NM_Shedder

Alright, with shed season upon us, lets see everyone's as they lay pictures from previous years, and even this year if you've already been out.

I am thinking high as well. Went out scouting this past weekend and ever elk we saw were higher than normal. it is going to a bit of a tough year I would say.

2016 shed season is among us. Let's see some sheds! This years, or years past, what are your favorite ATL's(As They Lay)? Here's a few of mine

Only fresh one was that little deer shed. The amount of older ones we've found this year is rather surprising after the boom in the number of people out hiking last year.

Today was a really good day. Started off slow but ended great. A total of 9 sheds, tied with our best for most, but I would consider this to be our best day ever. 7 elk sheds, and 2 deer.

So Far... We are up to 16 sheds, 2 are browns, it is a set, not all are pictured.

Not a giant, I mean, I don't know what is big for coues, but I am pretty certain it is a coues. Put up a pic of it next to a beer can or something for reference. It looks pretty big to me! All I had was a 20oz bottle

What state/area are you in? Lots of browns being pulled in S.NM right now. It's weird, a couple weeks ago in an area just a few miles from where we were sunday, we found that right side and saw about 30 to 40 bulls and I'd say about 40% to 50% were dropped. Then where we were sunday, we saw around 15 bulls and even the two that were close to 300 were still packing.

Not a giant, I mean, I don't know what is big for coues, but I am pretty certain it is a coues.

With shed season just around the corner, lets see some of the ATL's!

It a spring in the middle of nowhere. I like that stacked set!

Yes, in New Mexico the archery season is a rather extended season.

Well, I've only hunted two days so far, and still have two and a half weekends in September, and the first 15 days in January. Over the first two days, we have seen a good number of deer, a few small bucks and one that is probably 130" or better. We chased this group both Saturday and Sunday evening. Have I ever wished more so I had a rifle. Following the bigger buck after one of his little buddies busted us as we stepped around a tree after they vanished, I look up and see this big rack disappear over the hill. His two buddies were both out of my range, so I opted to pass up on trying to get closer, and went over the hill after him. There, 130 yds away, he was staring us down, and there was nothing we could do. This is were I wish I had a rifle. So, Saturday over, and having pushed the bucks, we backed out and went to a new spot Sunday morning. Slow start to the day, we found a group of does, and jumped a small buck, that didn't stop till he was over 100 yds away and again, too far for me. That was the end of the morning hunt. The afternoon comes, and we were back where the bucks were the day before. They were over on the next ridge, and seemed perfectly undisturbed. With an hour till dark, we started to stalk. Got down to around 100yds, where the same little buck from the night before, somehow sees me sitting behind a tree. The big one is still bedded down, and the medium sized one is somewhere below us. After sitting still for about 20 min, they leave, and we have no choice but to head back to the truck, once more in the dark. Now, have next weekend, the weekend after that, and Saturday the following weekend, the first 15 days of Jan, and maybe finding a buck I can chase on my way home from school between now and the 24th of September. I love hunting deer, but with a bow, it is very irritating, and disappointing, even more so than with a rifle. Wish me luck!

The last two weekends. This is our slowest year in a long time. We only have 18 at this point. Last year by now we had 50. We have busted our butts off this year. Long days, lots of miles. Hard work pays off. Guess that takes a while to happen.

More people is my main thought. I think people were just out too early and pushed the bulls out of areas. We went to an area we had some good luck in last year, and found people tracks in a place in a rough area that's not easy to get to.

Sweet!!!

Had a good day out hiking today, found a few, one really good one, and a first of three together.

Second pic, the big deer shed

We saw quite a few bulls today packing their headgear. Saw probably one bull that didn't have sheds,t he other few bulls we saw that were of good quality were still packing. Strangely enough, saw 4 bucks that had fully shed, one buck that only had one side, and one buck that had both sides. Deer in my parts usually don't shed until late April, elk usually start dropping in the beginning of March, it's totally backwards this year.

Found this guy last Sunday, my only sheds for this year though. Sheds are rare for me this year as well.

After many weeks, I have finally found my first sheds of 2016, and they are a nice set of brown elk sheds!! They were about 400yds apart, and score right around 330"

What's the reason you shed hunt? For fun, for the money? I know there is a lot of money in shed hunting, but, I do it for fun. I've sold a few, but I like the antlers I've found. A lot has gone into what we've found. If I sold the antlers in my room, I would probably have a few thousand at least, probably more, but I'm not in it for the money, I do it cause I enjoy it. People think I'm crazy since I'm not in it for the money, but I really don't care, the money isn't why I enjoy it. So, what's your reason for shed hunting?

I want sheds to be worthless in price again. I loved it when there weren't so many people. I still love it, but so many people are making it harder. Last shed season, we went to a good spot of ours, and this guy with horses followed us in there, raced us up the ridge, and down. I crossed a snow bank up to my waist cause he was just up the ridge from me. If I had crossed him, my words wouldn't have been pleasant towards him or his buddy.

Getting out and just hiking the mountains is an amazing part of it. Hope you enjoy that trip when you do it.

Thanks, unit 37 is a tough unit, anything up high is thick, thick hunting, and down low is hot, but more open. I have a friend helping me tomorrow morning.