May 1st is a day that most shed hunters consider one of the greatest times to get out, put some miles on the boots and look for shed antlers. May 1st is the opener for antler gathering that allows shed hunters from all over to go out to places like Wyoming, Colorado and Nevada in search of the perfect antler or matched set to start or add to their collection.
To me, it’s kind of like Christmas, a day that I look forward to all year, to see what kind of presents the Mule Deer and elk have left behind for me to find. Just an overall excitement to get out, enjoy the outdoors, get in shape for the upcoming hunts and possibly pick up something unique to add to my collection.
Our trip this year started with lots of scouting through the winter to pattern the deer, so we knew where to hike to find some antlers. Three friends Ben Blakeley, Colten Voigt @apex_outdoorsmen and Jace Wilson @_jace15wilson_ planned our trip to Wyoming. The goal was not to come home empty handed!
I grabbed my Sure Can to feed our machines, gathered our gear and hit the road for Wyoming. We arrived April 30th 2018 around 7:30 pm. Ben and I decided to not set up the tent so we set the cots up and slept under the stars “Which was a terrible idea, we froze our butts off”. Colten and Jace were the smart ones because they slept in their truck. Ben and I spent a long cold night sleeping under the stars, not getting much sleep due to the high amounts of vehicle traffic coming into the canyon to start the shed hunting at midnight.
Our alarm clocks were set so we went to bed and woke up at 5am. We ate breakfast and hit the hills. We ended up hiking from sun up to sun down. By the end of the first day we tracked 16.9 miles for the day and met some people that were friendly and successful in finding some great antlers! At the end of the day we had some sweet farmer’s tans, sore legs, blisters and some dehydration. Words of advice “Always wear sunblock, protective clothing, stay hydrated to protect you from the elements, and most importantly use tick repellent”!
As a team we were able to find 25 antlers and 1 dead head buck that had shed 1 antler before passing away. “I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the outdoors with friends and family, be respectful of others, and make new friends. That is what life is all about. Get out do the things that you’re passionate about and enjoy the time that we have in this life. Share your adventures with others and hope it inspires someone.
Thanks for following my adventures. My name is Christopher Kehoe, through Instagram you can follow my adventures @packnracks.
It all began with Sure Can!
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