Finding sheds in the Rockies is a fun and rewarding hobby. It can get you in shape, and reward you financially.
There are two main types of sheds you will be looking for in most of the Rockies. These are deer and elk. Moose inhabit some parts of the Rockies but not the majority of them.
People tend to make two mistakes when trying to find sheds in the mountains.
First they hunt too early. Many people see the deer and elk wintering at a lower elevation and think they can go out in the herd and pick up sheds.
This is a bad idea since it puts unnecessary stress on the herd, and it is illegal to harass wildlife.
With the price of shed antler going up in recent years many people are traveling west to try and cash in on this new gold rush. As a result many have been ticketed for harassment of wildlife. You need to wait until the snow is gone and the animals are moving onto their summer range before you go out walking.
Which brings us to the second mistake most people make. They hunt too low for the sheds. As in the first mistake people see the animals wintering in a certain area and think that is where the sheds are dropped. Not so for most of them, they are dropped on the way back up to summer range. As the snows are melting and the days getting warm this is when most of the antlers drop.
Good places to look are the crests of ridges with southern exposure. This is where the big boys bed down to sun themselves during the warm sunny days of spring.
Hiking these ridges in the Rockies is great exercise but don't over do it if you are not used to it.
Just take your time and walk a nice zig zag pattern up and down the south facing ridges. Take along plenty of water and stay hydrated.
I like to park at the top of a ridge and walk down one then cross a valley and hike back up another one. Many times I find more sheds than I can carry and have to pick and choose what I want to take back.
Many times if you are hunting new areas you will find old white chewed up antlers along with the new ones. Remember that place since it will be good year after year, and the presence of old antlers tells you no one else knows to look there.
To find more antlers in the Rockies just remember the Three main tips. Not too early, not too low and walk the southern exposure.
http://www.helium.com/items/852048-t...d-antler-sheds
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