Image: shed_elk_hunter

If you’re a nonresident planning to shed hunt in New Mexico, keep tabs on the regulations, as they could soon be changing. Photo by Darron McDougal.

If you browse social media newsfeeds or visit public parcels in spring, you know that shed antler hunting has seemingly spun out of control, prompting some states to enact seasons and public-land access permits. Now, New Mexico has become the latest state seeking to regulate the activity.

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The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has announced that it will hold two public meetings this month to discuss a proposed new shed hunting license, which would cost $200 and be mandatory for nonresidents. The first will be held July 17 in Albuquerque, and the second will be held July 24 in Las Cruces. You can attend in person or join online to provide feedback.

Previously, people hunted sheds in spring to get a jump on scouting, but shed hunting has now become a mainstream hobby and even big business. Whether folks are looking for sheds to sell or to be the first to post a shed selfie to Facebook or Instagram, shed hunting has become alarmingly competitive. Two accounts I’ve heard first-hand involve family members being divided about shed hunting spots, and a social media figure buying an antler online, and then posting a picture of it to social media and claiming they had found it. It’s nuts.

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State legislators are aware of the shed hunting demand and associated concerns. Public-land crowding is becoming an increasing issue. More importantly, unregulated, unbridled shed hunting imposes undue pressure on wildlife when animals are most prone to stress-related mortality. Perhaps that’s why New Mexico’s Department of Game and Fish is pushing for this new shed hunting license requirement.

During a New Mexico State Game Commission meeting June 13, Col. Tim Cimbal said the state would not create a specified shed hunting season, but the license would have a valid duration, similar to how fishing licenses work. He also said the license would not apply to nonresidents who would pick up two or fewer sheds, which would allow nonresidents visiting family or simply recreating to pick up a shed if they stumble across one without spending $200, because they aren’t picking up as many as possible to sell for profit. Conversely, nonresidents with more than two shed antlers in possession who don’t hold a license could go to court or settle for a $125 citation and purchase the $200 license, for a total fine of $325.

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For information on the upcoming public meetings or to register to attend them virtually, click here. If you’re unable to attend the meetings but would like your comments to be considered, you can submit them to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Attn: Non-Resident Shed Hunter License, 1 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, NM, 87507; or email them to [email protected].