Shed hunting is a winter activity where hikers, hunters and outdoor people alike can play nature’s version of “I Spy.” Deer, elk and moose all drop their antlers every winter in order to grow bigger ones, and people have made a hobby out of finding the sheds.
Shed hunters, new and experienced, take on the risk of getting lost in potentially unfamiliar areas while looking deep in the woods. Forests are easy to get lost in, but with an abundance of tracking apps available on cell phones shed hunting has become a more popular hobby.
Bradley Dammerman, the owner of Idaho Whitetail Guides, said shed hunting has been around for a long time, but recently the sport has been gaining traction because of the decreased likliness of getting lost.
There are many reasons people pick up shed hunting as a hobby, whether it’s a way to get some good exercise or to collect trophies without harming any animals. Dave Carr, an employee at Idaho Whitetail Guides, said hunters like him shed hunt not only for the trophies, but to see which bucks survived the hunting season by using their antlers as a sort of identification, telling them apart by certain unique features.
“Sometimes people have bucks that they’re chasing and they don’t get during deer season,” Carr said. “And for me, it’s fun to pick up their sheds after the fact and see if they made it through the season.”
Local hunter Johnny Saltharella described shed hunting as an Easter egg hunt. He’s been shed hunting for 25 years since learning about the sport from his dad. He said he likes shed hunting because it gives him more reasons to be outside.
“It’s one of the things you can do to learn about the land and the animals that are out there, is to find their sheds,” Saltharella said. “It’s a nice time when there’s not a lot of pressure in the woods and sees who made it through, without going out in the early morning or the evening and disrupting when they are feeding or bedding down, you can just go out there and look for animals.”
Dammerman said other reasons people shed hunt is to decorate their walls, furniture and utensils with the sheds. Using antlers as decorations can create some rustic, cabin-like designs and provides another way for people to get creative with incorporating the rugged outdoors into the comfort of their own homes. Saltharella said he knowns plenty of hunters who make jewelry and knife handles, among other things, out of the antlers.
Another reason why people do it is for money. Antlers have many uses and can be sold for a pretty penny. Prices vary based on the color of the antlers, which is a good indication of the age and wear. “They are worth so much a pound,” Dammerman said. “There are guys out there looking for them on the weekend to help pay bills.”
The value varies depending on the species and the condition of the sheds. Dammerman said a good set of antlers that haven’t been chewed on by squirrels and bleached by the sun, go from $10 to $15 a pound. It might not seem like much, but if a person can find a good stack of them during their shedding season the cash can add up quickly, sometimes reaching up to thousands of dollars.
However, Saltharella said people looking to find antlers need to get them quickly. Squirrels, rabbits, porcupines and coyotes chew on antlers as a source of calcium. If they hang out in the sun too long, they can become bleached and brittle. Damage from the surroundings can seriously devalue the antlers.
On top of people who shed hunt as a hobby, others take this activity seriously and are quite competitive. Saltharella said he knew hunters who would fly or parachute into remote areas where large quantities of antlers are located, then gather as many sheds as they can within two weeks.
Different animals shed their antlers at different times of the year. Saltharella and Dammerman both said moose usually begin shedding their antlers in December, though Dammerman said he’s seen them shed in November as well. Saltharella said elk normally shed around Easter. Both said deer tend to shed in January, but it depends on the winter and how cold it gets because those factors determine when the animals shed their antlers.
Ryan Hill can be reached at [email protected]