Father's Day in the Northwest: Things to Do
First Family Activity this Father's Day? Prairie Dog Hunting.
Last month I took my daughter, Lauren, out to our friend's ranch to shoot prairie dogs. The morning started off perfect with a few clouds and very little wind. She was shooting my new Savage 17 HMR, while I was alternating between my .223 and .22-250; we were racking up the kills between the two of us.
Early in the afternoon, the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up, which was creating problems with the light bullets, and also sending the prairie dogs for the cover of their holes. So we decided to take my chocolate lab, Justice, for a walk up the mountain and look for a few "shed" elk antlers.
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We left the truck in the prairie dog town and headed toward the base of the mountains, which is typically a good transition area for elk (and elk antlers) in the spring, between their wintering grounds and their summer and fall home ranges.
With the forecast calling for evening showers, it was going to have to be a fast hike of about 3-4 miles, and then head back down to the valley below before the road became impassable.
Things to do on Father's Day: Shed Hunting
We were separated by about 200-300 yards while we were hiking (to cover more ground) when Lauren found the first elk shed. Shortly after that, I saw two elk antlers a couple of hundred yards ahead of me. I looked across the creek for Lauren, and saw that she was glassing the same antlers with her binoculars. When she looked at me, the race was on.
This is a beginner's guide to shed hunting if it sounds like something you're interested in--
She crossed the creek and ran towards the sheds like a bear was on her heels. Having found more deer and elk sheds over the years than I can remember, and not as eager to continue the sprint, I slowed back to my hiking pace and watched as she picked up the sheds, her first matched set ever.
She was so excited, she even insisted on carrying all the sheds we had found that day. We continued on for a little while longer, finding a few more sheds, and only stopping long enough to take a few pictures.
With the clouds becoming continually darker, we turned around and headed back toward the truck.
As we were leaving the ranch, I suggested that we stop and hike one more small timbered ridge where I have found sheds in years past. Lauren agreed, and about half way down the ridge, I spotted an elk shed through the timber and walked over and picked it up. It was a nice 6-point, so we decided to try to look for the other side.
I hadn't gone 20 yards when I found a whitetail dead-head in some downed timber above the creek, so we stopped and talked about how long we thought it had been laying there, and wondered if it had died due to the EHD that hit the area two years prior.
We continued looking for the 6-point elk match without success for about 15 minutes, but stopped when a light rain started. Having had good luck up to that point, we called it quits and headed home.
Quick Tips on Shed Hunting this Father's Day
Overall, it was a great day spent with my daughter, and the fact that we found quite a few sheds in less than three hours, was icing on the cake!
I've been picking up sheds and shed hunting since I was a kid, and even though I sometimes find shed antlers in new or odd places, there are definitely certain locations you can look to increase your odds of finding them.
I like to hike south facing slopes and the timbered ridges above them, travel corridors, secluded valleys that provide green grass and water, and even fence lines and fence crossings can be productive when looking for shed antlers in the spring.
Using binoculars when shed hunting is a must and can mean the difference between finding sheds, or going home empty handed... so, glass, glass, glass!
Wondering how to choose binoculars?
Looking behind you regularly gives you a different perspective of the area you just walked through, and many times you'll find one that you had previously missed. Also, when you do find a decent sized elk antler, the other antler is often not very far away...take some extra time and thoroughly search the area and you might be rewarded with a matched set.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has a good article on shed hunting WMA's, and if in doubt, contact your nearest Regional Headquarters or check online for dates and times.
Good luck this Father's Day, don't forget to take pictures, and most importantly, be safe and have fun! Maybe I'll see you out there!
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