Ollin Magnetic Digiscoping System

Shed hunting article advice.

antlerradar

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 23, 2012
Messages
3,794
Location
SE Montana
A regional editor of John Deere contacted me about an article on shed hunting and my antler collection for a company publication. Any input from the Hunt Talk brain trust would be welcome.
Thanks
 
It's people like you that ruin it for everyone. I've been shed hunting for over 50 years a for the first thirty years I had no competition, I could go out any time and find sheds everywhere. Then people started writing articles about shed hunting and now every one and his brother is out there snatching up all the antlers. They're out there on ATV's cause they're to lazy to walk. Got dogs running around cause they're to blind to find them and generally they are just cluttering up the forest with people. And while I'm at it... STAY OF MY LAWN!;)
 
gee G(R)OUCH... great help on the editing, got any input on the content????
 
Since its for John Deere, maybe include some info on how much money and time is lost when an antler goes through a tractor tire. I've seen it more than once.
 
I would include a section on how it used to be, make sure to include that the price was very low, and people weren't infatuated with big animals and scouting year round. Shed hunt went downhill long before the internet.

Glad I can still go and only pack out the ones I want, and leave most.

Also would include a section on how the tropy whitetail and elk antler market dried up due to farming them. They uses ro be big money, now they barely sell above poundage.

Maybe include the market, from "vitamins", to western decor, to dog chews. What's going to drive the next market boom? Collecting because no animals are left?
 
gee G(R)OUCH... great help on the editing, got any input on the content????
It's a lot easier to be a smart ass than to actually try to be helpful but I'll try. In my comment I attempted to interject a little humor but it is how I really feel, selfish as it may be. As time goes on more and more of my favorite pasts times are being loved to death by a gain in popularity. I blame the information revolution. OK, you can talk about how it is an excuse to get out into the wild at a time of year when not much else is going on out there. You can talk about the little bit of excitement you get and the feeling of accomplishment at the sight of the antler on the ground. You may have to harken back to being a five year old on an Easter egg hunt. This is of course lost when using dogs but I imagine that has its own rewards. You could go into the different attitudes toward the antlers themselves. I admire them for a bit then put them in the shed and when the pile gets big I sell them. Some collect them for no other reason but to sell them and make a little extra cash. Some just like to collect and have them. I know a guy who has a pile seven feet high. That is all he does with them, throw them on the pile. Some more talented people make things out of them I do a little of this and the guy I used to sell them to ran a business doing just that. Some of the best mounts I have seen are from sheds rather then animals someone actually shot. Some weird ones too like jackalopes and the one set of six point elk antlers mounted on the head of a cow elk. It really looks kinda sick. You have to mention the increasing regulations on the hobby and the unintentional environmental impacts caused by the hobby that leads to those regulations. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Forest Service and BLM to start requiring permits some time soon. You could go all instructional and talk about just how to go about finding the antlers. I've been told that fence lines are a good place to look. Even though the biggest elk antler I have ever found was in a fence line I haven't had much luck there. Feeding and bedding areas have always been my go to places. Of course if it's John Deere I guess you will have to say that their ATVs and UTVS are the best tools for the job. gotta keep the boss happy.
 
Not sure you can gather much advice that's gonna trump your own knowledge. I think your stories and history are more than adequate for an article. Excited to see how it turns out, do share.
 
I did think about just saying no for the reasons gouch has given. Timmy is right, The popularity train of shed hunting has long ago left the station. Lots of good suggestions on what to talk about and I definitely want to hit on ethics. and no I will not be promoting looking for antlers form an ATV. ATV's work good for getting you down two track road and zipping around a crop field but after that there usefulness in shed hunting is limited at best in my opinion. It is hard to say what the writer will think is important and what will get left on the editing table.
 
I need to dig through my photo files and put up a slide show of what DBs do when there are road closure and season closure rules that no one will enforce even when the popo is called. Damn I love shed hunting.
 
The writer stopped by a few days ago for an intervene and photo shoot. She took lots of pictures. I hit on most of the ideas that were mentioned, but she is looking more for stories about antlers and what got me into collecting and less interested in a how to/ where to article. I will get to see the story in advance but not sure how much I will be able to add. She has a six page photo article space reserved for some time in 2021. It is possible that her editor could reject the story but very unlikely.
 
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