Getting Started - Horn Hunting (aka Shed Hunting)

My boyfriend, we'll call him Grubby Guy, is fairly obsessed with hunting, especially hunting elk. The hikes we do all summer are really not-so-thinly disguised scouting trips for his fall hunting trips. He hunts virtually every weekend in the fall (except when I pitch a fit - hey, a Grubby Girl's got needs!). In the winter, he will drive his truck around with his binoculars and look for where the elk are hanging out. And, every spring, we go looking for the dropped antlers - horns, sheds, call them what you will. He loves it, and I love him, so I go.

What all is involved in horn hunting? Well, near as I can tell, a lotta luck, some patience and the ability to get pretty far off the beaten path. Technically, you need to know where the elk were hanging out at the end of the winter. They drop their sheds around March or April. So, when the snow clears and you can make a trip to the wilderness, you can go searching for said sheds. Grubby Guy tries to sell me on the fact that you get to get outside and get some exercise instead of staying inside watching hockey. He also says it's like a treasure quest - like his beloved Easter egg hunt from his youth - he won't stop until he finds one, or several. He has several secret stashes that he won't divulge, but once we get to where the elk were hanging out, we sweep the area, looking for the white tips of the horns (harder than you think in the sagebrush...there are lots of sage "faux" horns...Grrrrr!) Sometimes, we'll sit at a vantage point and scan the area with the binoculars, looking for horns. There's a lot of walking back and forth, setting up a grid. If you find one, it's likely there's another in the vicinity, so the hunt intensifies. And, you can even sell the horns you find (or make some lovely crafts).

He calls it shed hunting...I call it a lovely walk in the wilderness looking at wildflowers and other interesting things, interrupted occasionally by stubling across a horn. Potato, potato.

Here's some tips from actual experts: http://tiny.cc/vB0Yu

Where - He won't let me share that info...find your own dern stash!

Time Commitment - Plan for at least four hours (Grubby Guy insists on six to eight).

Misery Index - Moderate - lots of sagebrush to get tangled in, unpredictable weather that time of year, and did I mention boredom? Walking back and forth is not always the most thrilling, but finding one, I'll admit, is definitely a high!

Intimidation Index - Moderate to High - first time you go out, it feels like you're looking for a needle in a haystack, but once you figure out what to look for, you start to get in a groove. And, the rush of finding one makes it less intimidating and a lot more fun.

Dog Friendliness - Very - they can roam freely with you and don't need to be on leash since you won't be on a trail.

Equipment needed to start - Hiking boots, long pants, a backpack for lunch and water and to hold all the horns you find, as well as your rain gear. Binoculars are highly recommended.

Equipment to upgrade if you find you like it - Good binoculars, an ATV (not necessary, but helpful in getting places where other horn hunters have not been - and there are a surprising number of them).

Yours grubbily,

GG