# Deer Antlers



## mass_burner (Mar 24, 2014)

I live in the exurbs and deer usually walk through our yard. This weekend I happened to find 2 matching stag antlers, 3-point, within 20' of each other in my yard.  Is this rare?


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## Jags (Mar 24, 2014)

Time to drop the horns.  This allows them to slip through the new greenery that we are supposed to be seeing soon.


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## razerface (Mar 24, 2014)

most of the time, we find them farther apart then that. In a suburban area,,,maybe they use the same trees to knock them off, where in the woods they have many choices.

I could stop the next deer i see and ask,,,,,,,,,they are thick out here. I have killed more deer with my toyota then most hunters have with a gun.


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## Backwoods Savage (Mar 24, 2014)

No, not rare at all.


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## 1kzwoman (Mar 24, 2014)

Common to find pairs as one falls off the other causes lopsided head carry so they work hard to drop it. Find one walk a spiral outward to find the other. Out here antler hunting is big spring activity as mule deer and elk antlers can sell for $$$$%


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## Driver (Mar 24, 2014)

I've only found 1 shed antler in the woods never a pair, but I prefer to find them still attached to the bucks head in deer season.


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## bassJAM (Mar 25, 2014)

Pretty cool, I like to take a few hours around this time of year and go antler hunting.  Sometimes I'll save them if they're nice enough, but most of the time I give them to my dog to chew up.  They last WAY longer than a bone.


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## razerface (Mar 25, 2014)

Some places require they are tagged


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## bassJAM (Mar 25, 2014)

Driver said:


> I've only found 1 shed antler in the woods never a pair, but I prefer to find them still attached to the bucks head in deer season.



I've found 3 different 10 point skulls with antlers still attached in the woods.  I always wonder if they were hit by cars, or shot by a hunter that never tracked them.


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## Adios Pantalones (Mar 25, 2014)

Pretty neat. YYou have to find them quick before the mice chew them for calcium.

I have heard of people putting down food with a bail of straw over it this time of year- the deer will lose antlers trying to push the bale off. Not sure I like this idea though- feeding them is bad for them for a number of reasons.


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## Driver (Mar 25, 2014)

bassJAM said:


> I've found 3 different 10 point skulls with antlers still attached in the woods.  I always wonder if they were hit by cars, or shot by a hunter that never tracked them.


Could be either. There are some really sorry hunters out there though, if the deer doesn't drop when they pull the trigger they don't bother to check if it was even hit.


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## 1kzwoman (Mar 25, 2014)

bAM said:


> I've found 3 different 10 point skulls with antlers still attached in the woods.  I always wonder if they were hit by cars, or shot by a hunter that never tracked them.


I do not know about your area but there is an illness called chronic wasting disease that has dropped deer is some areas of my state


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## Jags (Mar 25, 2014)

Let's not turn this into a hunting thread.  It was taboo for the ash can and that means no go for the rest.

And you can't eat horns.


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## mass_burner (Mar 26, 2014)

Back to the horns, my 7 yr old is very artistic and wants to make something from them. Any suggestions?


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## Jags (Mar 26, 2014)




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## bassJAM (Mar 26, 2014)

Jags said:


> Let's not turn this into a hunting thread.  It was taboo for the ash can and that means no go for the rest.
> 
> And you can't eat horns.



What's that mean?  I signed up on here over a year ago, but didn't become a regular until a month or 2 ago so I don't know about the "rules".  There's a ban on mentioning hunting?  I kind of figured a firewood/chainsaw forum goes hand in hand with guns and hunting?


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## Jags (Mar 26, 2014)

bassJAM said:


> What's that mean?  I signed up on here over a year ago, but didn't become a regular until a month or 2 ago so I don't know about the "rules".  There's a ban on mentioning hunting?  I kind of figured a firewood/chainsaw forum goes hand in hand with guns and hunting?



It does (and there is nothing wrong with the above post, just didn't want it to go off tracks).  There are many members (including mods) that are outdoorsman/hunters/gun owners.  That being said - there are tons of forums on the net specific to that.  Hearth is about burning stuff for heat.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/welcome-have-a-seat-by-the-fire-and-lets-chat-and-forum-rules.1/

Feel free to review.


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## smokedragon (Mar 27, 2014)

bassJAM said:


> I've found 3 different 10 point skulls with antlers still attached in the woods. I always wonder if they were hit by cars, or shot by a hunter that never tracked them.


Wow, what a waste.

Of course, I killed 4 deer this year and three of them didn't have antlers at all.  

You could probably sell those antlers to someone for arts/crafts (or for rattling).




Jags said:


> View attachment 130557


Nice




1kzwoman said:


> Common to find pairs as one falls off the other causes lopsided head carry so they work hard to drop it.


I think this varies a lot geographically......around here the white tails are smaller and they don't tend to be in pairs that close together.  I imagine the larger mule deer and elk would be quite ready to shed that second antler


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## bassJAM (Mar 27, 2014)

smokedragon said:


> Wow, what a waste.
> 
> Of course, I killed 4 deer this year and three of them didn't have antlers at all.
> 
> You could probably sell those antlers to someone for arts/crafts (or for rattling).



I normally get one doe a year, so I like to keep 2 of the skulls hanging in the basement as decoration.  And no, I don't take credit for them!!  The other one I cut up and let the pup chew on.  I probably could have sold it since it was a pretty stout 10, but my pup was in a phase where he'd destroy EVERYTHING I gave him to play with and I saw some antlers for sale in the pet store one day.  I figured it was crazy to buy a chunk of antler when I had 3 sets at home!  And it's been 8 months now and he hasn't destroyed those antlers!


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## smokedragon (Mar 27, 2014)

They are tough.....good use of a free find.

Hey for that matter, instead of selling them to craft folks, chop em up and sell em to the pet store.  They charge a bunch for a little hunk of antler now that I think about it.


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## 1kzwoman (Mar 28, 2014)

smokedragot: 1702447 said:
			
		

> Wow, what a waste.
> 
> Of course, I killed 4 deer this year and three of them didn't have antlers at all.
> 
> ...



We got jackalope bigger than whitetail. 
River bottom white tails here are as smart as any deer


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## smokedragon (Mar 28, 2014)

Deer around here are different.....they won't pay any attention to decoys.  Bucks won't eat food plots or corn except at night (most of the time).  You really gotta set up on an established trail and know what you're doing.

But that is the fun.

I hunt for meat, so antlers don't matter to me.

Last year we let deer go by just so my son could experience deer and their behavior.


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## 1kzwoman (Mar 29, 2014)

Decoys and bait hunting do not meet my standard for hunting...like shooting ducks on the water.  Same for snagging fish. To me it's respect for the animal in it's natural setting and life that are important.

 I like spike elk antlers for toothpicks but antler and meat seldom go together..ever heard of a bubble gum bull


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## smokedragon (Mar 30, 2014)

I agree.  But my point was decoys don't work around here like they do up north.  

I enjoy hunting, but it needs to be a challenge.


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