Jackson Hole and antlers

MyronL · 03-27-2022, 11:20 AM

The National Elk Refuge is at nearby Jackson Hole, Wyoming. On our trailer trips to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, going down some 50 miles to Jackson Hole is impossible to resist. Sure, the town is now rather touristy but, still a fun place to resupply the trailer cupboard. We always camp at Gros Ventre, off route 89 - a great campground where you can get lucky and even maybe see a moose.

Until a visit there, never gave much thought to elk antlers. There is a big elk refuge on the outskirts of Jackson. It is an expanse of hills and meadows where roughly eight thousand elk spend the winter.

Elk antlers get shed after the mating season and then regenerate. When bulls are finished breeding their testosterone levels fall and so do their antlers. When I saw that arch made completely of elk antlers in town, I didn’t know that. I always thought antlers were harvested from dead elks. Not for me. Have also learned that there is a very lucrative “shed” business.

In winter hunters roam through snowy meadows and forests in search of shed antlers left on the ground. Why would they do that? They come from all over, often dressed in camouflage, odd, since shed antlers don’t run. The arch was built in 1953, and in 1968 there was a planned auction to sell five thousand pounds of antlers. Antlers are sold in China cut up or ground up as medicine, and in Korea as a growth tonic. Pet stores here want the antlers because they are cut up and sold as dog chews. Dogs love them.

Seriously? I now feel a lot better about buying one for Josie.

Jim Bennett · 03-27-2022, 11:44 AM

It was just over 40 years since was there downhill skiing with a couple friends. I still remember that wapiti antler arch very well as I was quite amazed at the time. Nice reminder seeing the photos.

Iowa Dave · 03-27-2022, 12:04 PM

Like others, we’ve seen the arch several times. In our country, shed hunting for whitetail deer antlers is a popular late winter activity. I’ve found a number of singles over the years when fishing along creeks and ponds in the spring. Some sportsman’s groups have a collection and turn in date. Then they are sold on the commercial market and the funds go to a charitable organization or used to fund an outdoor program for youth. It’s a popular activity, good exercise etc. There are tracking and training and scents used to train hunting dogs to find shed antlers and some bird dog guys and hound guys get into that. Antler is worth $12 to $14 a pound last I looked. Some cultures believe it’s an aphrodisiac, especially when in velvet.
I’ve boiled antlers for hours and they never become edible.
Iowa Dave

gbaglo · 03-27-2022, 12:33 PM

FYI:
In British Columbia, a person needs a permit to possess dead wildlife or wildlife parts, which includes dead head skulls, but does not include naturally cast antlers. It is illegal to collect shed antlers in any National Park in Canada and the fines are nasty for anyone that does.

DanandDaphne · 03-27-2022, 05:27 PM

Just found this mule deer antler in the yard this morning,

We had a light snow year so the deer didn't move out of the neighborhood until mid February and some of the bucks had shed their antlers before moving on. This one belonged to the biggest and oldest buck he had very distinctive antlers.