News – Sheridan Media
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As the weather gets warmer, and the snow melts, an excellent family activity is hunting for shed antlers. Deer, elk and moose shed their antlers every winter, usually between November and March.
Shed antler hunting is one of the fastest growing outdoors activities, and a way to extend your time in the field, and a way to bond with family, young kids especially. The antlers typically carry a large amount of character as no two antlers are ever the exact same.
But before venturing out, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is recommending that shed hunters be sure to know which lands are open. Many sections of public lands, state lands and wildlife habitat management areas in western and southern Wyoming remain closed to shed antler and horn collection.
For a complete list of closure and open dates for wildlife habitat management and public access areas across the state, visit the Game and Fish website.
One challenge to shed hunting is trying to find a matched set. As deer don’t always shed the two antlers at the same time, often the antlers can be miles apart. If you can hunt on a feed ground, it is easier to find a matching set of sheds than when you are hunting in the hills or on the mountain.
If you are gathering sheds in a large, open area, carrying field glasses can be handy to distinguish between an old weathered white bone and an actual deer horn to keep you from having to hike down in a deep draw only to find a bone or a white piece of brush. Once one has hunted sheds for some time, it becomes easier to tell which is an antler and which is a patch of white.
The Game and Fish Department reminds the public that it is illegal to enter private property to collect sheds without the permission of the property owner.
A rather new twist to shed hunting is training a dog to find the sheds. Most dogs love to be outside in the hills, and a dog’s sense of smell can find antlers under brush and half-buried in the ground or under fallen leaves. They can also burrow under sagebrush and be sent down into draws where it would be tough for a person to walk down into. Most any dog can be trained to sniff out antlers, but the bird dogs, such as Golden Retrievers and Labs, are excellent at it. One can even purchase training tools, such as plastic horns with antler scent to train a shed hunting dog.
According to the Game and Fish, you can use dogs in Sheridan County to help locate antlers. However, it is illegal to allow a dog to chase or harass big game animals at any time.
There are several reasons to hunt for shed antlers in the spring. If you hunt sheds in an area where you hunt deer or elk in the fall, you can get an idea of what deer and elk may live in the area, and what size the antlers might be come hunting season. Many people collect antlers for crafts and antler décor, such as lamps and chandeliers, for their homes. Cut into various lengths, antlers also make good dog chews. A way to reward your hunting buddy.
Shed antlers are also worth money. There are antler buyer in most areas, or the antlers can be sold at auction in many areas, such as Jackson, Wyoming’s annual elk fest. New, brown antlers bring more than weathered white ones, but all antlers have some value.
Whiskey River Antlers LLC in Sheridan buys antlers all year, and they can be found on Facebook, and there is a contact number for current pricing.
In some areas, shed hunting is becoming so popular that there are guided ‘shed hunts’, complete with food and lodging for a fee. However, hunting sheds in Wyoming can be done on public lands for free, and sometimes landowners will give hunters permission to hunt sheds on their lands.
Often, when shed hunting, one might come across an entire carcass, or simply a skull and horns. According to the Game and Fish, if you find a skull with antlers still naturally attached, you may not legally remove that from the field. One would need to contact a game warden to get permission to do so. This is because in some instances, the warden may want to investigate the remains to see if it may have been illegally killed prior to the person finding it. If permission is granted by the warden, you would have to bring it to the regional office and purchase an interstate game tag for it.
So, when the weather warms, remember that shed hunting can be a great family activity and a way to get outside and enjoy the spring weather, just make sure to watch for snakes as the weather warms, and check for ticks after returning home.
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Last modified: April 7, 2025