Shed Hunting Sun River, Montana: Wildlife Management Area

Having read an introductory piece on shed hunting, I thought it only natural to do a follow-up.

I haven't actually been shed hunting on the Sun River WMA in many years.  May 15th usually finds me in a different and far more remote area of Montana on that particular day.  I'm usually carrying my bow or a rifle and looking for a spring bear, a shed antler or two, and enjoying the solitude of not running into people at every corner.

The forecast for the 15th called for rain...lots of rain!  I know my way around the game range pretty well, and I honestly didn't think many people would brave the nasty weather, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  I was out of town before 5 am and the rain and fog started about half way to Augusta.

Shed Hunting in Sun River, America: The Pre-Game

My first stop was the east entrance, although it was not my final destination.  The first 20 or so vehicles in line at the gate were empty and had been staged days or maybe even a week earlier, to save one's position at the front of the line.  Past the empty vehicles were the die-hard shed hunters.  Some slept in their vehicles, some in campers or horse trailers.  Others were in tents of varying sizes, and there was also a good sized wall tent.

Blue port-a-potties were spaced every so often, up and down the road.  There were quite a few people already up and walking about, and most appeared pretty well soaked.  But for every one that looked miserable, the next two were smiling and laughing.  There were a few token fires, with people around them attempting to stay warm.

Vehicles were pulled off on the shoulder of the road, with a many stuck in the barrow pit.  Those pulling horse or ATV trailers looked to be in the worst shape.  But everywhere you looked, there was one common theme: elk.

Elk on personalized vanity license plates, elk decals on rear windows, elk used in business names on the sides of trucks, and elk antler decals on horse trailers.  My truck was no different.

I took a few pictures and headed to the North West corner of the range.

Trailhead and Shed Hunts: Low-vis and Rain

When I arrived at the trailhead, I was the first one there.  A few trucks were parked by the cabins and there were horses corralled out back, but I felt pretty good in my decision to leave the main crowd behind.

I changed into my Kenetrek boots and gaiters, donned my raingear, grabbed my .44 Mag and my Badlands backpack, and headed up the mountain in a steady drizzle.

We've got a wide range of backpacks, and Frogg Togg Rain gear to help you get out and explore more.

With four and half hours until noon, and the opening of the game range, my thought was to look for a bear while I hiked toward the north end of Sawtooth Ridge.  Visibility at the truck was not the best, and as I gained elevation, it became steadily worse.  The possibility of glassing for a bear became almost impossible due to the rain and low cloud cover.

Using GPS and setting out looking for Sheds

As the crow flies, it is only about a 2.5 miles from the trailhead to the pass on the north side of Sawtooth Ridge, with approximately 1,600 feet in elevation gain.  According to my Garmin GPS, my zigzagged route up the mountain was closer to 3.5 miles.  I did cover more ground than I needed to, in an attempt to glass into Home Gulch and the open mountainsides for a bear.

Finally around 11 am, I reached the pass and entrance to the game range, where I was going to wait until noon.  It was still raining, but now the wind was blowing as well.  Visibility was no more than 50 yards, and the occasional gusts of sleet stung at my face.

I hunkered down behind a small pine tree for what little protection it could offer.

I sat there thinking that my efforts would pay off; that I was both smart for putting myself in this location, and an idiot for being out in this weather.  That's when I heard voices...ahead of me!  Misery loves company, so I headed in their direction.

In the aspen grove ahead of me and on the side of the mountain, were two young men from Great Falls.  They had hiked up Home Gulch from the campground below.  Both were soaked and cold.  We retreated from the wind to the cover of some rocks.  There we talked about antlers, elk hunting, and the pistols we each carried.

That's when we heard more voices coming up from behind us.  In all, eight more guys showed up behind the three of us.  Everyone had been in a pair, except for me, as I ventured out alone, as I often do.

Conversations were short and usually just between the guys that had hiked up together.  We were all anxiously watching our GPS's and cell phones, counting down the minutes.  With no warden present, it was up to our own integrity to wait until noon to enter the game range.  And, at the unanimous strike of 12:00 noon, the dash for elk antlers was on!

Making a Run for the Opening: Sun River WMA Shed Hunting

A few guys attempted to sprint down the mountainside, with one making a rather painful looking face plant in the slick mud and rocks.  He jumped back up and was quickly lost in the fog.  Our group of 11 immediately fanned out as we searched for sheds.

Within a couple of minutes, I could faintly see only one other person, then he too disappeared.  I maintained my slow, safe, and steady pace down the muddy and rocky mountainside, scanning left and right for antlers.

As I descended the mountain, visibility increased.  After about a half mile, I could see a couple hundred yards.  I'd stop and look over an area, then proceed farther down the mountain.  It was doing this that I found my only elk antler, laying tine up in the grass, about 50 yards away--a small 5-point.  I stopped for a quick break and took my backpack off.  I ate some jerky, took a drink of hot cocoa from my Hydroflask, and snapped a few pictures.

At this point, I could hear vehicles on the road below me.  Horses were whinnying out of sight and I could hear the occasional "hoot" from someone that had just found an antler.  With the crowd headed my way, and an antler for my pack, I decided to make my way back to my truck.  Along the way, I saw a few people with elk antlers--not many, but a few.  One guy on horseback had a nice 6-point matched set.

I heard black bear cubs crying; they had scampered up a tree when two horsemen passed.  The guys riding the horses said the sow wasn't that far away, so I changed my course to give her plenty of room to rejoin her cubs.  Later, while talking to two guys on foot, we watched as a black bear ran across the far side of the field we were in.

You can order bear spray from us online here.

Family Fun on Opening Day for Shed Hunting

I didn't see any elk, just the numerous droppings and tracks that they had left behind.  I saw a group of women on horseback, enjoying each other's company and a flask.  I also saw a grandfather with, I'm guessing, his three grandsons.  One of the boys was carrying a 6-point antler and he told the other three, "My elk shed is bigger than his."  All of these encounters made me smile.

Here's an article on the top 10 things you need to know to be successful when hunting for sheds.

When I arrived at the trailhead, I had friends waiting for me.  They had not found any antlers on their hike, and had only seen one antler come out of this trail, prior to the one I carried.

While we stood around talking, many more people came out empty handed.  I felt fortunate to have at least found one shed, and to not have been skunked

While it wasn't my best day at the Sun River WMA, it wasn't my worst either.  Next year will most likely find me in my regular spot, but you never know...it's a year away! Still have questions? Use the form below and ask us! We'll work to get back to you within 24-hours.