- Utah's shed hunting season requires an ethics course for antler collection Jan. 1 to May 31, 2026.
- The course aims to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, protecting deer during harsh seasons.
- Antlers are popular for crafts and other uses.
SALT LAKE CITY — Tens of thousands of people wander into Utah's wilderness every winter and spring not to hunt big game, but search for the antlers animals leave behind as they shed for the season.
Utah's so-called "shed hunting" season is almost here, and that means it's time for the state's annual ethics course, which is required to pick up any antlers between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2026. Utah wildlife officials launched the free online course ahead of the upcoming season.
The goal is to educate people looking for antlers about ways to limit human-wildlife conflicts, which give big game animals — especially deer — a better chance for survival during one of the toughest seasons for them, says Rusty Robinson, once-in-a-lifetime species coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
"They often survive on fat reserves they have built up before winter. If the animals receive constant pressure from people and repeatedly have to run or move, they can use up the fat reserves and energy they need to make it through the winter," he explained in a statement on Monday. "Being disturbed briefly once or twice isn't too significant, but we have over 20,000 people who routinely shed hunt in Utah each year, so ongoing, repeated disturbances can be detrimental to deer."
Shed hunting has grown in popularity over the years, as people collect antlers for various uses, such as furniture, crafts and other decorations, as well as medicinal purposes and pet chews, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies points out. But experts also warn that there can be "unintended consequences" by having outdoor recreation mix with wildlife, largely because of the impacts that Robinson described.
Utah previously allowed shed hunting to begin as early as Feb. 1 every year, but that changed to New Year's Day beginning this year. It followed a bill that the Utah Legislature passed in 2024, which also extended the ethics course requirement date from April 15 to May 31 every year.
The change was enacted after an emergency delay of shed hunting in 2023, which the division ordered in response to the impacts that the state's record snowpack had on big game populations at the time.
People who gather antlers must also complete the ethics course every year. Once complete, they can either print their certificate of completion, which they should bring with them in the field. They can also store their certificate digitally on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' hunting and fishing app.
Antlers can be collected on most public lands, but not at national parks, several national monuments and Native American lands, as well as wildlife management areas when seasonal closures are in place. People must also receive written permission to collect antlers on private lands.
Collecting antlers without completing an ethics course may result in a citation.
