Shed Antler Hunting - The Search Begins

Hounds may have been bred to do specific things, but this mutt wasn't bred to do anything specific. If I want him to chase a rabbit, I'll train him to. If I want him to get on a scent, I'll train him to. Thanks for the advice, but at this moment in time, this rescued dog is happy just being a companion.
 
awndray said:
Cool thread. And timely. I recently adopted a hound. I want to keep him busy and a friend suggested shed hunting.
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You may have better luck than me, but I've never been able to get a dog to find sheds, they'll chew them but in the spring they are more interested in finding winter killed animals.
 
pescador said:
Lots of English professors on this thread. who cares boys? we know you mean antlers when you say shed hunting, we know your packing your rifle/shotgun not anti-aircraft guns, and we know you mean clips/mags as in the #### that goes in your gun that holds your bullets. sheesh, back to shed hunting....
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Exactly.....this thread has potential and it's something I'm interested in. They should start their own thread, "Interesting facts for the know it all"
 
umchorn2 said:
Two years ago I took in 75 pounds of sheds...mostly whitetailed deer and mule deer 4 & 5 pointers (120-140 inch WT/140-170 inch mulie mostly 2.5-3.5 year olds) and a few moose anlters to an antler buyer. Grade was evenly split between hard brown (this years) and hard white (last years sheds) and I got $600 for them. I figured it paid my gas for those days I went looking.

However anything over 75 inches and typical or over 85 inches non typical whitetail will command a premium and larger sheds over 100 inches will be worth considerably more than the $12 per pound for hard brown over 1 1/2 pounds weight per antler. Elk shed usually sell for $10-12/lb if they're 5 point or better otherwise the grade drops to craft. Moose fresh hard brown @ $10/lb avg.

Most sheds ultimately end as dog chews and Asians buy the most tonnage. So it's easy to see that deer,elk and moose antlers are worth 5x the price of number 1 copper and 8x the price of yellow brass. Cutoffs are highly controlled and you must have a tag and permit to sell to an antler buyer who is able to buy, possess and sell cutoffs and not all are.

This is a legitaimate economic activity and can be lucrative although for most it's more of a hobby or pastime. The market for shed antlers is critically imortant in my opinion to conservation and can be a viable economic activity for those of us who are able to value and understand how wildlife can be part of strengthening and diversifying our country's economy when other resources seem to be losing value in a changing global economy.
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Thanks for taking the time to post that. It is always cool to learn about things like this. Had no idea this market even existed.
 
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MiG25 said:
Where are you getting $10-12/lb for Elk horns?
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There are 2 pretty serious guys that I know. One in eastern alberta and one in eastern saskatchewan. Let's just leave it at...I know someone in the business. Knowing the right guy makes all the difference. It's what separates the amateurs from the professionals. It's kinda like WHL or NHL. Same guys plays hockey in one league and make nothing...but move into the NHL and your minimum salary is huge.

You're not talking to the right people or accessing the right market. Shop around...ask guys who pays the most and where they are in the country. Some guys can pay more because they handle big quantity and have serious customers with contracts. I wouldn't even bother selling less than 100 pounds. Some guys deal in pallets of antlers...300-350 inch elk stacked by the semi load.

Even more profitable than antler is elk velvet @ 40/pound. One elk can be worth $1000 or more per year or 4-6 times the price of hard antler.
 
MiG25 said:
It's too early for Elk and there is too much snow to look for Deer horns.
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Agreed. Still a lot of snow here in southern Alberta with more expected over the next few days!
Hopefully when this weather front finishes we get a nice spring Chinook and I will head out and take a look around.
 
My dog has now found a couple of smallish whitetail sheds already. That was during the past few days' beautiful weather...now that arctic conditions are once again hitting us, our walks will be much less productive for her in the coming days.
 
Spring 2017 finds...matched set of moose and 2 matched whitetail sets including multiple singles...some of the highlights pictured below from Foam Lake and Wolverine Saskatchewan. Found 9 in one day and without the use of a quad, horse, or dog. Not sure how many total miles I walked but it was probably over 10 miles per day in 7 days. Found 6 sheds off one quarter section one day and 5 sheds off another quarter. A sign that I was the first guy in. Walked for 10 miles another day and only found an old dead and a small shed. Clearly a sign of a picked over location.










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