Emergency Closure for shed hunting

Isuckathunting said:

I can see the HUSH video now, "FOUND A MASSIVE ELK SET WHILE PLINKING SQUIRRELS"

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Hope so! Love it when people self incriminate. Like the TinesUp dude that posted a video of a giant dead head he kept while out shed hunting and posted on Facebook.... Didn't take long to get that one removed.

Seriously though, how is DWR going to enforce this with so few COs? It's literally up to everyone else to report violations and then hope something actually comes of it.

backcountry said:

Good news is BLM & USFS can also help. Maybe even some municipalities will get wise given how important hunting is to our communities and state.

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Yeah I think it's helpful in certain parts of the state. I periodically see a BLM rep, but rarely see a USFS ranger. Maybe they'll be more proactive in catching people "poaching" the sheds than they are citing peoples trailers that stay in one spot on National Forest land all summer long.

Even though this video is 3-years old, Ricky the shed rescuer does bring up some very valid points. After mulling this order over for the past few hours, I think a statewide ban is ridiculous! As RA said, if you ban this, then you ought to be banning the spring turkey hunt, hikers, skiers, snowmobilers, bunny hunters, etc... Harassing wildlife is already illegal as he mentions. I actually don't mind the orders in parts of the state where the winter grounds have gone away thanks to development. Interesting points.

PBH said:

Again -- I think there is more to this story. What prompted the DWR to do this, this fast, with little input and time for doing it right? Who's pulling the strings here??

I'm not a shed hunter - so I don't really care if the season start date is delayed. My fear is what's happening behind the curtains. I think there's more to it than just sheds.




Yep. It makes me wonder....

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I agree with your assessment. I don't mind the closure but I think it could have been better thought out. Take Wyoming for example, I can go shed hunt most of Wyoming right now. Just not the southwest part of the state. I think a statewide closure is ridiculous personally. I think there's parts of the state that ought to be closed to shed hunting, locating, gathering, whatever. But I can go out to the west desert and there's not much snow at all if any. I love to get out in late February, March, and April and hike the desert hills. Periodically I come across a shed. Nothing says I can't still go hike, but just can't gather a shed. Like others have said, it would be hard to prosecute someone for "locating" a shed while out hiking. But there's not a hike I go on where I don't have a small pack, and my binoculars.

johnnycake said:

Unfortunately I would wager few, if any, COs will focus personnel on this at all without reports from the public

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DWR is already spread pretty thin. In talking to a friend of mine that is a CO, he basically told me that he doesn't even have the time to start putting any focus on this. That said, he did ask me to let him know if I see anyone out shed hunting.... It'll be totally reliant on the general public. But my guess is shed hunters won't be self reporting other shed hunters.