Shed Hunting on Colorado Ranches
On a recent Colorado Mule Deer hunt, I was reminded of a great late winter and early spring activity that is a great way to spend time outdoors as well as a great way to spend time with family. During my hunt, I covered a lot of country, both on foot and with optics. While hunting several ridgelines and canyons I happened upon a really nice 6X elk shed from the previous year. It was a little sun-bleached but rodents hadn’t gnawed on it so it was still in great shape. As luck would have it I was hiking around a ridge opposite the canyon where I found the shed and stumbled upon the mate to the 1st shed. So now I had a really nice set of elk sheds. Later on I found an even bigger shed to go with the previous set.
The ideal time to hunt sheds is in late winter and early spring. You will want to check your state regulations because some states have shed hunting seasons. Antlers are shed January through April as the male’s testosterone levels droop/ This is a great time to get out and hike or ride horseback and look for sheds on Colorado Ranches. You will want to concentrate on feeding and bedding areas. This is also a great way to scout for next year’s hunts. You can also hunt sheds on public land.
If you own a trophy Colorado Hunting Ranch, this is also a great way to get an idea of trophy quality and locate where top trophy animals are wintering and assist you in ensuring animals have sufficient wintering ground. It can also be an excellent source for secondary income especially if you have large herds of elk and deer that winter on your Colorado ranch. You can charge trespass fees to shed hunters or even provide full shed hunting packages. This is a great way to involve non-hunters in wildlife conservation as well. Remember new regulations prohibit shed hunting west of I-25 until May 1st.
If you would like more information on shed hunting or would like to buy your own Colorado hunting ranch so you can hunt sheds for yourself give me a call at Ranch Marketers. Find Colorado Hunting Ranches for sale.