This time of year, shed hunters get excited about hitting the hills looking for antlers dropped by Idaho’s big game animals. However, it is important to remember that those who are not legal Idaho residents are now required to purchase a nonresident Idaho license for hunting big game in order to legally pick-up antlers in Idaho. This new rule went into effect on July 1, 2024.
According to Idaho code 36-508, “A nonresident collecting, possessing, or transporting antlers or horns shed from deer, elk, moose, or pronghorn in this state shall be required to first procure a license entitling the nonresident to hunt big game.” However, this license requirement does not apply to nonresidents under 12 years of age provided they are accompanied in the field by a nonresident who is the holder of a valid Idaho hunting license for big game or a resident.
Why this new rule? The intent is to protect wintering wildlife by reducing overcrowding on the hill among shed hunters, especially during those occasions when neighboring states enact their own shed hunt closures. When neighboring states have an emergency closure, that action can often drive shed hunters to other states like Idaho where shed hunting may still be open, as was the case during the severe winter of 2022/2023. An influx of extra people on the landscape can make wintering wildlife even more vulnerable to increased disturbance—and that’s true even during an average winter.
Didn’t Idaho recently ban shed hunting during winter and early spring? Not exactly. In 2023, the Idaho State Legislature gave the Idaho Fish and Game Commission the authority to set emergency shed hunting closures as needed. With significant public support, the Commission temporarily closed shed hunting in Idaho’s Southeast and Upper Snake Regions from Jan. 1 through April 14 in 2024. This was to help reduce stress on wintering big game and help eastern Idaho mule deer herds recover following the harsh winter of 2022/2023.
However, this action did not necessarily mean that Idaho would see shed hunting closures like that every year. The Commission agreed to take each year on a case-by-case basis and would address emergency closures based on input from Idaho Fish and Game and the public. For 2025, no shed hunting closure has been proposed for any part of the state because of the generally mild winter conditions Idaho is experiencing.
Why regulate shed hunting when there are so many other outdoor activities happening this time of year? It is true that any human activity on the landscape that disturbs wintering big game can be an issue, especially in the late winter and spring when an animal’s fat reserves are depleting. That’s why Idaho Fish and Game always encourages every outdoor recreationist to reduce wildlife disturbance by giving animals their space.
However, shed hunting by definition is a wildlife-focused activity that can actually drive people toward vulnerable big game, and it is an activity Idaho Fish and Game can regulate as necessary depending on winter severity and animal body conditions.
If you know a nonresident who enjoys shed hunting in Idaho, please remind them of the new license requirement. And, please be sure to check Idaho Fish and Game’s website and social media channels for information about future antler gathering closures.