Utah: Ethics Course Required For Shed Hunting

[lukew]

By: Dan Pickar
Just a reminder that if you plan on collecting shed antlers this spring in Utah and plan on going shed hunting between Feb 1st and April 15th, Utah’s Antler Gathering Ethics Course is a requirement for you to be in the field.

Moose, elk and deer drop their antlers during the later months of winter. This is a hard time of the year when it comes to animal health and available forage. If you spook animals and cause them to run a long distance they burn up unnecessary energy and can die. Of course, one person bumping big game animals may not be a big deal but when you have droves of people continually bumping and spooking big game animals, it wears them down unnecessarily.

You can find the free online course on Utah’s DWR website which will help you to understand how to shed hunt during the late winter months. If you wait until after April 15th then you don’t need to complete this course. Shed hunting from Feb 1st to April 15th was previously illegal in the state of Utah but due to the nature of the law and the inability to enforce it, the course was instituted and is mandatory for all shed hunters. After you take the course you can gather antlers in all public areas throughout the state of Utah except Wildlife Management Areas. And of course on private land. Make sure you gain access before venturing onto private property.

If you find a dead head, Utah requires you to take pictures of the skull from a variety of angles and not touch it, just in case it may have been poached. You will need to report the find to your local DWR office and a warden will investigate before awarding you the antlers.

 

[ScottR]

Sad that we have enough people out running them around in weak condition that we even have to see programs like this start.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

It's all about money. We used to collect sheds for the intrinsic value, now it's big business.

 

[kidoggy]

yup. won't be long before buying a tag will be required. and you can damned sure bet that "free" online coarse ain't gonna be free for long.

 

[Bonecollector]

Sad that we have enough people out running them around in weak condition that we even have to see programs like this start.

Seems to only be synonymous with the western states. I’ve never run across this anywhere else. Of course these are the same states that are debating corner crossing. Need I say more….

 

[JimP]

Seems to only be synonymous with the western states. I’ve never run across this anywhere else. Of course these are the same states that are debating corner crossing. Need I say more….

You will see it more in the western states just do to the amount of federal and state lands. The Midwestern and eastern states are mostly private and would be handled by trespassing laws.

If you have never seen the shed hunters you wouldn't believe it. In my area in Colorado they would be out as soon as the bucks and bulls started to drop them, in some cases you can see more shed hunters than you would actually see hunters during the hunting seasons. But that is due to where the animals concentrate during the winter. I even turned in some that were chasing a large buck hoping that he would drop his antlers while they were on snowmobiles. I had to drive 10 miles to a phone but I had their vehicle license plate and the officer who showed up just parked where their truck was and waited for them to get back with the sheds that they had picked up.

I personally believe that it should be banned during the spring time. This is when the animals here are at their most vulnerable. The snow is difficult for them to move through due to the heavy crust that happens during the freeze and thaw cycles that we are having.

 

[ScottR]

Who knie

You will see it more in the western states just do to the amount of federal and state lands. The Midwestern and eastern states are mostly private and would be handled by trespassing laws.

If you have never seen the shed hunters you wouldn't believe it. In my area in Colorado they would be out as soon as the bucks and bulls started to drop them, in some cases you can see more shed hunters than you would actually see hunters during the hunting seasons. But that is due to where the animals concentrate during the winter. I even turned in some that were chasing a large buck hoping that he would drop his antlers while they were on snowmobiles. I had to drive 10 miles to a phone but I had their vehicle license plate and the officer who showed up just parked where their truck was and waited for them to get back with the sheds that they had picked up.

I personally believe that it should be banned during the spring time. This is when the animals here are at their most vulnerable. The snow is difficult for them to move through due to the heavy crust that happens during the freeze and thaw cycles that we are having.

Who knew that adult easter egg hunting was so popular....

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I personally believe that it should be banned during the spring time. This is when the animals here are at their most vulnerable. The snow is difficult for them to move through due to the heavy crust that happens during the freeze and thaw cycles that we are having.

Jim...you are spot on.

 

[ScottR]

Western Wyoming has made it a post May 1 activity. I would like to see that state wide on public land. Might even be good to wait until June 1.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Crazy but I guess when others aren’t doing it correctly then these are the things that happen.

 

[CrimsonArrow]

Sad that we have enough people out running them around in weak condition that we even have to see programs like this start.

Like everything good, a few a-holes ruin it for the rest of us

 

[CrimsonArrow]

Make it a may 1st opener, ramp up enforcement prior to opener, then levy enormous fines and loss of hunting privileges for offenders

 

[CrimsonArrow]

Also create a fund from confiscated antlers to finance a tip line with rewards

 

[JimP]

Trouble is with a good snow year the animals are still in winter mode.

If anything I would start it June 1 and no sooner.

But if you look at Utah's online course you will see that it isn't that tough to pass and if you don't do it the first go around you can just keep changing your answers until you get the right one, but it is mostly just common sense.

 

[kidoggy]

Trouble is with a good snow year the animals are still in winter mode.

If anything I would start it June 1 and no sooner.

But if you look at Utah's online course you will see that it isn't that tough to pass and if you don't do it the first go around you can just keep changing your answers until you get the right one, but it is mostly just common sense.

we've had a poor snow year. south slopes are open and they are still in winter mode.
don't fool yourselves.
this has nothing to do with helping animals. this has to do with control and profit.
soon online coarse will not be free and buying a tag will be required.

because it is sold as helping animals and humans are incredibly gullible, I have zero doubt, shed hunting will soon be a thing of the past.
hopefully what happens in Utah, stays in Utah

 

[JimP]

we've had a poor snow year. south slopes are open and they are still in winter mode.
don't fool yourselves.
this has nothing to do with helping animals. this has to do with control and profit.
soon online coarse will not be free and buying a tag will be required.

because it is sold as helping animals and humans are incredibly gullible, I have zero doubt, shed hunting will soon be a thing of the past.
hopefully what happens in Utah, stays in Utah

Kid, you need to look around you. I can't name them off the top of my head but other states are getting with the same program as far as setting dates when you can't be looking for sheds. Most don't have a ethics course that you need to take but perhaps they should.

I would also have zero problems if the DWR's went ahead and required a license to hunt sheds. Plus find those that are doing it commercially and charge them triple. I've seen trucks going down the road will the beds full of sheds along with a trailer in the back and they are headed somewhere to sell what they have collected.

 

[BuzzH]

Anyone want to provide some proof that shed hunting has killed a single deer or elk?

Cant shed hunt on winter range, but what can we do?

Hunt predators, run lion hounds, hunt wolves, hike, bike, snowmobile, fish, ride ATV's, bird watch, photograph, cross country ski, hunt small game, bird hunt, hike, snow shoe, walk dogs off leash, hunt elk, recreational/target shooting, spring bear hunting, turkey hunting, shoot prairie dogs/ground squirrels, etc. etc. etc.

So ridiculous, some areas in WY with shed closures, you can shoot a cow elk in the month of January, but if it falls on a shed antler when it dies, you can't pick up that antler! Wouldn't want to disturb those elk you just shot at by picking up a shed.

Good thing we're keeping shed hunters out of the woods and off winter range, wouldn't want to disturb any wildlife out there in the winter/spring...

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

My problem is that the commercial shed hunters are really cleaning up .....financially and literally the sheds. I don't usually go shed hunting for them specifically. I usually find sheds when I am doing something else, like spring turkey hunting, hiking and scouting in the summer and hunting in the fall. The areas I used to find sheds are now pretty clean of sheds.

 

[kidoggy]

Anyone want to provide some proof that shed hunting has killed a single deer or elk?

Cant shed hunt on winter range, but what can we do?

Hunt predators, run lion hounds, hunt wolves, hike, bike, snowmobile, fish, ride ATV's, bird watch, photograph, cross country ski, hunt small game, bird hunt, hike, snow shoe, walk dogs off leash, hunt elk, recreational/target shooting, spring bear hunting, turkey hunting, shoot prairie dogs/ground squirrels, etc. etc. etc.

So ridiculous, some areas in WY with shed closures, you can shoot a cow elk in the month of January, but if it falls on a shed antler when it dies, you can't pick up that antler! Wouldn't want to disturb those elk you just shot at by picking up a shed.

Good thing we're keeping shed hunters out of the woods and off winter range, wouldn't want to disturb any wildlife out there in the winter/spring...

exactly . lets shut er all down !

wonder how many will line up and willingly pay for that?

 

[CrimsonArrow]

My problem is that the commercial shed hunters are really cleaning up .....financially and literally the sheds. I don't usually go shed hunting for them specifically. I usually find sheds when I am doing something else, like spring turkey hunting, hiking and scouting in the summer and hunting in the fall. The areas I used to find sheds are now pretty clean of sheds.

and those guys who are only seeing dollar signs are most likely to set their ethics aside, and harass game, jump fences, and go before season opener. It’s because of these guys that states are implementing new laws