How to Score Deer Antlers
Introduction
Deer antlers are the ultimate sort after trophy from small game among many hunters and fauna trophy enthusiasts. When you happen to nick one, it feels like the best award ever, especially if it’s done through hard gaming. Hence, can you learn how to score deer antlers? According to the various wildlife state laws regulating deer hunting, it’s possible to score antlers.
Although with regulations, it’s possible to hunt deer antlers across American. These unique mammals are global, and you can find them across the continent. But depending on the region, you will find diverse types that embrace assorted characteristics. Even though their categorization may be different, there’s a complete variance between its look-alike, the antelope. Identifying these two has been known to confuse many deer antler hunters.
They have insanely similar looks and characteristics, incase of unfamiliarity, you can end up hunting the wrong game for antlers. Thus, in case you’re unfamiliar with deer antlers and what it entails to score one embrace yourself for more acquaintance. Many antlers heads embrace diversification on information to aid them to capture these precious artefacts.
This is meant to raise the success probability factor since an imperial understanding of their hunting and shedding is imperative.
Essential Facts on Deer Antlers
There are some essential facts about antlers that need due regard. If you happen to be a novice, then first understand there is a complete difference with comparable appendages or limbs. Nonetheless, there are dissimilar antlers found on elks but its contingent to the deer’s locality. It will also depend on the type of deer species available in the state.
The Most Common Types of Antler Deer
These are mainly categorized on the two types you can find in the state; these are the mule and whitetail deer. Each has its unique physiognomies on its colour, physique, antler, and the location they can be found.
Mule Bucks
The mule deer can be mainly found in the West, North and south parts of America, but it’s not limited to these parts. Some prefer mountainous regions, while others can comfortably occupy the plains. Their foremost tell the short black tail, which is smaller compared to the white-tailed deer. Mule bucks have thinner and taller antlers which are different from its equivalent, and this is a standout aspect.
Mules grow their Antlers annually but the season for shedding and growing will vary depending on its habitat. Also, the environmental conditions are another variant that influences the mule’s shedding of the antler.
White-tailed Elks
These inhabit most parts of the North, South and Central America and are commonly referred to as the Virginia deer. They happen to occupy the most parts of Virginia and hence the name. The males or bucks have shorter antlers but thick in size. Whitetails have a unique underbelly that is white compared to the brown mule bucks.
It’s vital to note the significant difference between the two bucks deer, is the level of aggressiveness. The mules are less aggressive compared to the whitetail deer.
Ways on How to Score Deer Antlers
In lieu of deer antler hunting enthusiast, the urgency of knowing means of ownership remains the number one priority. These are the legitimate ways you can get your hands on a deer antler without contravening any laws. Here are the acknowledged ways you can score deer antlers.
Hunting
Hunting seems to generalize the contextual meaning, but this is down to hunting antler bucks during their shedding period. This is one of the most common ways you can acquire antlers. Deer elks shed their antlers annually; therefore, every year, you are bound to find antlers in their area’s habitat. It’s vital to realize that you have to acknowledge these mammals have different shedding period.
This will mainly be influenced by diverse conditions the bucks are living in under which consequently affect its shedding. Below are dynamics that determine when deer elks shed their antlers hence facilitating the realization of their hunting.
Factors Affecting Shedding Of Deer Antlers
The Breed
Both mules and whitetail elks annually shed their antlers but on different intervals during the season. If you are looking forward to scoring deer antlers, this becomes an essential issue to consider. Each shed’s their velvets in summer, but the mules shed their antlers from January through March and end in April.
The White-tailed deer may start shedding their antlers as early as November to March or April, but this will depend on their testosterone levels.
Climate
The climate is another factor that will affect the possibility of scoring deer antlers. Most bucks, regardless of breed, shed their antlers depending on the photoperiod. When its summer, winter, spring or fall, the temperatures will vary, but this doesn’t directly affect antler shedding. The sunlight period during the day will affect how fast the elks will cast their antlers.
During long sunny days, bucks will raise their testosterone which allows them to mate more. But it’s vital to understand that before mating, the elks will shed the antlers. During winter, deer antlers drop less because the temperatures are low, which makes it hard for velvet casting. Also, in warm weather, it easy to track these herd’s movements, thus allowing you to retrieve the antlers. So, to score deer antlers, you have to be considerate to the hot weather factor that’s influential.
Injuries Due To Fighting For Dominance
Antlers will cast when deer are involved in territorial fighting because of resources or pure buck dominance. During seasons when there is minimal food or when the deer herds occupy alien territory, much fighting is involved. This leads to dropping of antlers hence an opportunity to nick the casts. These conflicts happen to be a common occurrence, and if you follow their activities closely, you can score antlers.
Buying
If you wish to own deer antlers without doing much hunting work, you can buy them. It’s very conceivable, and it will depend on your market connections and the regulations in your state. But before buying an antler, know its source first and method used to attain it. If all these have been done in contravene of set state laws, you are destined for legal prosecution.
Also, since the buying trend of commodities has being changing with time, you can find antlers being sold online. These may be through auctioning, but the laws and consequences of buying illegal wildlife game don’t change. You are liable by law if you happen to buy illegal deer antlers.
Red Laws for Deer Antlers
Deer hunting is an overall regulated activity and requires consent from the wildlife conservancies. It’s due to the swift growth the activity has been experiencing that the dynamics impact the laws. Due to the increased antler hunters and buyers, state jurisdictions have been undertaking strident changes to protect game and maintain sanity.
Thus, some of the influences have been stated to conditions allowing you to score deer antlers.
Requirements By Dint of Law on Deer Antlers
These are the factors that offer legality of ownership on the deer antlers you might possess either through hunting or buying.
The Right Age
Before acquiring any antler, some states will require a complete statement on the game trophy. This will include the age of the deer that the antler came from since maturity is highly regarded. From six to seven years, it’s the period the antlers start casting from the deer. This is explicitly realized from its size, and only expert antler hunters can know the difference in size.
Flouting this rule can lead to persecution even if you were not aware that’s if you bought it from a second party.
Antler Hunting Location
The location you are hunting these deer trophies will differ since each state has its set regulations. To avoid putting yourself in problematic situations, ensure that you are well equipped with all the regulations. In Virginia, you can hunt, buy or trade deer antlers, but there is no law on collecting shed casts. If you’re in Oklahoma, then the antler will require a carcass tag showing the source of the trophy.
In Missouri, if you are to own an antler, you should have a bill showing the address, names and description of the antler. This is its size, age, among other features.
Missouri Bill showing sale names address description
The Fines
Learning how and where you can hunt deer antlers comes with consequences in case of adverse regulation intervention. If you illegally acquire antlers knowingly, you can be fined twenty thousand dollars or five-year imprisonment. Unknowingly breaking the laws makes you liable to misdemeanour charges that include ten thousand dollars or a year in prison. Buying antlers without prior knowledge of the sources can land you a fine, not less than three hundred and fifty dollars.
Why Hunt For deer Antlers
Antler heads hunt these game trophies for various reasons. Here are the main reasons why deer antlers are the most sought after game trophy.
Economic benefit
Deer antlers are game trophies, and you are aware of how pricy they can be. An antler hunter can make a considerable amount of money from selling them. As long as they are in perfect conditions, the market is readily available. But, it will depend on the type, size and the whole structure length of the antler points.
It’s the main drive for deer antler hunters in the different states they are available.
Cultural rituals
Some cultures have beliefs that encompass the requirement of deer antlers for their fulfilment. Cultural rituals offer demand for these antlers and hence the motivation to hunt them. It might not be so prevalent in the modern world, but this still happens in some states.
Competition
In some states, organized competitions are held to hunt deer antlers with a prize for individuals who collect the most. These usually are regulated, and when collected by the organizers, they are auctioned to facilitate wildlife conservancy.
Final Verdict
The elks or the wapitis provide the world with unique antlers that in demand in most states. Knowing how to score deer antlers allows hunters to own or possess this exclusive game trophy. It’s impossible to hunt or collect them without the holistic information that involves deer antlers and governing regulations.
Engaging with the comprehensive information provided above will enable you to score the antlers fast and without breaking federal laws.