Editor’s Note on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023: Last week, thanks to overwhelming support from wildlife advocates and sportsmen, the IDFG Commission approved a closure on gathering shed antlers in the Upper Snake and Southeast Regions due to concerns about creating additional stress to deer and elk after the harsh winter of 2022-2023. Thanks to those who provided comments to IDFG on this proposal—your concerns were heard loud and clear, and our wildlife is better off for it!
One of the more incredible aspects of venturing out into Idaho’s abundant public lands is that, over time, we’ve come to expect surprises. These delights can take all sorts of forms, whether it’s a spectacular view we happen on after cresting an alpine ridge, catching a fleeting glimpse of a rare forest animal, or the treat of stumbling on some natural object that we can take home as a memory of cherished time in the woods.
In recent years, however, what was once a by-chance windfall during an afternoon of adventure has, for many, turned into a lucrative pursuit, transforming wildland treasure into significant financial reward.
Increasingly, many springtime traipses across the landscapes of the west are being motivated by the income generated from collecting shed antlers—mostly from deer and elk—that are discarded, as a natural part of their life cycle, from the top of their head, as “deciduous” branched bones. In the past, many westerners have enjoyed recreational shed hunting simply as a family tradition or a way to break the fever of tight quarters that winters can sometimes bring—a modern twist on eons of human foraging out of necessity. But now, with the price of a fresh, brown shed tripling in less than 15 years, even a modest set of elk sheds (weighing 12-15 pounds) means a day’s haul of antlers can be financially sizable. Now inching toward $20 a pound, the rapid rise in the value of an antler (for dog chews, home decorations, and jewelry) is what many point to as having caused this seemingly benign activity of shed hunting to pose some very real concerns for wildlife and public lands management.
Unfortunately, the proliferation of shed hunting is now being identified by wildlife management agencies as contributing to many impacts on deer, elk, and moose in western states. Negative biological effects on these animals mostly involve their displacement off vitally productive winter range, forcing them to move into areas of much less desirable forage at a time of the year that they are highly susceptible to stresses from low fat reserves. This can result in lower-than-expected body conditions entering springtime parturition (offspring birthing period), diminished overall herd health, potential for increased disease transmission, and even direct mortality. For example, in a study that first documented effects of shed antler hunting on mule deer across multiple years, BYU researchers found, on average, male mule deer doubled the distance they moved during susceptible wintering periods and 82% moved almost a mile outside of their home ranges. These disturbances can be more pronounced during harsh winters like last year when deer and elk are grouped in even smaller sanctuary areas.
Also troublesome is that some public lands managers have identified the “antler rush” as contributing to illegal OHV (off-highway vehicle) use, increased damage to existing trail systems, and trespassing on adjacent private property. Improper use of public lands caused by overzealous shed seekers can also impact Sage-grouse populations, by disturbing these sensitive desert and rangeland birds during their courtship and lekking season.
For almost 10 years, beginning in the mid-1990s, in a somewhat visionary measure, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) actually restricted collection of shed antlers from Jan 1 to Apr 30 in the Southeast and Upper Snake regions of eastern Idaho. The good news is that there are now new efforts underway at IDFG to begin to minimize some of these adverse impacts to Idaho’s wildlife by unmanaged and/or irresponsible shed hunting activities.
The Idaho Conservation League was thankful that earlier this year, largely in response to particularly harsh winter conditions in the eastern part of the state, the Idaho Legislature established new authority (SB 1143) for IDFG to regulate shed hunting seasons. ICL believes these are exactly the types of fish and wildlife issues that warrant legislative action, and we appreciate the leadership of Sen. Mark Harris (R-Soda Springs) and Rep. Britt Raybould (R-Rexburg) to advance this measure. Efforts to manage shed hunting have been implemented in many other western states in recent years as well, including Utah, Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming—where annual seasons have been in place for nearly 15 years. Wildlife Management Areas in Montana are also subject to seasonal closures. Some states, like Utah and Nevada, now even require an antler gathering ethics course and certification.
From now until October 9th, IDFG is seeking public comment on whether the agency should structure “Emergency Shed Antler Closures to reduce disturbance to wintering big game during and after severe winters” on an as-needed basis. ICL is encouraging all wildlife advocates, including conservation-minded shed hunters, to enthusiastically support this proposal and encourage IDFG to use its new authority to implement shed hunting seasons. This will modernize the State’s management approach to these activities in response to new scientific information available on pressures to wildlife from rapidly increasing shed hunting activities throughout Idaho and the west. These pressures on wildlife are cumulative, as numbers of shed hunters in historic winter range is currently quite high in many areas and those numbers will likely continue to increase without some form of regulation.
Please follow the Take Action link below to let IDFG know that now is the time to make improvements to the way Idaho’s wildlife resources are managed. We recommend that you endorse “Option 2”, which sets “a single season, shed antler gathering closure in the Southeast Region and Upper Snake Region, closed January 1, 2024 –April 14, 2024.” ICL also encourages you to ask IDFG to look at other opportunities to adopt new shed seasons, perhaps annually, where appropriate—as has been done successfully in other western states. Tools to manage shed hunting seasons should be examined, not just as a response to the 2022-2023 winter, but because impacts on wildlife health from avoidable, human-caused pressures are known and biologically significant—regardless of the severity of any given winter.