So when do they start dropping??(antlers)

[headhunter]

This question has probably already been posted but,

When do they start losing there antlers??

Here on the reservation, we aren't allowed to pick any up until after april 1st.

[az.antlerenthusiast]

Earliest I have ever found a fresh brown was about Feb.17 . A couple of the old trappers who used to stay out for 4 or 5 months at a time have told me of find monster January horns. This is still only a fantacy to me. Give it a month from now and your average large elk will be game for shedding. Coues and mulies seem to take an extra month longer than elk do but finding a mulie brown in Feb. is not unheard of.

 

To my knowledge one of the reasons for the regulations on the Res. was to keep the animals from being messed with during the most sensitive time of the year. A tremendous amout of blood and tissue growth goes into growing and producing an antler. Sheding an antler prematuraly can be devistating to an animal. Near where I live people were setting up "antler traps", close lines,wooden racks, ropes anything to try to hurry the process. Finding an old deer/elk head where the animal died right after it shed its horns is not very uncommon.

Also the temptation for worthless idiots to shoot an animal and kick their antlers off for a few extra dollars is a little higher as well.

 

[Codywhi]

So what about the desert mule deer about what month do they shed?

[Snapshot]

I have never been much of a "shed hunter", but I do look for sheds and skulls when I hunt or scout.

 

Last April I saw a small 3 point muley buck up in 27 that was still in velvet, and I thought it would be pretty cool to find a shed with velvet on it. Has anyone ever found a velvet shed?

[billrquimby]

We usually see a few small bull elk still wearing antlers during the first spring turkey hunts in late April. Last year during that hunt I found a freshly shed set (both sides) that a big bull had knocked off when walking between two aspens. There was no way to say how long those antlers had been on the ground, but they were the same brown color all over.

 

Bill Quimby

[Jimmer Negamanee]

We usually see a few small bull elk still wearing antlers during the first spring turkey hunts in late April. Last year during that hunt I found a freshly shed set (both sides) that a big bull had knocked off when walking between two aspens. There was no way to say how long those antlers had been on the ground, but they were the same brown color all over.

 

Bill Quimby

Mr. Quimby,

I beseech you. Please post the pictures of the matching set of fresh elk sheds from last year. Seeing the ones you found can help sustain us (or at least me) while we wait for this year's drops, though the time of the shedding draws nigh. Thank you.

-Jim

[WOODSAZ]

I have never been much of a "shed hunter", but I do look for sheds and skulls when I hunt or scout.

 

Last April I saw a small 3 point muley buck up in 27 that was still in velvet, and I thought it would be pretty cool to find a shed with velvet on it. Has anyone ever found a velvet shed?

 

 

A couple years ago Rob (Basser15) found a matching set and they still had velvet on them. It was kind of weird though because both have been chewed of up passed the G2's. Ill see if he can post a pic of them.

 

Jay

[AZantlerhead]

I have never been much of a "shed hunter", but I do look for sheds and skulls when I hunt or scout.

 

Last April I saw a small 3 point muley buck up in 27 that was still in velvet, and I thought it would be pretty cool to find a shed with velvet on it. Has anyone ever found a velvet shed?

 

 

A couple years ago Rob (Basser15) found a matching set and they still had velvet on them. It was kind of weird though because both have been chewed of up passed the G2's. Ill see if he can post a pic of them.

 

Jay

 

 

WOODSAZ,

Found a fresh Muley lion kill in september that was only days old and still had leftovers on it, so he was probly watching me from a distance.

Anywho the Lion had eaten the entire Velvet antlers of the buck, except for the five inch bases .

 

Wondering what ate the set your talking of . Were the horns hard or soft under velvet? Were the bases or the main b's eaten off up to the g-2's?? let us know if you can't post the pic, ver interestin .

 

The topic at hand,When do They shed? In the spring, elementry my dear watson So many variables and factors......this question will never die.

Extreme cases of Jan-June are not unheard of.......March and April are prime time... Feb and May are so-so.

But they generally don't move too much once they hit the dirt, there for they can be found all 365 days a year, untill if left undisturbed they will disentigrate and or become viagra for the critters ....... Squirrels are the best horn hunters and they usually find umm before anyone else..I once fought a Treerat Beginning the massacre of a horn still bloody from the drop....He beat me too it but luckily I was able to save it after a short scuffle.

HeadHunter are you after your bucks sheds?????!!! They're allready on the ground bro, I could get a hikeing permit and help u look maybe?

 

 

 

[WOODSAZ]

WOODSAZ,

Found a fresh Muley lion kill in september that was only days old and still had leftovers on it, so he was probly watching me from a distance.

Anywho the Lion had eaten the entire Velvet antlers of the buck, except for the five inch bases .

 

Wondering what ate the set your talking of . Were the horns hard or soft under velvet? Were the bases or the main b's eaten off up to the g-2's?? let us know if you can't post the pic, ver interestin .

 

The sheds he found were at least 1 to 2 years old so they were chalky. Most of the velvet was peeled off due to weather Im guessing. The other thing that was kind of weird was that they were kind of stacked together, not separated. I sent Rob a message to see if he would post the pic.

 

The lion kill makes a lot of sense, but I dont remember seeing any other bones or evidence of a carcass from what I remember.

 

Jay

[cramerhunts]

Here is a set that I picked up last year that still had a lot of velvet on them.

 

 

[bonecollector]

Those are some cool elk sheds with the velvet still on them, nice find.

[Red Rabbit]

Phil,

Nice find.

Hopefully all the normal snow this year will keep the elk from spreading out across the summer range before they drop. Now would be a good time to start tracking the bull herds from afar, but not spook them so they split up and run to the next county.

[billrquimby]

We usually see a few small bull elk still wearing antlers during the first spring turkey hunts in late April. Last year during that hunt I found a freshly shed set (both sides) that a big bull had knocked off when walking between two aspens. There was no way to say how long those antlers had been on the ground, but they were the same brown color all over.

 

Bill Quimby

Mr. Quimby,

I beseech you. Please post the pictures of the matching set of fresh elk sheds from last year. Seeing the ones you found can help sustain us (or at least me) while we wait for this year's drops, though the time of the shedding draws nigh. Thank you.

-Jim

 

I wish I could, but the antlers are at our cabin in Greer, and we're in Tucson for the winter.

 

We won't move back up to God's country for the summer until just before my turkey hunt opens May 1. I'll try to remember to photograph and post them here sometime after that.

 

They were not from the biggest bull on the mountain, but they had heavy, long beams and good points, so I suppose they might have gone 350 or so.

 

Bill Quimby

 

[AZantlerhead]

My 73yr. old Grandma just called from Sacramento, she just found her first shed ever!! A Big Forkie Blacktail, From the seat of her excursion, going for groceries............This is my grandma that went camping/hunting with us the last two falls here in AZ, She Knows I'm obsessed so I'm the first one she called, Love u Grams! I'll get a pic If I can guys.. Freakin funny, guess grandma schooled me on how, when and where to find browns .

[bonecollector]

My 73yr. old Grandma just called from Sacramento, she just found her first shed ever!! A Big Forkie Blacktail, From the seat of her excursion, going for groceries............This is my grandma that went camping/hunting with us the last two falls here in AZ, She Knows I'm obsessed so I'm the first one she called, Love u Grams! I'll get a pic If I can guys.. Freakin funny, guess grandma schooled me on how, when and where to find browns .

 

That's too cool right there.