Shed Hunt Responsibly: Just because snow has melted doesn’t mean winter is over for elk and deer

4. Hunt a place to hunt

Glassing for sheds and wildlife from a hilltop can be a useful tool in a shed hunter's toolkit. Using a spotting scope or even just binoculars can save a person some time and energy combing the hillsides with their eyes instead of their thighs.

Modern optics can be your friend for shed hunting just like they are when hunting. You can use them to spot shed antlers from a distance, but you can also use them to spot far away herds and know to avoid those areas, at least for the time being. When the animals have moved on, you can return and look for sheds.

Also remember that during winter, the bucks (and by association, their antlers) typically aren't hanging around the does, which tend to be down at lower elevations. Utilizing optics to find far-off bucks or bulls up at higher elevations can be a good strategy for shed hunters scouting locations where antlers might drop later in the season. For mule deer, that means around December and January, and for bull elk, March and into April.

5. Out-of-state shed hunters need a hunting license

A reminder that folks who come from out of state to look for antlers in Idaho need to have a hunting license. This new rule went into effect on July 1, 2024.

The goal here is to protect wintering wildlife by reducing overcrowding on the hill among shed hunters, especially during those occasions when neighboring states enact their own shed hunt closures. When neighboring states have an emergency closure, that action can often drive shed hunters to other states (like Idaho) where shed hunting may still be open, as was the case during the severe winter of 2022/2023.

An influx of extra people on the landscape can make wintering wildlife even more vulnerable to increased disturbance - and that's true even during an average winter.