While getting a prescription in the drugstore today I glanced at Deer&Deer Hunting mag.A front cover blurb read B&C trophy for $250. Apparently too many people have way toooooooo much money.The story is about paying outfitters money to go on shed hunts to look for B&C antlers that have been shed. Where does the insanity stop? Ever wonder why you keep reading hunter numbers aren't keeping pace with the ones dropping out? And here in Mich no one wants to pay for a license increase desperately needed to keep the DNR running.Pretty sad state of affairs when someone will pay money for a shed hunt but we're facing huge cuts to our state resources because a $15 deer license is considered too expensive and shouldn't be increased. I think it was just last week our DNR arrested a poaching ring shooting deer basically for fun,now we may have even fewer officers if the increase isn't passed. Pathetic.

There is an outfitter approx 15 miles from my place that has been selling shed hunts for a few years.
Some people just have to have the big rack whether they killed the deer or not.

I agree with you totally jon. For some reason the newer gereration of hunters seem to want to get that instant gratification..no matter how it happens. There has always been a high market for B&C sized critters, especially if they haven't been entered in the book. But this is getting ridiculous with folks paying othere just to go out and find sheds.

I am not a "newer generation" hunter, but I really do not see anything that wrong with paying if you want to. The whole key to this is finding a B&C shed. Not sure how they can do this unless it is a HF Ranch, but I would love to have a set of 170" or up sheds.. I sure as h@ll will not find them around my place. I only want them for my personal collection. I would not pay to do it, but I can see the attraction. Although, I could see paying a property owner in elk country to let me hunt elk sheds! We dont have elk around here, so finding some elk sheds would be really cool...

I'd pay, with the luck im having this year

They trying to get the almighty dollar anyway they can now days

That is DIRT cheap, we pay around $50 to hunt deer using bow/shotgun/bp. That doesn't include waterfowl hunting and if your lucky enough to shoot two bucks per weapon that's extra too, and that's the in-state resident cost. Folks should price shop a little before saying it cost too much

Actually.. now that I think about it. I have been paying a few grand over the past few years to just hunt sheds!! I damn sure have not been killing anything...

IMO it all depends on what they do with the antlers because theres an outfitter near me and every spring they go out and collect the sheds and he said that he sells them to a couple of guys who make stuff out of them(like chandeliers or lamps im guessing) which seems ok with me but i definitely agree with you guys about buying a b&c sized rack just for the books

What exactly does that mean???? You cant enter sheds into the book. At least I dont see how you would be able too. A nice set of B&C sheds would just be a personal trophy for me. But, seriously, what are the odds of finding a B&C set of sheds. Not very high. Especially a matching set...

Actually my rant was aimed more at hunters not supporting the state Department of Natural Resources. It seems most states have decimated the budgets of the DNR's by taking away the general tax dollars collected and telling them to do more with less. Seeing as how hunters are still a minority in state populations they aren't always going to agree with fee and license increases, and don't have the electoral clout to get money from the general fund. In the meantime, our public lands (which is the real management source for game) are suffering. As a rancher would tell you he manages the grass, it's up to the cowboys to move the cattle to keep the habitat healthy per the ranchers instructions. Also with less money we have fewer officers to try and stem the poachers because the budget isn't there and cuts have to be made. So, someone goes out and spends $250 to hunt sheds and won't agree to pay $10 - $15 more for a hunting license. That is pathetic. Hunting is more expensive, but unless we continue to get growth what happens to a sport we'd all like to pass on to the next generation? It's not a need to go on a big time out of state guided hunt, but our state lands need to cared for. Captiveone (Pete Squibb) worked for us here in Michigan for years and he could probably tell you this better than I possible could. So don't take the original as a beef against capitalism, when it gets too expensive to hunt game or sheds prices will fall, but we need to keep our lands in good shape. An license increase of prevention is worth many years of land restoration.

I didnt mean to enter them into the books. sorry for the confusion. I just meant I dont see why anyone would pay for a rack just because its big enough to make the books (if it was on the deer). And coondog i totally agree with you, if i found a set of b&c sheds, they would definitely be a trophy for me too but im just saying i dont get what the sense is in buying them..but thats just me because i dont think it would give me a sense of personal satisfaction.

Jon, i agree with you. this was also brought up in the michigan forum a little while back and i see nothing bad from what facts ive read on where the extra money is going...which is pretty much back into our public land.

I gotcha.. I guess what I am saying is that to me it is just like paying a trespassing fee. I would not pay it for a one day look around. But, I might pay that much for the rights to really scour the place for a while. But only if I knew the place held deer that big. Again, the only way I can see guaranteeing a B&C shed would be a high fence facility...

Just look on Ebay for what sheds are bringing in . If I wanted big sheds I would rather find them then buy them on cyberspace .

What the.... I hadn't even thought of people selling them on ebay. There's a 166 incher with screwholes in them and faded by the sun going for $270!

Yea, I just seen a set of B&C 247" sheds go for $5,000! Let's see, a $250 investment for a $5000 return! Kind of crazy if you ask me! Antlers don't quite seem the same to me if you don't kill it or at least find them yourself!

a guy just got arrested here in jersey for selling antlers

IT NEVER ENDS !!!!!!!!

I bought a set on ebay last year before I found out it was illegal.... 10 point set 70 class only 20 dollars

i don't think it's illegal to buy horns on ebay.....i don't think???


as far as paying to find B&C sheds and not wanting to pay increased hunting license; it's a catch 22. i hunted in georgia and payed increase fees to hunt WMA's but the only thing i saw the money go to was increasing the fishing. that made no sense to me but i paid the increased WMA fees every year . it maybe that the people who pay to hunt sheds don't feel that the increase in license are going to the right thing. i'm not defending them or slaming them, this is just food for thought i guess.

$450 for ONE antler

http://cgi.ebay.com/GIANT-90-WHITETAIL-DEE...1QQcmdZViewItem

Ive gotta get up north and start shed hunting..might even quit my job if i get lucky