Did you know…some fun facts about antlers and shed-hunting:
The #1 Typical Whitetail Antler in the Shed Record Book is a 6-point 104 6/8” left side picked up in Illinois 1992.
The #1 Non-Typical Whitetail Antler in the Shed Record Book is a 24-point 156 5/8” right side found in Saskatchewan 2007.
Individual bucks often shed their antlers the same week every year.
Antlers are the fastest-growing tissue in the animal kingdom.
Increasing daylight and a buck’s falling testosterone cause antlers to shed.
Once a buck drops one antler, the other one usually falls off within hours.
Huge whitetail antlers can be found in many city parks and suburbs. Get permission to shed hunt these type areas if you can.
When you’re out looking for antlers, mark off small grids, walk slowly and look straight down for a brown or white piece of bone.
Look for pieces of antler as you hunt: a tine or the white gleam of a beam.
Rainy days are good for shed searching—wet antlers shine and stand out.
Squirrels and porcupines chew on antlers for the calcium they provide.
Sheds are valued by size and grade, from Grade A Brown (best) to old, white chalk.
Deer antlers can fetch $5 to $18 a pound, depending on grade and size.
A matched set of grade A fresh sheds from a trophy 6-point elk can be worth $500 to $1,000.
