Nevada Shed Hunting Season 2027: Closures and Rules

Q: Is it legal to pick up shed antlers in Nevada?

Six eastern Nevada counties close public land to shed collecting from January 1 through April 30. Nevada Department of Wildlife puts it this way: "Under Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 503.172, a person shall not take or gather shed antlers from or on any public land located in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, or White Pine Counties at any time from January 1 to April 30."

Q: When do deer shed antlers in Nevada?

Nevada Department of Wildlife names mule deer and elk among the antlered animals of Nevada. For whitetails, Iowa Department of Natural Resources puts the drop at mid January to mid March: "Whitetail deer have about a two-month shedding period in Iowa, beginning mid-Jan. and ending mid-March."

Q: Who sets the shed antler rules in Nevada?

Nevada Department of Wildlife. The rules here were read from its own pages on September 21, 2026, and each one links to the page it came from. Rules change between winters, so the agency page is the one to check before a trip.

Dated closures

Rule type

from Nevada Department of Wildlife

April 30

Next closure lifts

Public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine Counties

Yes

Course or permit

Nevada Shed Hunting Certificate (course of instruction in the responsible collection of shed antlers)

September 21, 2026

Rules read

from the agency page

The rule

Shed antler rules in Nevada

Dated closures

In Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine Counties, collecting from May 1 to June 30 also takes the free online shed hunting certificate from NDOW. The rest of the state carries neither the closure nor the course.

Public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine Counties

January 1 to April 30

No one may take or gather shed antlers on public land in these six counties from January 1 through April 30.

Under Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 503.172, a person shall not take or gather shed antlers from or on any public land located in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, or White Pine Counties at any time from January 1 to April 30.

Nevada Department of Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine Counties

May 1 to June 30

From May 1 through June 30, collectors in these six counties must carry a shed hunter collection certificate earned through NDOW's free online course.

A shed hunter collection certificate is required for collecting May 1 to June 30.

Nevada Department of Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Dated windows

Nevada shed closures by month

Winter range closures protect wintering deer and elk, keeping people off the ground where the animals spend the hardest months. The dates below are Nevada Department of Wildlife’s own, each one printed in the agency sentence quoted above.

Nevada windows, January to December, as Nevada Department of Wildlife dates them

Public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine CountiesJanuary 1 to April 30

Public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine CountiesMay 1 to June 30

Closed to shed collectingCourse or certificate needed

Courses, sale and state land

More Nevada shed rules

Required: Nevada Shed Hunting Certificate (course of instruction in the responsible collection of shed antlers)

Nevada Shed Hunting Certificate (course of instruction in the responsible collection of shed antlers), May 1 to Jun 30.

The course is only required to shed hunt in the eastern Nevada counties listed above, but all hunters are invited to take the quiz to have more awareness while enjoying the outdoors.

Nevada Department of Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Buying and selling sheds

Nevada regulation permits selling the antlers and other nonedible parts of legally killed game; a 2025 statute lets a person take naturally shed antlers for non-commercial purposes without a tag. NDOW publishes no separate rule on selling naturally shed antlers.

A person may, for non-commercial purposes and without obtaining the required tag, take shed antlers or a skull or head, with or without antlers or horns attached, or bones from the carcass of any species of wildlife for which a tag is required if such a part of the carcass is exposed, dry bone resulting from natural processes, including, without limitation, scavenging, decomposition or weathering.

Nevada Department of Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

When antlers drop

When deer shed antlers in Nevada

For white-tailed deer, Iowa Department of Natural Resources puts the drop at mid January to mid March.

Whitetail deer have about a two-month shedding period in Iowa, beginning mid-Jan. and ending mid-March.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Read it at the source

A large elk antler lying in green grass with snow covered mountains in the distance — An elk shed on the National Elk Refuge, Wyoming, with the Tetons behind. Elk winter range in the West is where most dated shed closures fall, because the closures exist for the animals wintering there. “Shed Antler on the National Elk Refuge (53662858076)”, USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Nevada shed antler questions

Is it legal to pick up shed antlers in Nevada?

When is shed hunting season in Nevada?

Nevada Department of Wildlife publishes these dated closures. Public land in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine Counties: closed from January 1 until April 30. In the agency's words: "Under Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 503.172, a person shall not take or gather shed antlers from or on any public land located in Elko, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, or White Pine Counties at any time from January 1 to April 30."

Do I need a permit or course to collect sheds in Nevada?

Can you sell shed antlers in Nevada?

Nevada regulation permits selling the antlers and other nonedible parts of legally killed game; a 2025 statute lets a person take naturally shed antlers for non-commercial purposes without a tag. NDOW publishes no separate rule on selling naturally shed antlers. Nevada Department of Wildlife: "A person may, for non-commercial purposes and without obtaining the required tag, take shed antlers or a skull or head, with or without antlers or horns attached, or bones from the carcass of any species of wildlife for which a tag is required if such a part of the carcass is exposed, dry bone resulting from natural processes, including, without limitation, scavenging, decomposition or weathering."

When do deer shed antlers in Nevada?

Who sets the shed antler rules in Nevada?

Shed antler rules in other states

Nevada deer seasonArchery and firearms dates for Nevada, read from Nevada Department of Wildlife.Shed antler rules by stateEvery state's shed rule, the dated western closures and when each species drops.

A young bull elk carrying a single antler standing among elk bedded in snow — A young bull that has already dropped one antler, among elk bedded in snow. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says elk may start shedding in February and run through April. “Bull Elk and Herd (6258537907)”, USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Compiled September 21, 2026. Every rule above is republished from Nevada Shed Hunting Certificate, NDOW and the other Nevada Department of Wildlife pages linked beside each quote, read on September 21, 2026. Rules change between winters, so the agency page is the one to check before a trip. Every state is in the national shed antler guide.