Foraging & Collecting
Shed antlers — free for the finding
Every late winter and spring, deer and elk shed their antlers and grow a new set. You can pick up loose, dropped antlers without a permit on private land (with permission), MDC conservation areas, and the national forest — but not in state parks or on national park land. And one kind of find is different, too — worth knowing before you head out.
A loose shed antler is just a dropped object
Loose, naturally shed antlers need no permit — you're just picking up a dropped object. That's fine on private land (with permission), on MDC conservation areas, and in the national forest.
Not in state parks or on national park land
Not in state parks or on NPS land, where removing natural features is prohibited.
Stop — this one is different
A skull with antlers attached is not a shed
Antlers still attached to a skull plate — or a dead deer or elk head found with antlers attached — are different. Contact MDC before taking it; authorization may be required, and carcass-movement and disease rules can also apply.
A little etiquette
A little etiquette: don't trespass to chase sheds, don't stress deer on their winter range, and leave gates the way you found them.
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