Secrets to Josh's success?

[Shiras]

I was just on N.A.S.H.C website and saw that he had a section for himself! That is unbelievable. I knew he liked to shed hunt, but that is taking it to the next level.

 

If anyone has any useful strategies for finding sheds in the mountains, I would be grateful.

Back here I have found 1 stinkin' chewed to death shed, and 2 (probably unrecovered rifle kills) skulls in good shape in 6 years of scouting/ shed hunting.

 

After looking at that website, it sure gives me at least a little hope of coming home with a consolation prize,- if a carp or wt isnt isn't in the cards for me this year.

[Rembrant]

I know the secret!!

Josh spends a lot of time in the woods. Does this guy have some knowledge that would help him find sheds? Well, Yeah, his dad has been a professional hunting guide all of Josh's life. Josh probably knows a thing or two about where Mr. Cousi lives.

But Josh will tell you that finding sheds requires a ton of time WALKING all over everywhere. Go back and read his posts. He always says to walk slowly and look carefully.

How can a guy aquire knowledge about where Mr. Cousi lives? Spend a ton of time WALKING all over everywhere: walk slowly and look carefully!

Here's one of my tricks: While walking all over everywhere, slowly and looking carefully, I often turn around and look at where I just came from. Couse deer like thick country, just looking at one side of a bush isn't good enough.

Have fun!

Mike

[TAM]

A little tip I try and use is to never walk the same path twice. Even if it means walking only 10 or 15 feet from the same trail I've walked before. That way you can cover twice as much ground.

[coues addict]

Shiras

I agree with everybody aboves posts, the only thing they forgot to mention is to save your money for boots, because your gonna need lots of em! I like danners!, but they are kinda pricey! Josh probably has a quantity discount worked out with his boot supplier! Coues addict

[111]

Hike the steep hills where the deer feed in the morning and evening. The best time to go is in late Spring but not to late, it gets way to hot. It's tough looking for those antlers on north slopes with all the thick cover. I've gone days of hiking without finding a single coues antler. If you can find one antler a day it's a good day.

 

Later

 

Mike

[Dan H]

Hunting/Hilking in Az my entire life I've found a lot of sheds 90% are all coues.

I think all deer usaully stay within a couple of square miles from where they are born. If you see bucks in an area glassing chances are that area you're glassing will have sheds in it.

It's all about hiking the more ground you cover the higher your percentages

I have had years where seems some bucks come back to the same spot within 100yds to drop their sheds.

Can't give away these spots although I will tell you it is up to 12 miles from the truck.

 

Actually have spotted kills and single sheds glassing so good optics can aid you in finding some.

I know of one nice shed in unit 32,.. I spotted it glassing and left it in Nov.

Hopefully I will be down there in Jan for archery to see if it is still there.

 

Have Fun

Dan

[GRONG]

You guys are too nice. There are many other guys out there that find just as many or more than I do, they're just not recognized for it yet. I just like to be involved in the shed hunting world and love to see others' sheds as well. Finding Coues sheds is an interesting thing. As an antler buyer I know of very few people who actually find Coues sheds at all. I'd say that out of 10 people 1 guy will have found 1. It's all how you look when you're out there. I swore that today I'd find a shed by watching for snakes so closely but I didn't. I did see 2 black timber rattlers though by the time I quit hiking. Saw 7 Coues bucks so there's at least 14 sheds I still haven't found from this past spring. I bet that for everytime I go looking specifically for Coues sheds I'd be lucky if I came back with 1. There are some better days where I'll find 2 or 3 but for the most part I come home empty handed other than having learned a little bit more about a certain area. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for shed hunting I can guarantee I wouldn't know half of what I know now because of it. It will make you such a better hunter you don't even realize. You'll find little seeps, old salt licks, game trails, old scrapes and rubs, lion kills, bear and elk bedding areas, all kinds of stuff. You'll get to the point where you'll pretty much memorize an entire unit, not by roads per say, but by specific ridges, rocky knobs. My dad and I can talk about a certain little depression in a hill and I would have found an antler there in the past and he probably trailed a lion through there at some point as well. The stuff you learn shed hunting is invaluable to your hunting. Even if you don't give a care about sheds, just trying to find them will sharpen your senses and teach you so much. Oh and yes, I've gone through my share of boots in the past and I'm not done yet, I've got to beat Jim Reynolds monsterous set he found last year. That might take the rest of my life to do. Wait till the 3rd edition of the shed hunting record book comes out, Jim pretty much rewrote the whole thing. Quite impressive.

 

Josh Epperson

[Redbeard]

Hey,

 

I agree with what Josh says. It is my goal to come home with at least one coues shed a day. You sure aren't making money doing it. It's all for the thrill of finding another one. Some days you come home with nothing but you still learned a lot.

 

 

Josh,

 

It is too funny how bad the coues shed addiction is. Remember how every hunt we went on no matter what the season and weapon of choice eventually tuned into shed hunting? I'm still that way. I was stalking around with my bow this August and spent most of my time looking for sheds.

 

I didn't even know another book was coming out. Is it too late to put entries in the 3rd edition? Did Reynolds or some Apache knock me and Janice out of our world records yet? Is Reynolds getting his sheds in the US or Mexico? I think there ought to be different categories for reservation sheds!

 

I know you are pretty busy guiding and buying sheds these days are you still stumbling over rocks alot? I've all but given up shed hunting. Now that I have a real job and kids I just don't have the time. I have a box at home with about 200 coues sheds in it that I never even look at anymore. Now when I find them they just end up in the yard most of the time. Sad isn't it?

 

Chris

[GRONG]

Chris,

Oh I remember the days of course! Most all my hunts turn into shed hunts if a client isn't involved of course. After a morning of good glassing I usually spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon cruising for arrowheads and antlers. Hey Chris you ought to post the story of our shed trip to 8 back in '93 when I took you guys up there and you snagged them killer sheds. That story, not the edited NASHC version either, the whole story is freakin hilarious I thought.

 

You ever find any Coues sheds in 8 this August? I've only found a couple up there in the past couple years. Wish I could find sheds off of Jeff's deer and mine. I videoed a carp deer in August that I thought had to be at least 32" wide. He's a giant 3x3, mostly a 2x3 though, heavy bases. On Tues I found a shed off of him, a GIANT 2pt that confirmed my estimate of 32". Biggest 2pt carp I've ever found. I just might have to put the Coues aside next year and try to stick this sucker with an arrow. Freakin amazing deer and he's got two dang nice bucks with him.

 

It is too late for the 3rd edition but they're adding all those entries into the 4th edition book. What I mean is there won't be a 3rd ed book but all the entries for that period will be in the 4th. Sucks but at least LeBaron is out of there. You really should get your measurers status back, I need a ton of crap measured too! You guys have definitly been knocked out of the #1 slot for match and single NT sheds. You wouldn't believe Jim's sheds.......UNREAL!!! All from AZ. I don't mind rez sheds being entered with non-rez sheds. I think there are just as big a bucks from public land as there are on the rez's we just don't find as many as they do. Wait till you see the 150+ set that Jim found last year.

 

You better not be throwing any decent ones in the yard! If you do I'll come by and snag them out of your yard. You know better than that jenkins!

 

Josh

[firstcoueswas80]

Josh, i know wht you mean about Jim Reynolds sheds he has some monsters!!! he is a lucky man gettin to spend so much time out there.

casey

[Redbeard]

I am ashamed to admit that I have a couple of sheds that came of 100" bucks rotting in the sun.

 

Don't get me thinking about shed hunting. It was a tough addiction to kick. Man those were the days. I just laugh my but off at some of the stuff we used to do.

 

Now I'm addicted to hunting gold with a metal detector. Suits my old man hairline and wrinkles!

I barely have time to measure for P&Y. I'd have to spend my whole summer vacation just measuring your sheds!

 

I knew the old unit 8 sheds would get beat sometime. I guess I'll toss them in the yard now too. Feel free to post a picture if you have some. I don't know if I still have a copy of the Litlle Big Horns story. I'll look around and send it in if I can finf it. I have found a few little ones up there in 8 but nothing big.

 

How is Reynolds getting all these huge sheds in AZ on whiteman land? Is anybody killing the deer or are they from places where there is no hunting?

[COUESAZ]

Redbeard

 

I dont want to get off topic here to much but we need to hunt the great yellow stuff together some time. I am a prospector myself. If you want a good forum to join on the subject send me an email and I will give you one. I use an Old Gold Bug by fisher. I will not spend the three grand on the mine lab. Lets talk some more.

[Redbeard]

AZguide,

 

I think we've exchanged posts on Nuggetshooter.com etc. I am busy with yet another pastime now so I can't get out with my metal detector. I'm getting paid to run around AZ looking for new places for rock climbing. It is a long story but I'm making enough money that I can but a GP3000 after just two weekends! Gotta make hay while the sun shines. I will be getting out this winter and spring with the beeper though. I'm using an SD2100 now and love it. It costs less than 1/2 the GP3000 too. I've found about an ounce of gold so far including one nugget that weighed over 1/2 an ounce. It is pretty fun but not nearly as fun or as good of exercise as looking for sheds. It just is something different for me to try to get good at and explore some new country.

 

I'd be happy to get together with you this winter. I don't have much knowledge about where to go and am not part of any group but I proved I can find gold on my own. I have several places I'd like to check out.

[COUESAZ]

Come on over to Rod's forum www.desertbepper.com. We are getting some good ATV and prospecting trips going. I think you learn alot more on it than any other forums out there.

 

As soon as I am done with scouting and hunting for three coues clients I will be out nugget hunting more. I have seen some good oldtimer workings in some of my scouting areas That I plan on looking at after the hunts. Just think shed hunting scouting and nugget hunting all in the same canyons.

[Redbeard]

Hey Josh,

 

I know you probably come check this thread since it is a "Josh Epperson Love Fest" so I'll try to cantact you here. I tried to send you some pictures at your commspeed address but they keep coming back undeliverable. Have you not been paying your bills?

 

Since the subject is the secret to Josh's success I'll tell you the other secret. He buys alot from the indians!

 

Redbeard