az.antlerenthusiast Report post Posted April 28, 2009 We took off this last weekend, did an overnighter in an attempt to find a lost camera from the week prior and shed hunt of coarse. Didn't find the video camera but it really was a neadle in a hay stack attempt. This was the same area I found an elk head in from the last week. This area did turn out to have some treasures to find beyond what we thought a week ago. More rare than 100 sheds to find is a lion skull with the claws to boot! Dustin was very happy to come across this find after a rather slow afternoon. Found this rather strange elk shed. Believe it or not this little club horn has the same weight as a typical 6 pointer, that being about 9 pounds. Found a couple of coues heads. The first one being in about the 90's range, and the second being in about the 80's. Both heads were about 4 years old. Small year old coues antler. Found this 7 point elk shed with a couple smaller nubs growing off it as well. Mabey he will be an eight point this year?! This was a 12 pound shed. It has a few inches broken off , but i'm not complaining. I found the pair to it , but it was broken at the 2nd, 4th, and main beam below the 5th. Would have loved to have seen him before the rut and winter. This ended up being our collection from a day and a half of looking. Ended up finding 17 antlers between the two of us. Rack and tack 88 pounds. Dustin's haul. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilimanjaro Report post Posted April 28, 2009 Super weekend!! Some great (and RARE) finds! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted April 28, 2009 WOW looks like you guys cleaned up the area!!! The lion skull is sweet, big claws!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawn Report post Posted April 28, 2009 What a trip you had! Thats cool Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted April 28, 2009 Awsome weekend! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnnie blaze Report post Posted April 28, 2009 WOW...and thats a "slow" afternoon? Pretty sweet finds!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilentButDeadly Report post Posted April 28, 2009 BONZERS!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted April 28, 2009 Great finds!! Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
synper100 Report post Posted April 29, 2009 great finds and a great weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Awesome finds there! I really like that clubby side rack, the one-of-a-kind finds are the best! Thanks for always sharin' pics from your trips! JIM> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Very nice! That lion skull and claws are awesome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZantlerhead Report post Posted April 29, 2009 WOW looks like you guys cleaned up the area!!! The lion skull is sweet, big claws!!!! Very nice! That lion skull and claws are awesome! thanks guys, Exploring new territories can be allot of fun i've found, new scenary, creeks, springs, ridges, altered topo - yada yada. New treasures is the best part. It still surprises me how far one can go in a day when you" just do it". Hopefully weve only had a peice of the pie as far as the area goes and shed numbers. Maybe find a shorter route in next time as well, only the third trip to the area. I was in shock when i found the lion skeleton, skull is just under 12in. so a pretty old cat?, yes all of it was there, undisturbed in a narrow, steep, shady ravine, 2 feet from a spring, I new i had found a skull but it didn't cross my mind till i got to studying the bones that the claws were present as well, probly ben layin there 2-3 years, to steep for coyotes i guess?. I spent twenty minutes sifting through the dirt and leaves to find all 16 claws. It was like a national geographic episode for me and I was the professor, a real treat from above and awesome memory wich I'm very thankfull for. This was after searching 8 hours for a 400$ video camera wich i lost the weekend before, DOUGH!! but give and take i guess, i'm over it. I was just goin down the ridge and back to get water before sun set. whadya know, just layin in the woods....... This is my second lion find in my 4th year of sheddin'. Lucky i guess...... Heck i've only ever seen one lion in the wild, But it was up close and personal, also- i was the first to retreat, the lion stood his ground at 20 ft. Eyes of fire and a growl i'll never forget. Huge respect for these things!!Being Stood off by merely a juvenile lion on a bluff without gun, dog or knife will give you that. Sleeping on a tarp, in a mummy bag, on a bench at 8000ft, in 30mph winds, under a huge juniper, in a bull bed, after hikeing 12 hours before hikeing 12 more is something i'm getting used to, kinda. But wouldn't trade it for nothin!! Lotta respect for the Men of long ago who carved a liveing out of these wild places .............. Bout two- three days at a time is enough for me. Some seriously tough people back then, and the native americans of yesteryear- forget it!! Very humbling these wilderness treks. I saw two coues bucks on this trip , one a good 2x3 and a small forkie, And turkeys everywhere!!!! Also a " gang" of squirrels who thought i was the coolest thing since nuts and came merely an arms stretch away a couple times while following me on the forest floor and above in the limbs. It was enogh to make me laugh out loud to myself, I suspect they knew the wherabouts of the camera i was searching for. Ohh well , skull and sheds in stead, ohh and claws. Man I love this stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted April 29, 2009 Good job nice antlers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MDH Report post Posted May 2, 2009 looks like you guys had a great day Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mangum Report post Posted May 2, 2009 Now that lion skull is wicked awesome. How often does a guy find one of those? Way to go guys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
