DAN GROEBNER

It’s shed hunting season. And we’re not talking about perusing the parking lots at Lowe’s or Home Depot for the wood or metal single or double door versions available with no credit check. Maybe you’re more old school and like to be a rebel and call it “horn hunting”. Regardless of your vernacular, there are plenty of great reasons to get out of the house in search of gifts from the deer family, in the form of freshly shed antlers from mule and white-tailed buck deer as well as their larger cousin the majestic bull elk.

Searching for shed antlers has actually become so popular that in some areas it can severely disturb the pregnant cows and does during a critical period in the development of this year’s crop of youngsters. The females are already stressed from a long winter with deep snow and won’t have the nutritious new vegetation growth to feed on for a couple of months. Responsible shed seekers will temporarily avoid areas if elk and deer are present to avoid pushing the animals that would burn precious calories.

This is also the season when overnight lows stay above freezing and the triple snow dose we received this winter combine to make many roads just very long mud puddles or soggy trails. Traveling down these roads can suck your tires into it deeper and deeper causing deep ruts or high centering your vehicle. You would think that off-highway vehicles (OHV) are too small and light to cause problems, but they are actually responsible for their share of habitat damage. People creating deep ruts and other habitat impacts can be cited and fined to help pay to repair the damages.

So what would motivate people to damage roads or disturb pregnant cows and does? Shed hunting has evolved into more than just a great excuse to get some outdoor exercise with the family (or without...), honing your navigation skills or scouting next fall’s hunt area. The market demand for antlers continues to support high enough prices to more than pay for the gas needed to find a profitable number of antlers. Antlers are still used for medicinal purposes, lamps and chandeliers, knife handles and other craft projects even though artificial substitutes exist for these uses. The actual value depends on the current market and condition of the antler (the fresher the better).The best antlers can fetch upwards of $15 per pound so a single large elk rack can be worth over $300.

Antlers could be valued for their medicinal properties possibly because they are the only mammalian organ or limb capable of regeneration. Other animals such as starfish are famous for their regenerative capabilities, but the deer family is the only warm-blooded group that uses stem cells located on the tops of their skulls to annually grow huge antlers in response to changing hormone levels. These stem cells can even be transplanted onto a mouse and the rodent will start to grow antler tissue!

A thick skin covering the antler, called velvet due to its texture, becomes engorged with blood vessels whose only purpose is to feed the antler bone growth underneath. Antlers are some of the fastest growing tissues known as elk can grow an inch a day and moose put on 80 pounds worth of antler each summer. Studies of antler growth hold promise in helping understand how humans could possibly regenerate tissues or limbs, such as nerves and fingers.

If the soft antlers are damaged during this growth stage before they become hardened in the fall, they can grow abnormal tines or extra points. The genetics of each animal can also create the asymmetrical and sometimes shrub-like configuration of antlers termed “atypical”. A “typical” category includes antlers where both sides are are pretty much mirror images of each other. 

Elk and deer put so much energy into growing antlers because it appears to be important in attracting mates and discouraging other males from mating, which is the strongest instinct in these critters during their breeding seasons. Elk and deer with the largest antlers tend to sire more offspring, spreading their genes and making them more common in the population, Mother Nature’s obvious underlying objective for most plants and animals.

For the record, horns are the more permanent and stronger built version of the antler, as they continue growing throughout their life and are composed of a live bony core surrounded by a tough sheath made of fingernail type material. Horns grow much slower than antlers and females often sport small sets compared to the males, such as with bighorn sheep. In contrast, female caribou are the only species in the deer family that grow antlers.

So where is the important information on elk and deer sheds? Like how to find them! Most experienced shed hunters agree that the key to finding lots of sheds is to walk lots of miles in habitat used by your target species. Create a clear search image of an antler you are looking for and convince yourself that you are a professional antler hunter with exceptional searching skills. If you are always anticipating seeing an antler, or portion of one, you will miss fewer that your eyes actually scan over. Try to keep a narrow beam type focus and do not count on your peripheral vision since you see much less detail on the edges of your field of view.  

Dropped antlers can look white and bleached if they’ve been out in the open sun for more than a year, but will stay dark colored if dropped in the shade. Squirrels and mice like to gnaw on them and leave distinctive chisel type marks.

Most successful shed hunters focus their efforts in more high probability areas, such as fence lines, elk jumps and crossings, thick brush along heavily used trails, bedding areas and steeper trails. Highway crossings that are heavily tracked by elk and deer can be productive as vehicles might spook them enough to jar an antler loose. If these high probability areas are visible from a distance you can save some steps by using a good pair of binoculars or spotting scope on a tripod when the ground cover is not too thick.  

You’ve probably figured out already what you need for equipment when shed hunting – solid and comfortable footwear. In drier conditions nice deep treads on your boot’s sole will help with traction but these same boots can collect large clumps of wet clay that constantly need cleaning under wetter conditions. Comfortable fitting socks that are still warm enough when wet can keep your feet from becoming the limiting factor in how far you can hike. There’s plenty of other body parts that can play that limiting factor role and won’t hurt as much, hopefully.

Obviously, you’ll want to dress in layers since you’ll be constantly moving, getting heated up and then stopping to rest and cooling off. Rain gear can be worth investing in since some people see the clean, glossy antlers better after they’ve been rinsed with a pure White Mountain rain shower. With a moist forest floor, you can also move more quietly with less disturbance.

Many people use a sturdy pack capable of lashing antlers to, just in case you score a hat trick of finding 3 antlers or more and need a place to put all your sheds after filling both hands. The pack is a good place for sunblock, extra water, snacks, a first aid/survival kit, toilet paper, and fire making supplies that can be safely used under moist spring conditions. Other optional items could include books or apps for your phone to identify birds, tracks, scats, trees, or flowers to add another dimension to your shed hunting adventure, just in case you get skunked with the antlers.

There currently is no closed season or license required for antler collecting on public land in Arizona but some states have had to regulate this activity due to disturbance to wintering elk and deer herds. Other areas have had to be closed because vehicles kept damaging the roads during the wet spring season. Compliance with all private property access and OHV rules, including the special OHV registration and helmet use for minors will help insure seasons and areas remain open in the future.

Remember that antlers can only be collected if they are naturally shed. Antlers that have been sawed off or are still attached to a skull with flesh attached can not be possessed unless approved by a Game and Fish Wildlife Manager.

 Just be thankful we don’t have to look for moose antlers – you can’t quarter the antler but you sure would like to!