Colorado Approves New Shed Hunting Regs

[robby denning]

Some solid points GotDraw


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[sndmn11]

I don't like it simply because the only people who will abide by it, are honest sportsmen who keep up to date with issues...such as folks on this forum.
Does anyone really think that Jenny Biker really wouldn't pick up a shed if she saw one during the "closed" season to put on her coffee table? If a turkey hunter comes across a shed, he can't pick it up? He can pick it up but can't take it home? He can't touch it at all? Is Bob Jogger guilty if his lab brings him back an antler?
Right now there are literally at least 100 head of elk on Green Mountain park, which is on the SE corner of I70 and C470. Thousands of people drive within a par 3 of these elk daily. MANY folks use this for all sorts of recreation all year round. Now if someone wants to pick up an antler they are a criminal, but their presence in the exact same spot is perfectly acceptable otherwise.

 

[5MilesBack]

I bet if you put a license on the bone and ability to sell the bone this would fade away somewhat. A $1000 license to collect and sell bone and buyers have to keep track of sellers lic numbers and have them sign their intent to sell. I mean if they get $14 a lb a $1000 license shouldn’t be too much for a dedicated individual.

Yes, but first.....who would issue that license? Once the antlers are on the ground they are a resource just like timber, so the Feds would have to issue that license for federal land. And secondly, just issuing licenses doesn't solve any issues with it. The problems are the same, it just costs people money to do it.

If the problem is "pressuring wildlife" then closing it down and making money off only a sub-sect of the users doesn't fix that problem. That just tells me it's to make money. If they want to fix the problem they have to close these areas down completely......to everybody.

 

[Lawnboi]

People sell mounts all the time

True. Not legal everywhere and meat sales are illegal almost everywhere. Are guys shooting animals to sell the trophy parts that much?

Either way, selling animal parts, including sheds is just against my best judgement as an outdoorsman. I'm not out to make a profit off our wildlife. So long as it's legal, don't have a problem with guys doing any of that, just my opinion. Having so much money involved pushes ethical boundaries in my opinion.

 

[dotman]

Yes, but first.....who would issue that license? Once the antlers are on the ground they are a resource just like timber, so the Feds would have to issue that license for federal land. And secondly, just issuing licenses doesn't solve any issues with it. The problems are the same, it just costs people money to do it.

If the problem is "pressuring wildlife" then closing it down and making money off only a sub-sect of the users doesn't fix that problem. That just tells me it's to make money. If they want to fix the problem they have to close these areas down completely......to everybody.

Well I’m sure the feds would let the states manage this

 

[LandYacht]

If they want to fix the problem they have to close these areas down completely......to everybody.

Couldn’t disagree more, and I haven’t disagreed with you on much.

Do the occasional birder or hiker pressure an animal? I am sure they do, but the problem began when the shed hunters began combing the whole range for antlers. Antlers still attached and dropped. The shed hunters weren’t in the woods 10 years ago, but those birders and hikers were.

I didn’t hear anyone with concerns at that time. It’s not the birders or hikers that are the problem. It’s the vast number of shed hunters that are hitting the hills that have tipped the scale. The question is how many people are too many and how do you determine who gets to do what.

Very few antlers are dropped on established trails when compared to those that are dropped in areas that you have to leave a trail to access.

You can’t tell me that even 10% of the people hunting sheds were out pounding the hills with their boots just walking around prior to this craze. This time of year, up until spring turkey, was recoup time for the animals. It still is, but instead of rest and relaxation, we’ve got run and run more because of a proliferation of people into the woods.

Just because you can, doesn’t always mean you should. When there are enough people that disregard that statement, and put our resources into jeopardy, then you can bet that those hired to manage those same resources are going to step in and try to do something to protect them.

I see this no differently than Teddy R at the turn of the last century establishing conservation efforts for those that weren’t yet able to have their turn. These aren’t our resources, it is just our turn.


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[5MilesBack]

Couldn’t disagree more, and I haven’t disagreed with you on much.

Do the occasional birder or hiker pressure an animal? I am sure they do

Then you are actually agreeing with me.

There is no guarantee that every single hiker or birder stays away from the animals during this time. So to recognize that a hiker walking through the animal's wintering or calving grounds is OK, but only OK until said hiker leans over to pick up an antler.......well, that's just not good logic. Unless.......their logic revolves around raising money.

 

[vanish]

I get the feeling that some people have no idea of the scale at which some of the shed hunting groups operate. The problem isn't the one guy who decided to go for a spring walk and happened across a shed or two.

When you cross state lines with a dozen guys to comb every inch of a piece of public land without concern for the animals because, hey, you don't live there, you aren't going to hunt them and you can make enough money to fund your hunting for the year, there's a problem.

I started looking into the legality of it, and honestly, I don't think its even legal to collect antlers on BLM to sell. I didn't get to the NFS rules yet.

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/collecting_on_publiclands.pdf

 

[BuzzH]

The shed hunters weren’t in the woods 10 years ago, but those birders and hikers were.

Really?

This was over 20 years ago...and there were plenty of people out shed hunting then.

This was one years haul, and over 10 years ago:

Once again, if there are areas that human recreation is causing stress to big-game on winter range, close it down to all human presence. I have ZERO problem with that.

If shed hunters, dog walkers, bird watchers, or any other recreationist of any kind, are harassing big-game, scratch them a ticket for it.

It seems disingenuous to only limit shed hunters...

For the record, I don't hardly look for sheds anymore. I find it fascinating that two people walking side by side, one watching birds and one picking sheds, the one looking for sheds is the problem, the other, not at all.

 

[LandYacht]

You guys are missing the forest through the trees, literally.

It’s not the act of picking up the shed. It’s the vast numbers of additional people. They aren’t out there bird watching, those numbers of participants haven’t sky rocketed.

I bet that you were the only person you’d see gathering those sheds from those pictures. That wouldn’t be the case anymore, not by a long shot.




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[BuzzH]

You guys are missing the forest through the trees, literally.

It’s not the act of picking up the shed. It’s the vast numbers of additional people. They aren’t out there bird watching, those numbers of participants haven’t sky rocketed.

I bet that you were the only person you’d see gathering those sheds from those pictures. That wouldn’t be the case anymore, not by a long shot.




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Unless you're living in a time warp, there is more people doing just about every form of recreating now than 20 years ago...just a fact. More bird watchers, more snowmobilers, more ATVers, more cross country skiers, the list goes on and on and on.

I saw plenty of people out shed hunting 20 years ago, and there were a lot of people that had been picking them the 20 years before that. I was late to the party. A good friend of mine, picked them when he was growing up in the outskirts of Eureka Montana in the 1950's...

 

[LandYacht]

Of course there are more people, a time warp wouldn’t have changed that, sadly-that’s not what a time warp does




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[wyodan]

I guess I will weigh in on this subject as I have been dealing with a similar law here in western Wyoming since 2009. I both agree and disagree with the law, and I have discussed this pretty extensively with the local G&F.

The reasons I agree with the law: 1. This is actually a similar law to what is here in Wyoming. The G&F director in Wyoming has stated that surrounding states have similar laws, and this one actually is. Nothing I have found in the other surrounding states is similar. 2. Shed hunters do spend more time in the areas where antlered game is wintering, which in turn does put more pressure on the antlered game, and are doing so in greater numbers. 3. According to the local G&F, it has lowered pressure on the wintering game during the most critical months, February, March, and April. I saw what human activity can do to the animals during the harsh winter of last year, just stepping out of a vehicle the deer showed much more stress than if I never opened the door. At that point, I quit even looking at game for the year. They were still suffering when the season opened in May.

The reasons I disagree with the law: 1. There are already harassment laws on the books, I would like to see those enforced. 2. Actual consequences of violating the law are pretty minor. This is actually my biggest problem with the law. The judge in Pinedale is fining generally around $100, and the judge in Kemmerer has been not fining people at all, just telling them that they can't horn hunt for a couple of years. Since there is no license, what exactly is being enforced? 3. Since they have enacted this law, I am finding far fewer sheds than I did before, and it seems to get worse each year. That seems to indicate to me that there are some who are willing to break the law just for the profit, and the fines and/or loss of hunting privileges are not consequence enough to deter them. 4. I just don't believe in punishing ethical, law abiding sportsmen for what others are doing.

I would be more in favor if all of the states had similar laws with similar dates. I also think that a license is something that should be out there as it gives the G&F something to enforce, funds them for enforcement, and takes away from just the hunters and fisherman paying for all of it. I don't think $20 for a license would be too much for those that enjoy doing this.

These are just my thoughts from having dealt with the same type of law for the last 9 years.

 

[cnelk]

Picking up arrowheads on BLM land is also illegal and many people will not think twice about putting them in their pocket.

 

[LandYacht]

Why are so many willing to give up their opportunity to be out on our public lands? For 5MilesBack to say it really made me pause.

Of course there are more people in the woods, that goes without saying. No group has grown more than shed hunting has in the last 10 years and that may be the growth that has made public lands managers take notice. There are a lot of arguments that can be made in favor of and against shed hunting. I started another thread wondering about the massive removal of nutrients from our forests, but that's also another discussion.

Back on track. What 5MilesBack said about closing the lands to everyone really is astounding to me. The proclivity for those on this thread to suggest closing our lands to everyone because of the actions of a few really surprises me. As sportsmen, we have been fighting this battle for most of our lives. Why would we ever want to be the ones that voiced that solution? Maybe we are at the point where we need to sell tickets to our forests in order to limit the number of visitors. Maybe there should be an attendant at the trail head similar to a parking attendant at ski resorts that redirects people to another area because this one has become full.

My opinion on the matter is that we should never advocate for the full closure of an area unless its a last resort. What a great way to lose a hunting area. What's to stop a public lands manager from deciding that a hunting ground and a wintering ground are now different areas and that hunters shouldn't be in the wintering ground ever? We've left a few bear hunting decisions up to the voters of Colorado and that really didn't benefit bear hunting one bit. I don't want the same thing to happen with shed hunting. I am quite glad that the state is doing something to keep our animals safe. It might not be the perfect solution, but I see this as a work in progress, as opposed to an iron clad rule with an iron fist decision.

 

[5MilesBack]

Why are so many willing to give up their opportunity to be out on our public lands? For 5MilesBack to say it really made me pause.

I never said that. I'd rather they not legislate anything.

But IF they want to legislate......they can't legislate by excluding one user and not another because there is no difference between users in a particular area. On the other hand, there are plenty of areas outside of wintering grounds that people can recreate in during the closures. But then........who is actually making the closure to that Federal public land.......the CDOW? Do they have that authority and jurisdiction over federal land closures?

 

[wymtnpounder]

Guess we’re finally going to find out if these shed closures are enforceable.

I used to shed hunt quite a bit but hardly have the stomach for it now. It hurts the wintering game way more than than much of the shed community will admit. I’m here to admit that I was hurting wintering deer when I was pushing them around as I hiked through their wintering grounds. Around here, the other recreationalists hardly penetrate the winter range compared to the shed hunters.
I say good on Colorado. And if they can enforce the law, with the help of conerned citizens, those sheds will still be there come opening day.

When I shed hunt I spend a lot of time watching the animals. It does me no good to push them out of the draw or off the ridge they want to live on. I have waited hours, even days for elk or deer to move off so I could slip in and snag a shed. If you're wanting to collect antlers it does no good to chase off all the antlers. That being said, I have had other shed hunters walk up the ridge I was watching, grab the shed and blow the elk.

There is a real problem in the wintering areas I watch and it's not shed hunters. It's wolves

 

[BuzzH]

Why are so many willing to give up their opportunity to be out on our public lands? For 5MilesBack to say it really made me pause.
Back on track. What 5MilesBack said about closing the lands to everyone really is astounding to me. The proclivity for those on this thread to suggest closing our lands to everyone because of the actions of a few really surprises me.

My opinion on the matter is that we should never advocate for the full closure of an area unless its a last resort. What a great way to lose a hunting area. What's to stop a public lands manager from deciding that a hunting ground and a wintering ground are now different areas and that hunters shouldn't be in the wintering ground ever? We've left a few bear hunting decisions up to the voters of Colorado and that really didn't benefit bear hunting one bit. I don't want the same thing to happen with shed hunting. I am quite glad that the state is doing something to keep our animals safe. It might not be the perfect solution, but I see this as a work in progress, as opposed to an iron clad rule with an iron fist decision.

Couple comments, the bolded part first.

You seem more than eager to make shed hunting illegal to everyone because of the actions of a few, that cause you the same discomfort? You seem to have no problem with passing legislation/regulation to punish the many for the actions of the few in the case of shed hunting. That's curious.

I also disagree about closures for everyone...we already do it all across the west. Many State and Federal Wildlife management areas are closed to all forms of recreation seasonally. We limit motorized travel during fawning/calving in many Federal and State areas. We limit motorized travel on certain roads to provide more walk in hunting opportunities and to provide more security for big-game during the seasons.

Again, if the SCIENCE, which I've seen a noticeable lack of in regard to shed hunting causing higher mortality, really is an issue, then close areas to all human activity during the most crucial times. If the science doesn't show a correlation, then allow people to recreate, including looking for sheds.

I'm not convinced that shed hunting is having the impact that many are claiming, and a deer pushed/stressed by a human bird watching or coyote hunting or cross country skiing is the exact same. Human presence is human presence.

Look I have no problem with protecting wintering big-game, but if we're going to do it, then do it...don't select one group of recreationist as the sacrificial lamb, just so we can feel good about "doing something".

 

[dotman]

You guys are missing the forest through the trees, literally.

It’s not the act of picking up the shed. It’s the vast numbers of additional people. They aren’t out there bird watching, those numbers of participants haven’t sky rocketed.

I bet that you were the only person you’d see gathering those sheds from those pictures. That wouldn’t be the case anymore, not by a long shot.




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I bet he never had to our run a dozen others for an antler 20 years ago.

 

[dotman]

I never said that. I'd rather they not legislate anything.

But IF they want to legislate......they can't legislate by excluding one user and not another because there is no difference between users in a particular area. On the other hand, there are plenty of areas outside of wintering grounds that people can recreate in during the closures. But then........who is actually making the closure to that Federal public land.......the CDOW? Do they have that authority and jurisdiction over federal land closures?

Ahh but they are not excluding anyone from enjoying the lands are they? You can still walk and enjoy it can’t you? They are just saying no one can pick up an antler therefore they are excluding no one, is there an exception for bird watchers and hikers to pick up antlers? Again they are not saying you or anyone can’t be there, they are just saying no one can pick up shed antlers so they actually did what you are wanting.

Where did they actually close access to the federal land?