunt, shed antler fanatics consider hunting for elk and mule deer shed antlers a bucket-list adventure. Males, called bucks, have forked antlers. When you start searching in these high-priority locations first, you can eliminate huge areas that have very little potential. The male elk shed their antlers between February and April. huntingbob 13-Feb-11. Mule and white-tailed deer start dropping their antlers in mid-December, but some don’t shed until early April. Actually, my hunt for shed antlers begins shortly after hunting season ends, even though very few animals have lost their antlers at that time. As March snow melts away, an off-season activity that many deer hunters pursue is looking for shed antlers. They shed antlers in mid-February and their next set begins to grow immediately after. CASTLE ROCK, CO – MARCH 23, 2014: A mule deer shed serves as an antler hunting training tool for Bailey in Castle Rock in March. Every hunting unit that has elk will have shed hunting opportunities—and most of the Western states have thousands of elk. There are some changes this year from the way this has operated in year’s past and we wanted to get the word out to possible visitors to the area. Shed antler hunting is growing in popularity nationwide. Larger bull elk generally begin shedding their antlers the first part of March, while deer do their shedding about a month later in April. Do female elks have antlers? Shed hunting is becoming more popular among outdoor enthusiasts. Antlers are roughly 50% protein, 30% calcium and 20% potassium, and the last month prior to the velvet coming off is when they finally turn into hard bone for their fall fights. In Wyoming, shed hunting season West of the continental divide begins on May 1st. A moose will also shed their antlers if they are no longer able to reproduce. 1 Deer Antler Shed: Gender. There are lots of factors that determine when elk shed their antlers. Elk sheds are awesome, especially if you can get a nice 6+, it's quite a nice piece of decor to just simply set down on a mantle or bookshelf. However, some animals of both species may retain their antlers into April. Shed Hunting Tips the Western Way. Keep your eyes peeled for the elk’s fresh white and sometimes bloody antlers. Many whitetail hunters use shed hunting to scout for next year’s potential harvest. They then grow a new set of deformed antlers which they will never shed. If you are among the growing numbers of shed hunters, you need to know where and when elk shed their antlers. Why do bull elk shed their antlers each year? It consists of looking for antlers than have been shed by deer or elk. At this time his antlers are shed once again due to decreasing levels of testosterone. Bucks shed their antlers and grow new one every year. This velvet is full of blood vessels and nutrients that helps stimulate the antler regrowth process. In addition to this, the antlers of a female deer have lesser branches. Roughly 25% of that population are bulls, which means there are ~62,000 bull elk in Colorado. If you are in the state of Colorado and are looking to sell your antlers, we suggest contacting one of the ... By the looks of there website they are currently buying antlers in bulk. Like the other members of the Cervidae family, elk shed their antlers every year. And go where no other people are hunting them,” he added. After the natural process of losing their antlers every spring, male deer and elk grow another set. In addition, CPW officers will confiscate all illegally collected sheds. The best places to find shed antlers are areas that hold deer during certain parts of their daily routine, which increases the likelihood of you finding antlers. Below is an excerpt from their website: “We buy shed antlers . Elk shed hunting Colorado. The shedding season for elk comes later than the rest, ranging from January through April, depending on when testosterone levels drop. Dogs love them the way nature intended. In typical seasons, bull elk shed their antlers in … Mule deer typically shed their antlers midwinter, in January and February. ... potentially inducing their antlers to fall off. That’s it! In order to find shed elk antlers there must be elk in the areas you are looking in, specifically bull elk that have dropped their antlers. Contributors to this thread: huntingbob 09-Feb-11. Shedding helps bucks to get rid of broken antlers and develop bigger and stronger ones. Most elk shed their antlers in February and March. “Know where elk feed and rest at the time of year their antlers are shed. In correlation to the amount of energy expended during the rut, older, heavier antlered bucks typically shed earlier than younger bucks. No dies or taste enhancers are added because it is unnecessary. Once the antlers are shed, they will start growing a soft velvet before developing another full antler rack. However, their antlers are often found to be shorter or deformed. I began reading up on shed-hunting and added a few antlers to my collection. A by-product of this natural cycle is that antlers have various commercial values. Where: Elk tend to stay on south-facing slopes and near elk feed grounds areas in the winter until their food sources free up of snow. THE ELK REAPER 13-Feb-11. But it was what I learned along the way – things that don’t come up often in shed-hunting articles and videos – that’s taken me to the next level. Male deer lose their antlers once a year to grow new, larger antlers. Every year, whitetail deer, mule deer, elk and various other hoofed mammals shed their antlers. Generally around August 15th you’ll see bull elk loosing their velvet. Where to Look for Elk Sheds . Many places in the west have migratory herds, so finding a great pair of shed antlers doesn’t necessarily mean that bull will be within 50 miles the following fall. The season for "shed hunting" will open on May 1. Elk shed hunting is not that unlike finding shed antlers of whitetails. Typically, elk will start dropping their antlers in mid-March. Life History. Usually, both antlers fall off at the same time or very close in length of time. 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