Antler Shed 101

Antler Shed 101
by: Elly Kendall

This article on antler shed is provided so individuals know that antler products can be made without animals being injured in any way. I also hope to promote ethical antler shed collection. So here are the basics:
Antler Shed 101
by: Elly Kendall

Antlers do not just keep growing. They drop off and the animals grow new ones. These sloughed-off antlers are called shed. Shed hunting or collecting has been a great source for week end entertainment, especially during the off hunting season from late winter to early spring. Shed antlers are prized for making everything from jewelry to chandeliers. The big bonus is that the animals drop them every year and do not have to be killed for their antlers. However, collecting shed must be done with the animals best interest at heart. Never approach wild animals of any kind. There is no need to push them off their feeding and watering areas or disturb their routines just to get an antler. Winter is a very hard time for these animals besides they will drop more next year.

Bucks and bulls, the males of the deer, elk and moose species, shed their antlers every year usually between January and April. The father north in the United states the earlier they drop. Here in Arizona it seems like late February to late March is especially a good time. If you go as far south as Old Mexico the bucks don