Brown Gold! It is time, my 7 year old found these today!

Thats awesome! Good for you and your boys!

no
didnt know they where worth any thing
gonna have to keep my eyes peeled for them

who or where do you sell them?

Great idea. Wish we had elk and the such around here. Lots of whitetails but I have yet to come across sheds in our area, even after countless hours walkint around with a shotgun. Our neighbor seems to find a couple each year at least and is only there a few weekends a year!

I remember when I lived in Wyoming that the Boy Scouts were allowed to collect sheds on the Elk Refuge, where 8000-15000 elk wintered over every year. I think there was a big auction in town every year where they could sell them, it was a pretty big deal if I remember right. Thousands of dollars, buyers from Asia....Don't know if they are still able to do that. I only found one shed myself when I lived there...can't remember what I did with it, but I wish I still had it.

carcur said:

who or where do you sell them?

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There are traveling antler buyers in most states. We have a ton of buyers out west, but shop around prices, the serious guys pay way more. It also helps prices if you have a lot to sale. My buddies and I will sale to the same buyer at the same time to increase what he will give.

Once the antler turns white at all the price goes way down. Brown is the top grade, then hard white ($4-7 per pound) then white cracked $2/ pound ish, and then and the lowest grade is called Chalk which is not worth $0.50 a pound. Buyers won't take antlers that are flaking and breaking.

Deer are worth about the same amount per pound but weigh a lot less than an elk's antlers. If you find a very large set they will pay a premium. I have a few sets that could bring $500 plus. Giant sets have sold for tens of thousands.

The antlers are used for art, sold as dog chews, but most are ground up and shipped to Asia for "health food" additives and vodo medicines. The are just bones, but 2 billion people think they have some sort of benefit or power so they are worth a lot. In Asia antler can bring 10X in the right market com paired to what we get here. Sheds are renewable but sadly the value does increase poaching.

It is really fun but it is so competitive around here. Guys watch the deer and elk really closely and when one sheds guys end up in a foot race. This spooks the animals and is stupid as the animals are stressed from snow and cold already. I hunt areas you can't see from any road. You have to hunt in secret spots and hike a long way. States are now starting to regulate antler hunting. In Utah you have to pass a test and carry a permit with you to pick them up. In Wyoming you can't touch an antler until I think May 1st or you will be arrested. Montana has opening dates for different areas. The wardens plant antlers with gps trackers in them in areas guys cheat. They then just go to the house where the signal is coming from and take the guy to jail.

My best day was $1350 worth of elk a long time ago, and I had to leave many sheds behind. We make cashes of the lesser ones and then go back to get them latter.

I just like the feeling when you find something. Golf balls, antlers, fish, arrowheads, crusty zinkons, pull tabs, 1997 Shasta cans down 13 inches, can slaw, extra. I love archery hunting best of all though.

Very cool! And great that you and your boys are doing this together.

thank you very much for the info
I never knew that they would be worth so much wow

BensJamming said:

Great idea. Wish we had elk and the such around here. Lots of whitetails but I have yet to come across sheds in our area, even after countless hours walkint around with a shotgun. Our neighbor seems to find a couple each year at least and is only there a few weekends a year!

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Look for them on animal trails.

Utahoutdoors said:

The antlers are used for art, sold as dog chews, but most are ground up and shipped to Asia for "health food" additives and vodo medicines. The are just bones, but 2 billion people think they have some sort of benefit or power so they are worth a lot. In Asia antler can bring 10X in the right market com paired to what we get here. Sheds are renewable but sadly the value does increase poaching.

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Antlers are also used in making pens, woodturners pay top dollar for them. They are more sought after than exotic Wood.

Brown gold turns to white gold over time.

Here is a few I picked up in Central Montana. The slightly palmated (7x7) set weighed over 30lbs total.

Detector Nut said:

Look for them on animal trails.

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White-tail antlers get eaten up by rodents very quickly in many parts of the East. It is rare to find antlers back east after the spring as the leaf litter and vegetation cover the up, and the critters eat them up (I have read its due to calcium being in limited supply but I really don't know). Also the bone seams to breaks down faster in wet climates. Here in Utah we find antlers that are many years old but it's dry and not many animals

My son found this set last summer and I'll bet they were shed 10 plus years before.

Nice Montanamuzic! I shed hunt Montana most years with a buddy of mine from up your way. Those are some awesome elk sheds!

I'd have a tower like that if my wife would let me! I have to sale most of our finds or my wife would kill me. Lol

Here's a pen turned from antler.

That's awesome!

I found one antler on a field trip while in college. Still have it. Found a sun bleached one out in the desert with rodent teeth marks on it - left it out there.

My niece would love an antler - if your up for selling a deer antler or two to me, please let me know (PM me please), thanks!

Happy hunting!

I shed hunt here in northern Indiana for white tail bone. You have to be out there finding them shortly after they drop them. Smaller critters do eat them up. Due to disease in the herd deer numbers have declined and bone is much harder to find. Its time consuming for sure. Antlers here, at least for me, are mostly for decoration.

Utahoutdoors said:

I give up clad for bone this time of year. My son found these on the farm today. We will hit the hills for antlers for the next two months. Last year antler was worth $12.00 per pound for brown fresh sheds. One elk antler can be worth $50 to well over $100, and on a good day you can find several.

Both of my boys are going to sale their antlers to buy AT Pros this summer.

Anyone else shed ?

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A great second hobby. While I don't go "Shedding" my son is a avid shed hunter and has hundreds of horns. Also I have a very close friend that has been doing the shed hunts for years. He literately has chest's filled with them. A few years ago he killed a old white tailed buck with a bow that he had found the deer sheds from several previous years. If I get over to his place maybe I can get some pic's to share. Jack