In a change of course, Utah wildlife officials said Thursday they do not expect to impose further blanket bans on winter-time antler gathering, an outdoor activity that is soaring in popularity.
The Division of Wildlife Resources has been concerned that increasing numbers of antler hunters could multiply the stresses faced by wintering mule deer, elk and moose, prompting a controversial closure last year that upset many enthusiasts and may have pushed some into Nevada.
When deep snows forced emergency deer feeding last winter, then-director Greg Sheehan shut down the entire state to antler gathering prior to April 1, when the arrival of spring allows big game to move to higher terrain. Sheehan cautioned that the restriction could become permanent, but at Thursday’s Wildlife Board meeting, officials said smaller, more “surgical” closures would be a better way to balance the needs of big game and a popular recreational activity.
“There is a financial market [for shed elk antlers], but it’s an activity that gets families out and kids interested in wildlife before they are old enough to hunt,” DWR big game coordinator Covey Jones told the board. “We want people to participate in this activity, but we want them to do it ethically, without adding more stress. We are not looking to punish guys out there trying to enjoy the outdoors.”
Jones said he now favors targeted closures when and where conditions warrant, instead of the all-out ban imposed last winter that many feared would become permanent.
He favors targeted closures when and where conditions warrant, instead of the blanket ban imposed last winter and many feared would become permanent.
“Rights were being stepped on,” said Paul Fife, a Cedar City resident who has gathered antlers for 30 years. Shed hunting “gets kids off the couch and helps correct the obesity problem. It’s not about the money. This is for the sheer enjoyment of it.”
Fife said he was relieved by DWR’s new direction, but still doubts the agency has the authority to bar shed hunters from public land in the first place. Fife contends last winter’s edict did little to protect deer in many places and ensured that thousands of antler hunters crowded the field simultaneously when April 1 passed.
Fife said he would accept targeted closures as long they also applied to hunters of cougar, cow elk and turkey and others who venture into winter range at the same time as shed hunters.
“It’s the parity I’m looking for here,” Fife said. “You need to make it fair and a consistent ban across the board for everybody.”
Mule deer begin dropping their bony headgear in February, while elk lose theirs a little later. Those who intend to gather these antlers between Jan. 31 and April 15 must complete an on-line course every year and carry proof of certification when in the field. The course explains the stresses endured by big game, winter survival rates and the rules for gathering antlers. Since the program’s launch in 2012, the number of people certifying each year has nearly doubled to 19,000.
Last winter’s severe conditions, which more than doubled mortality rates, brought the antler issue to the fore. Deep snow and harsh weather killed 90 percent of the fawns in many northwestern districts, according to Jones. In addition, one-fourth of the adults failed to survive winter in Summit, Rich, Cache and Box Elder counties.
After the ban was enacted, conservation officers wrote 125 citations to people gathering antlers prior to April 1.
By way of example, Wyatt Herbaugh, an avid 20-year-old antler gatherer from Cedar City, was among those busted after he was caught with some of the biggest deer antler he has ever found in Shirts Canyon. He was found guilty of taking protected wildlife, a class B misdemeanor, and a big game infraction, earning him a $480 fine.
But many wondered if this crackdown accomplished much since citations like Herbaugh’s were written in areas where conditions were mild.
Sheehan imposed the ban statewide, reasoning that a targeted ban in the snow-struck north would flood winter range in the rest of the state with displaced antler hunters. He has since moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as acting head for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and has been succeeded by long-time senior-level DWR manager Mike Fowlks.
Complicating the antler-gathering picture in Utah are various policies in neighboring states.
Idaho and Nevada do not regulate antler gathering at all, while Wyoming bans winter-time gathering west of the Continental Division on public lands, according to Utah DWR’s wildlife section chief Justin Shannon. Colorado bans it in the Gunnison Basin and is considering expanding that to public land west of Interstate 25.
“We are in the middle of that pendulum, every state has their own pressures,” Shannon said. “We advocate if you are going to do it, do it responsibly.”