With April halfway over, now is the time to get out in the field and find some artifacts left behind from all those bulls you heard last fall but never had the opportunity to lay your eyes on. By this time, many elk have dropped their headgear in order to start the growing process once again. With the snow line receding and the hillsides turning green you can get to some nice vantage points without having to do too much hiking and glass away. Finding those large light tan bodies on the open hillsides in the morning and evening will allow you to get a game plan together on how you want to get to the area and start combing for sheds.

Shed hunting is also a good measure of where you are at in your conditioning as well, letting you know how hard you’re going to have to train over the following months to allow you get into that favorite elk hideaway this fall. If you are planning on a purchasing a new set of boots for this next hunting season, do it now. This gives you the opportunity to get them on your feet and get a few miles on them to get them broken in.

I also find the shed hunting is a good time to bring the kids with me to give them the experience of hiking the hillsides that aren’t as riddled with downfall and obstacles that they might find come elk hunting season.

Make it fun, pack you bows with your favorite small game tips and try making a dent in the rodent populations. If not your bow, think about packing the video camera and practice getting used to the camera if you plan on getting footage this season. Take your camera and capture your experience…we’ll put some pics of your finds and the wildlife you see in the photo gallery!