Shed huntin'? No, we hadn't heard of it either. But according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, every May 1st, the Forest Service lifts a closure on winter wildlife ranges, and on the same day Wyoming officials lift the moratorium on antler hunting West of the Continental Divide, and shed hunting season for the fallen Elk antlers is on. But this ain't no lazy man's affair: nearly 100 people dashed through the still-freezing waters of the Gros Ventre River at midnight during a blinding snowstorm and tromped for up to 9 hours through knee to waist-deep snow in Bridger-Teton National Forest looking for antlers that were still mostly buried in the snow. Most came out with at most one or two antlers for their graveyard shift effort, with one participant complaining that the snow, augmented by the night's 4-6 inch dump, was so deep "You about had to step on them to find them." Compelling? shed hunt season is officially open, and with most of the goods buried in the snow, the upcoming weeks will still yield plenty of antlers as the snow melts. We think we'll go mountain biking instead, though...
· 3,2,1... shed hunt [Jackson Hole News & Guide]