So when do they start dropping??(antlers)

[GRONG]

I was out scouting to see where the bulls were at and saw one bull that had dropped but couldn't tell how long ago since I was so far away. Around 1:30 yesterday afternoon I glassed up another bull standing under a tree shakin his head and he didn't have any antlers either. He looked sideways and the sun caught his pedicles and one was bright bloody red. I had just missed him dropping it!!! The other pedicle had already scabbed over so no tellin when he lost it. Since he didn't have any horns I snuck over there. After a 45 minute search I finally found it 20 yards from where I'd seen him standing. I know I know, 45 minutes?!?!?! It's just not that easy sometimes and the snow was DEEP so it made gettin around a little tough.

 

Had this bull been with several other bulls I wouldn't have attempted looking for this shed. He was there with 2 spikes therefore I justified myself going in after it. But aimlessly pounding the hills looking for fresh ones right now is pretty stupid. All you'll do is push bulls out of the country and blow all your chances of finding of finding any there later.

 

Here it is, notice the rub he'd made trying to get this one off. Pretty cool but to bad it's broken off above the 3rd tine.

 

 

 

[Buckhorn]

Had this bull been with several other bulls I wouldn't have attempted looking for this shed. He was there with 2 spikes therefore I justified myself going in after it. But aimlessly pounding the hills looking for fresh ones right now is pretty stupid. All you'll do is push bulls out of the country and blow all your chances of finding of finding any there later.

 

THAT'S GREAT ADVICE JOSH! HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY READS THIS.

 

Buckhorn

[Basser15]

Here's the set Woodsaz was referring to. We found them stacked on top of each other and you can see that they were equally chewed on both antlers.

 

Here's a closer up image of them and the velvet that was remaining. Both sides had patches on them.

[Snapshot]

Thanks for sharing the pics of velvet sheds. I have never found any drops, but years ago I found what was probably a lion kill muley skull with velvet.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

 

I got to hold a fresh brown today....

[CouesWhitetail]

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 .

 

 

Awesome!! LOL!!

 

Amanda

 

[CouesWhitetail]

I got to hold a fresh brown today....

 

 

species?

[CouesWhitetail]

I was out scouting to see where the bulls were at and saw one bull that had dropped but couldn't tell how long ago since I was so far away. Around 1:30 yesterday afternoon I glassed up another bull standing under a tree shakin his head and he didn't have any antlers either. He looked sideways and the sun caught his pedicles and one was bright bloody red. I had just missed him dropping it!!! The other pedicle had already scabbed over so no tellin when he lost it. Since he didn't have any horns I snuck over there. After a 45 minute search I finally found it 20 yards from where I'd seen him standing. I know I know, 45 minutes?!?!?! It's just not that easy sometimes and the snow was DEEP so it made gettin around a little tough.

 

Had this bull been with several other bulls I wouldn't have attempted looking for this shed. He was there with 2 spikes therefore I justified myself going in after it. But aimlessly pounding the hills looking for fresh ones right now is pretty stupid. All you'll do is push bulls out of the country and blow all your chances of finding of finding any there later.

 

Here it is, notice the rub he'd made trying to get this one off. Pretty cool but to bad it's broken off above the 3rd tine.

 

 

 

Very cool!! Neat story and pic!

 

Amanda

 

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

I got to hold a fresh brown today....

 

 

species?

 

 

Elk.... Colton and his woman were out with her pack of hounds when they found it... lil' early yet... he made a couple of quick loops lookin' for the other side but decide to wait on tearing up the hills looking. If everyone can wait another week or two before running out to look we will all have a better chance of finding match sets....

[azhunter85]

good luck on getting them to wait. my hope is the roads stay wet enough that there is no access with quads and vehicles and that will allow them to drop their horns with no distractions. where i go the roads are pretty muddy and hopefully this storm coming will keep them that way and allow enough time. hopefully

[AZantlerhead]

Well got bored with all this " when is good time to look " talk, and took my own advice and walked my big sister Amber out the door for her first antler hunt ( on vac. from CA ), merely a 2 mile walk behind our neighborhood in my own back yard ( one my honey holes ), yes it was snowing and the wind was a blowing, also very muddy and cold, but when she said " I see one" it made for a very special day, her first antler, a big sixer year old elk horn....I don't know who flipped more, me or her? To say I was giddy is understatement, I think I shocked her with a hug more than the antler did..

 

I've walked and road my horse right passed this shed a handfull of times this year, just not round that ther bush though, some shed hunter I am , I guess it was meant for her , she said it was more exciting than any fish she ever caught, even said she got a rush when we got in the elk sign seeing rubs and working the beds before she found it, I could not be a prouder brother

 

Sheds for me this week-0

First time sheds by women from CA in my family this week-2!!

Took a pic when we got back from our little stroll round the neighborhood, srry it's blurry, was snow on lense I guess.

Sorry, no pic from grandma yet, lol

[bonecollector]

That's a nice find Congrats to your sister.

[lookinfor110]

 

A reply to an earlier post in this thread...a Game and Fish study done years ago in the Santa Ritas indicated that Coues bucks shed their antlers sometime between the third week in April and the middle of May.

[bonecollector]

The Coues buck I seen today still had his head gear on, and a nice one too! Hopefully I can find them in about a month I would say.

[headhunter]

okay here we go the shed hunting season offically starts this thursday April 1st here on the reservation!!!! everyone is pumped to get out there and collect all these horns laying around out there!!! I will update you with the tribal members finds and post pics.. You usually see truck loads come into town for a couple weeks.. As for me i am gonna spend a couple days where i bagged my 150 buck and look for his sheds.. i think it'd be cool to have the whole set of him.. no one has found a shed from him all these years so hopefully i get my hands on them!!! Wish me luck!!

 

Harold