Shed Hunting

Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
885
Location
CO
Anybody out there do much shed hunting? I stumbled across a few muley sheds yesterday but have yet to pop my elk cherry. I'm in Colorado but am unsure about what elevation I should be looking at. I was at about 7000-7500 yesterday so I'm assuming I might have been a little low.
 

UtahJimmy

WKR
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
884
Location
SLC, UT
I went for a drive this weekend and spotted two different bachelor herds, all still had their headgear attached.

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Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
2,241
I looked for gobblers this weekend and saw a few elk. One still had it's antlers. The past few weekends I had seen a bunch more that still had both sides. I've only picked up one brown antler so far this year. It's turkey time now so I'm probably about done with sheds unless we punch both of our tags soon .
 

realunlucky

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Messages
12,624
Location
Eastern Utah
I also saw bulls with antlers this weekend. Utah shed opener was Saturday and I saw plenty of anther in trucks coming down hwy 6 so must of been plenty on ground too. I'm currently watching baby while wife is on vacation with her sisters so I haven't gotten out for sheds here yet.

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Joined
Oct 8, 2016
Messages
67
Location
Colorado
I would say you were a bit low but elevation isn't consistent, meaning the elevation you will find elk sheds will vary based on location and weather. I've found elk sheds as low as 7,000 feet and all the way up to 11,000 feet. Yes, elevation certainly is a factor but if I were you, focus more on terrain features that hold bulls such as secluded benches and basins with ample food and nearby cover. If you were finding mule deer sheds, I would look at the surrounding areas and go higher.

Check out this article I wrote. It may help you with your search for elk sheds: Colorado Elk Shed Hunting Tips – Transition Wild
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
682
Location
Gypsum, CO
4 bulls this morning in my hometown unit still packing, Tuesday had 6 bulls in my outfitting unit still packing even the big 6x6 who should be one of the firsts to drop. Only seen on bull on the ranch that is packing 1 antler and he dropped it on the neighbors property.

Give it time they will drop and better to wait for them all to drop besides pushing on them, if you push on them to find one you're most likely just going to push the bulls higher into their more secluded areas. I don't even start looking for fresh browns in either of my areas until tax day
 
OP
coloyooper
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
885
Location
CO
Well, went out this weekend and found a few more muley sheds. Also one 4pt elk that looked like it was broken off this fall during the rut. Brows and base missing, big crack down the middle. Still felt good finding something!

Had to get some mountain time in - expecting my first born this week so won't have much chance to get out the next few weeks I'm sure.
 

Ntgm37

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
100
Location
Wyoming
6 Brown, 6 from last year and a few oldies for Elk.
One monster 6 point Buck, and 7 smaller deer.
 

frankrb3

WKR
Joined
May 10, 2016
Messages
529
Location
SW Montana
Just picked up my first brown elk shed on Saturday. Antler wasn't on the ground for more than 24 hours. It had snowed the night before and there were fresh tracks leading away from the shed. Couldn't find the other one but did run into a small moose paddle that was a season or two old. the elk shed was a nice 6 point.
 

GeoHunter

FNG
Joined
Dec 14, 2016
Messages
38
Location
NV
View attachment 49868

Found my first one for the year out here in NV a couple weeks back. The weather is killing me, though! Every weekend since then has been raining/snowing. This one was fairly low - probably in the 6500 -7000 range.
 

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Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
322
Location
Colorado
I found my first elk sheds last weekend while turkey hunt... scouting I should say. I'd never found sheds or really spent much time looking for them. All of a sudden I saw one so I decided to drop my gear and wander around on this hillside a little and there were several within just a few hundred yards. I even found a nice 6x6 pair that both sides were just a couple feet apart.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
1,876
Location
Kalispell
11 in my folks pasture. One spike and one 2 point both still packing. One bull had freshly dropped.

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