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Jackson Antler Hunt?

Magnum Sherpa

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Joined
Oct 8, 2015
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Location
Missoula, MT
With elk and deer seasons starting to wind down for me, I am thinking ahead to shed hunting this spring. I was planning to go to Jackson, WY for the shed season opener on May 1st. If anyone has ever been there for the shed opener on the national forest adjacent to the National Elk Refuge, I wanted your input on which trailhead (Curtis Canyon or Flat Creek) you prefer? I did some hiking in Curtis Canyon this summer and it looked like good country. From what I have read, it seems that Flat Creek is the more popular spot, especially with people on horseback.
 
I know a few guys that spent a few yeArs down there trying before they really put together some good horn hunts. I think if you've got the time to make it a yearly thing it could be worth it. First few years were tough for them
 
Here's an update after going up to Jackson this week:
The first day (May 1) was definitely a shed hunting rodeo. The Refuge estimated that there were 200 vehicles parked at the 2 trailheads to the national forest. It felt more like an Easter egg hunt than anything else. At one point my brother and I were 2 miles back from the Refuge boundary and we counted 9 other guys and a dog on the same hillside we were on. Due to the heavy snowfall this year, it seemed like the majority of the antlers were in a narrow band right up against the Refuge boundary and got picked very early. We ended up with 4 antlers the first day, but all were pretty small (biggest was a 5 point).
The next 2 days we hit the areas surrounding two of the area feedgrounds. They must have been hit very hard on opening day, because no matter where we went we couldn't find an area without boot tracks or horse tracks. Despite not finding many antlers, it was still a great time with my brother. We saw a ton of wildlife, including a grizzly on the drive home.
Here is one of the antlers we found.IMG_0245.jpg
 
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How close was the griz?

25 yards. This picture was just taken with an IPhone with no other magnification. We were in my truck on the side of the road and he just came walking down the hillside and crossed right in front of us. Very cool to see from the safety of the truck. Wouldn't be so cool if we were standing next to him.
 
Awesome encounter with the Grizz! That would have made my trip on its own.

I was there too for the antler hunt and found just two antlers, both in the dark on the first day.
 
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