{ "meta": { "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, "states": [ { "slug": "idaho", "abbr": "ID", "name": "Idaho", "agency": "Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG)", "headline": "Nonresidents need an Idaho big game hunting license to pick up sheds. Winter closures are decided year by year.", "summary": "No resident license requirement for gathering naturally shed antlers appears in Idaho's rules. Nonresidents must hold a valid Idaho big game hunting license before collecting, possessing, or transporting sheds (Idaho Code 36-508, effective July 1, 2024). Since 2023, the Fish and Game Commission has had authority to close public land to shed gathering during severe winters — it has used it once, closing the Upper Snake and Southeast Regions from Jan 1 to Apr 14, 2024. Closures are weighed case by case each winter, so check IDFG's site before you go.", "closures": [ { "area": "Public land statewide, at the Commission's discretion in severe winters (private landowners exempt on their own land)", "dates": "Set year by year — most recent on record: Upper Snake and Southeast Regions, Jan 1 – Apr 14, 2024 (expired)", "authority": "Idaho Fish and Game Commission, under closure authority granted by 2023 Senate Bill 1143" } ], "licenses": [ "Residents: no shed-specific license requirement was found in Idaho's rules.", "Nonresidents: a valid Idaho big game hunting license is required to collect, possess, or transport shed antlers from deer, elk, moose, or pronghorn (Idaho Code 36-508, effective July 1, 2024). Adult license: $185 per year. Kids under 12 are exempt when accompanied by a licensed nonresident or a resident.", "Violating an active Commission shed-gathering closure is a misdemeanor." ], "pending": [ { "name": "Winter closure decisions", "what": "The Commission weighs shed-gathering closures case by case each winter. Proposals take public comment through IDFG's shed antler proposal form before any closure is approved.", "status": "Decided year by year" } ], "sources": [ { "title": "Nonresidents need a valid Idaho big game hunting license to gather antlers in Idaho (IDFG)", "url": "https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/nonresidents-need-valid-idaho-big-game-hunting-license-gather-antlers-idaho", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Idaho Code § 36-508 (Idaho Legislature)", "url": "https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title36/t36ch5/sect36-508/", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Commission approves temporary antler gathering closure, Upper Snake and Southeast Regions (IDFG)", "url": "https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/fg-commission-approves-temporary-antler-gathering-closure-upper-snake-and-southeast-regions", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Shed Antler Gathering Season Closure Proposals (IDFG comment form)", "url": "https://idfg.idaho.gov/form/shed_antler_proposal", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "IDFG nonresident license fees", "url": "https://idfg.idaho.gov/licenses/fees-nonresident", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "Current-winter closure status was not confirmed at last check — verify on idfg.idaho.gov before heading out.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "wyoming", "abbr": "WY", "name": "Wyoming", "agency": "Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD)", "headline": "Western public land closed Jan 1 until May 1 (residents) or May 8 (nonresidents). Nonresidents 15+ need a conservation stamp.", "summary": "Wyoming closes public land in its designated antler Collection Area — roughly the western half of the state — to shed gathering every winter starting Jan 1. It reopens May 1 at 6 a.m. for residents and May 8 at 6 a.m. for nonresidents; state law guarantees residents that 7-day head start (W.S. 23-1-302(a)(xxxi)). Nonresidents 15 and older also need a Wyoming conservation stamp to collect there. Statewide and year-round, entering private land to collect antlers without permission is criminal trespass, and antler collection is prohibited in Grand Teton and Yellowstone.", "closures": [ { "area": "Public land (USFS, BLM, state, and WGFD land) in Collection Area 1 — described by WGFD as west of the Continental Divide, and in statute as west of I-90 (Montana line to Buffalo) and west of I-25 (Buffalo to the Colorado line)", "dates": "Closed Jan 1 – May 1 at 6 a.m. for residents; Jan 1 – May 8 at 6 a.m. for nonresidents (2026 dates as posted by WGFD)", "authority": "Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, under W.S. 23-1-302(a)(xxxi)" }, { "area": "Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks", "dates": "Closed to antler/horn collection year-round", "authority": "National Park Service" } ], "licenses": [ "Nonresidents age 15+ must have a Wyoming conservation stamp before collecting sheds in the Collection Area; residents and anyone under 15 are exempt (W.S. 23-1-302(a)(xxxi)(A)). Statute sets the base stamp fee at $21.00 plus an additional statutory fee; a lifetime stamp is $185.00.", "Entering private land to collect antlers or horns without landowner permission is a misdemeanor trespass anywhere in the state, year-round (W.S. 23-3-305(b)).", "Antlers and horns found on state or public land are declared state property under W.S. 23-1-103 — collect them lawfully or not at all.", "No shed-hunting course or education requirement was found in any Wyoming source." ], "pending": [], "sources": [ { "title": "Shed antler hunting opens May 1 in Collection Area 1 for residents, May 8 for nonresidents (WGFD)", "url": "https://wgfd.wyo.gov/news-events/shed-antler-hunting-opens-may-1-collection-area-1-residents-may-8-nonresidents", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Collection of Shed Antlers and Horns (WGFD regulation page)", "url": "https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regulations/Big-Game-Regulations/Collection-of-Shed-Antlers-and-Horns", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Wyoming Statutes, Title 23 — Game and Fish (official compiled statutes)", "url": "https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title23.pdf", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "New shed antler boundaries now law (WGFD)", "url": "https://wgfd.wyo.gov/News/New-shed-antler-boundaries-now-law", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "The exact total nonresident stamp cost includes an added statutory fee not itemized in the statute text — check WGFD's current fee schedule.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "montana", "abbr": "MT", "name": "Montana", "agency": "Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP)", "headline": "Residents: free, statewide. New for 2026 — nonresidents need a $50 license plus a 7-day wait to shed hunt WMAs.", "summary": "Montana residents need no license to pick up sheds anywhere in the state, including Wildlife Management Areas — FWP's own site says nothing changed for residents. New for the 2026 season: nonresidents must buy a $50 Nonresident Shed Hunting License to collect on a WMA, and must wait 7 days after each WMA's spring opening while residents get first access. Off WMA land, nonresidents need no license either. WMAs managed as big-game winter range are closed to all entry from Dec 1 to noon on May 15, and collecting antlers on a closed WMA is prohibited.", "closures": [ { "area": "All FWP Wildlife Management Areas (or portions) managed as big-game winter range, statewide", "dates": "Closed to all public entry Dec 1 (11:59 p.m.) – May 15 (noon) every year, with named per-WMA exceptions (Mt. Jumbo opens May 1; Swan Valley is open year-round)", "authority": "Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission (WMA public-use rules, citing MCA 87-1-102(2)(f))" }, { "area": "Blackfoot-Clearwater WMA (the flagship shed-hunting WMA)", "dates": "Reopens May 15 at noon; residents may enter at opening, nonresidents wait until May 22, 2026 and must hold the $50 license", "authority": "Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission / FWP" } ], "licenses": [ "Residents: no license or fee to collect sheds anywhere in Montana, including WMAs.", "Nonresidents off WMA land: no license required.", "Nonresidents on a WMA: $50 Nonresident Shed Hunting License required, plus a 7-day wait after each WMA's spring opening (2026 season).", "Everyone 12+ needs a Montana conservation license just to set foot on a WMA (any hunting or fishing license includes it)." ], "pending": [], "sources": [ { "title": "Blackfoot-Clearwater WMA Antler Hunting (Montana FWP)", "url": "https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management-areas/blackfoot-clearwater-antler-hunting", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "What to know about the new license year (Montana FWP news)", "url": "https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/news/2026/mar/0311-new-license-year", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Commission rules for public use of Montana's WMAs (FWP, PDF)", "url": "https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/commission/2022/jan/wildlife/12.0/public-use-rules-for-feb-2022.pdf", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "The enabling bill number could not be confirmed on the Legislature's site (news reports attribute it to HB897, 2025 session); violation penalties weren't stated in any primary source loaded.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "colorado", "abbr": "CO", "name": "Colorado", "agency": "Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)", "headline": "Public land west of I-25 closed Jan 1 – Apr 30. No license needed. $137 plus 5 suspension points per antler if you break it.", "summary": "Colorado closes shed collection on all public land west of I-25 from Jan 1 through Apr 30 every year to protect wintering big game; it's open May 1 through Dec 31. There is no closure on private land or anywhere east of I-25. In the Gunnison Basin (GMUs 54, 55, 66, 67, and 551), collection is also banned nightly from sunset to 10 a.m. during May 1–15 for Gunnison sage-grouse. No license, permit, or course is required for residents or nonresidents. Violations run $137 plus 5 license-suspension points — and each antler counts as a separate offense.", "closures": [ { "area": "All public land west of I-25 (private land and everywhere east of I-25 exempt)", "dates": "Closed Jan 1 – Apr 30 annually; open May 1 – Dec 31", "authority": "Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulation" }, { "area": "Public land west of I-25 in GMUs 54, 55, 66, 67, and 551 (Gunnison Basin)", "dates": "May 1 – 15 annually, closed nightly from legal sunset to 10 a.m.", "authority": "Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulation (Gunnison sage-grouse protection)" } ], "licenses": [ "No license, permit, certificate, or course required to collect sheds — residents or nonresidents.", "Penalty: $137 fine plus 5 license-suspension points per violation, with each antler or horn treated as a separate offense." ], "pending": [], "sources": [ { "title": "Shed Antler and Horn Collection (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)", "url": "https://cpw.state.co.us/shed-antler-and-horn-collection", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "utah", "abbr": "UT", "name": "Utah", "agency": "Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR)", "headline": "Free ethics course required every year to gather sheds Jan 1 – May 31. Emergency closures possible in hard winters.", "summary": "Anyone gathering shed antlers or horns in Utah between Jan 1 and May 31 must first complete the free online Antler Gathering Ethics Course and carry the certificate in the field — a new certificate is required every year, and it doesn't authorize entering closed areas or private land. Outside that window, no certificate is needed. In severe winters, the DWR director can order an emergency statewide closure of shed gathering under Utah's big-game winter feeding policy. Buying sheds for resale requires a $150 commercial Certificate of Registration.", "closures": [ { "area": "Statewide, when triggered", "dates": "No fixed dates — emergency closures are triggered by winter conditions under the Emergency Big Game Winter Feeding Policy", "authority": "Utah DWR Director" } ], "licenses": [ "Antler Gathering Ethics Course: free, required annually for anyone gathering sheds statewide Jan 1 – May 31; carry proof of completion in the field. No resident/nonresident distinction is stated.", "Commercial Certificate of Registration: $150, valid 365 days, required to purchase sheds for resale.", "Legally obtained sheds may be bought or sold at any time." ], "pending": [], "sources": [ { "title": "Gathering shed antlers or horns (Utah DWR)", "url": "https://wildlife.utah.gov/shedantler", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "H.B. 382 Wildlife Amendments — bill status (Utah Legislature)", "url": "https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/HB0382.html", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "H.B. 382 (2024) reportedly gave the Wildlife Board authority over gathering seasons and fees, but the bill text couldn't be loaded to confirm specifics. Violation penalties aren't stated on the DWR page.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "nevada", "abbr": "NV", "name": "Nevada", "agency": "Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW)", "headline": "Six eastern counties: public land closed Jan 1 – Apr 30, then a free-course certificate required May 1 – Jun 30. Open elsewhere.", "summary": "Nevada's shed rules cover public land in six counties — Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine: fully closed Jan 1 through Apr 30, and from May 1 through Jun 30 you need NDOW's free online responsible-collection certificate (required at age 12+). In the other 11 counties and on private land, no license, permit, or fee is required to pick up sheds — a 2025 state law confirms no tag is needed for naturally shed antlers, dry skulls, or bones.", "closures": [ { "area": "Public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine Counties", "dates": "Fully closed Jan 1 – Apr 30. May 1 – Jun 30: open only with NDOW's free responsible-collection certificate (age 12+; under-12s must be with a certificated adult)", "authority": "Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners, codified at NAC 503.172 under NRS 503.655" } ], "licenses": [ "No license, permit, or fee exists for shed gathering anywhere in Nevada; NRS 502.150(4) (2025) confirms no tag is needed for naturally shed antlers or dry bone.", "Free online responsible-collection certificate: required only in the six closed counties for May 1 – Jun 30 collection, for everyone 12+, currently renewed annually regardless of residency.", "A found big-game skull that wasn't naturally shed ('pick-up head') requires a Game Warden's written salvage certificate before you may possess it.", "Penalties: 9 license demerit points for gathering in the closed counties Jan 1 – Apr 30; 6 points for gathering there May 1 – Jun 30 without the certificate." ], "pending": [ { "name": "CGR 518 — shed antler and big game skull regulation amendment", "what": "Would define specific closed-season violations (searching by vehicle, drone, or dogs; stockpiling or marking sheds), make the course once-in-a-lifetime for residents but annual for nonresidents, and create a free statewide skull tag with GPS/photo documentation and a 5-day reporting window.", "status": "Drafted April 2024, still on Commission agendas as of July 2025 — final adoption not confirmed" } ], "sources": [ { "title": "Nevada Shed Hunting Certificate (NDOW)", "url": "https://www.ndow.org/blog/nevada-shed-hunting-certificate/", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "NAC Chapter 503 — Wildlife (Nevada Legislature)", "url": "https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nac/nac-503.html", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Commission General Regulation 518 draft (NDOW, PDF)", "url": "https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/12A-CGR-518.pdf", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Shed Antler Regulations, July 15 2025 agenda item (NDOW, PDF)", "url": "https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/6-Shed-Antler-Regulations.pdf", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "Whether the CGR 518 amendment has been finally adopted could not be confirmed — check NDOW before relying on course frequency rules.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "oregon", "abbr": "OR", "name": "Oregon", "agency": "Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)", "headline": "No license, no season — but some ODFW wildlife areas close entirely in late winter.", "summary": "Oregon requires no license, permit, or course to collect sheds, resident or nonresident, and has no statewide shed season. But some ODFW-managed wildlife areas close entirely to public access in late winter and others restrict roads, so check the specific area's page before you go. Antlers still attached to a skull must be left where they lie, and a shed on private land legally belongs to the landowner — get permission. Buying, selling, or trading antler commercially requires a $36.50/year Hide/Antler Dealer License.", "closures": [ { "area": "Statewide", "dates": "No dedicated shed-hunting season or closure exists for personal collection", "authority": "Confirmed via ODFW's shed-hunting guidance" }, { "area": "Individual ODFW-managed wildlife areas", "dates": "Some close entirely to public access in late winter; others have seasonal road restrictions — exact areas and dates are posted per wildlife area", "authority": "Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife" } ], "licenses": [ "Personal shed collection: no license, permit, tag, or course required — residents or nonresidents.", "Antlers still on a skull (winter kill) must be left in the field.", "A shed on private land belongs to the landowner — permission required.", "Hide/Antler Dealer License (commercial buying/selling only): $36.50 per year (ORS 498.019)." ], "pending": [], "sources": [ { "title": "Responsible shed hunting (ODFW)", "url": "https://myodfw.com/articles/responsible-shed-hunting", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Hide/Antler Dealer License FAQ (ODFW)", "url": "https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/license_permits_apps/faq/hide_antler_faq.asp", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 498", "url": "https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors498.html", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Visit ODFW Wildlife Areas", "url": "https://myodfw.com/visit-odfw-wildlife-areas", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "Specific wildlife-area closure names and dates weren't verified — check the individual area's ODFW page before you go.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "arizona", "abbr": "AZ", "name": "Arizona", "agency": "Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD)", "headline": "No license, no season for dry sheds. Hands off on National Park Service land; fresh heads need a warden's sign-off.", "summary": "Arizona requires no license, permit, or course to pick up naturally shed, dry antlers or horns — Commission Rule R12-4-322(B) says so outright — and no seasonal closure exists. Two catches: collecting sheds on National Park Service lands is prohibited, and anything 'fresh' (still carrying hide or flesh, including a skull with antlers attached) requires notifying the department and having an officer determine the animal died naturally before you can keep it. Parts collected illegally in another jurisdiction are illegal to possess once brought into Arizona.", "closures": [ { "area": "National Park Service lands in Arizona (including the NPS-managed portion of Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument)", "dates": "Standing prohibition, not seasonal", "authority": "National Park Service jurisdiction, reflected in AZGFD's Commission Rule R12-4-322(E)" } ], "licenses": [ "No license, permit, fee, or course required to pick up naturally shed, dry antlers or horns anywhere collection is otherwise lawful (Commission Rule R12-4-322(B)).", "'Fresh' carcasses or parts (hair, hide, or flesh still attached): you must notify AZGFD before pickup and an officer must confirm natural death before authorizing possession (R12-4-322(C)–(D))." ], "pending": [], "sources": [ { "title": "2026–27 Arizona Hunting Regulations (AZGFD, official booklet, PDF)", "url": "https://azgfd-portal-wordpress-pantheon.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/04081122/2026-27-Arizona-Hunting-Regulations.pdf", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "A claim circulating online that Arizona requires a shed permit in 2026 is contradicted by the department's own 2026–27 regulations.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" }, { "slug": "new-mexico", "abbr": "NM", "name": "New Mexico", "seoTitle": "New Mexico Nonresident Shed Hunting License 2026 — $200 Fee & Rules — Shed Happens", "agency": "New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF)", "headline": "New: a $200 nonresident shed hunter license takes effect April 1, 2026. Residents are exempt by statute.", "summary": "New Mexico's 2025 legislature created a nonresident shed hunter license — Senate Bill 5, signed March 20, 2025 — with a $200 fee that takes effect April 1, 2026, the start of the license year. The enacted bill text itself exempts residents. Standing rules under NMAC 19.31.10: sheds collected in violation of a land closure, trespass law, or while driving off established roads become state property and can be seized, and driving off-road on public land to search for sheds is itself illegal. No dated seasonal closure is set in that rule.", "closures": [ { "area": "No seasonal shed closure — but standing conduct rules apply statewide", "dates": "Year-round: sheds taken in violation of any land closure, trespass, or off-road vehicle use are state property; off-road driving to gather sheds on public land is unlawful", "authority": "New Mexico Department of Game and Fish / State Game Commission, NMAC 19.31.10" } ], "licenses": [ "Nonresident shed hunter license: $200, per the enacted text of Senate Bill 5 (2025); the fee schedule takes effect April 1, 2026.", "Residents: exempt by the bill's own language — 'a shed hunter license shall not be required for shed hunting by a resident.'" ], "pending": [ { "name": "Implementing rule for the nonresident license", "what": "NMDGF took public comment in July 2025 on the operational details — the widely reported 'more than two antlers' trigger and $325 penalty appear in news coverage quoting the department but are NOT in the enacted statute; they're expected to come from this implementing rule.", "status": "Public comment held July 2025; final adopted rule not confirmed" } ], "sources": [ { "title": "Senate Bill 5 (2025) — final signed text (NM Legislature, PDF)", "url": "https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/final/SB0005.pdf", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "NMAC 19.31.10 — found game parts / shed antler possession rule", "url": "https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title19/19.031.0010.html", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "Non-resident shed hunter license topic of public meetings (NMDGF)", "url": "https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/non-resident-shed-hunter-license-topic-of-public-meetings/", "accessed": "2026-08-29" }, { "title": "NMDGF license requirements and fees (2026–2027)", "url": "https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/hunting/licenses-and-permits/license-requirements-fees", "accessed": "2026-08-29" } ], "caveats": "The 'more than two antlers' threshold and $325 penalty are unconfirmed against primary sources — treat the $200 license itself as the verified fact.", "lastChecked": "August 29, 2026" } ] }