# Elk Sheds



## ake24 (Nov 23, 2013)

Guys I've never had anything to do with shed hunting but I found two elk sheds this past month while out on a buddy's family farm and they're are pretty much symmetrical in every way (pair?). They were _maybe_ 75 feet apart which I thought was pretty cool. None of the tines are chipped, no teeth marks that I can find, no cracks anywhere, and have what I would consider to be some pretty dark brown colour on them except out at the tips where they are smoother and anywhere from white to gray-brownish.

I'd like to try to sell them but I have no clue who to sell them to or how to know if I'm getting a good deal. I saw a truck with a decal in his window that said he buys sheds and we're meeting up later next week so he can price them; so now I have a buyer who is willing to buy them based on weight and colour (he gave me some estimates at 10/brown colour, 7/light brown, 5 and under for white depending on condition). Is this the best way to do it? Does anyone know someone who they trust to give them fair prices? What do you all consider to be a "fair" rate per pound?

The green thing in the pictures is just a 1 foot ruler for size reference. Sorry about the rotation - took them wrong on the phone.


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## horn hunter (Oct 30, 2013)

Are you sure you found those within the last month? Those look pretty fresh to me and elk horns shouldn't be hitting the dirt for another month and a half, at the earliest...

I think you be lucky if you got $100 for the set. Probably closer to $75... Cool horns tho


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## chet (Sep 7, 2007)

sounds like a bs story to me, but whatever..... (been on the ground for 10 months? really?)
nice long 3rds.... but a buyer has to make a profit.... you might get $30 each


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

That second picture looks to me like they are cut of at the base.


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## Jrdnmoore3 (Sep 1, 2013)

They are cut at the base can clearly be seen in the second picture first mistake second mistake is picking up sheds this time of year doesnt happen unless they are bright white and sun bleached third mistake you cant pick up sheds legally without taking a course until april 15th.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Jrdnmoore your full of BS

First those are sheds and not cut horns.

Second you can pick up sheds anytime of the year you want.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

reb8600 said:


> That second picture looks to me like they are cut of at the base.


I agree.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

From my phone they look like sheds! So ill give the benefit to ake!

If they are cut horns ake may have some explaining to do. Saying you have a set of sheds you found and there cut off horns more than likley means bad news in utah. Honestly don't know how someone could be that stupid.

However you can still pick up sheds any time of year you want. You only need to take the online test and have the certificate durring a certain time of year. You can only sell sheds durring a certain time of year also.


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## Antlers&Fish (Nov 21, 2013)

Hope they are sheds. But legally you can pick them up. Take a fun Utah ethics course. Not sure if he would even need that if it is in private land.


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## ake24 (Nov 23, 2013)

Here's the bases in detail, I just asked my buddy if he could get some date stamped "As they lay" pictures from his phone for me (Left my phone in the car that day since I didn't think there'd be anything of note out there). Hope these clear up some of your doubts.

Just so I understand (You know, for next time I want to share something cool with everybody or ask for some advice), what's the best way to avoid getting labeled as unethical or as a poacher by everyone?


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Thought they were legit!


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Jeeze people you only need the stupid shed certification from feb 1st to april 15th. Some of ya need to pick up a proclamation and actuall read it.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

How about everybody stops jumping on ake's back. They look like shed's to me and the pictures he just put up look even more like shed's. and swbuckmaster is right, the only time you need the certificate thing is from Feb.1 to april 15.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm sorry, they looked cut in those other pictures.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Picking up fresh elk horns in the beginning of January is unheard of, deer shouldn't even begin at their earliest to drop for a couple weeks let alone an elk that should shed from March-May, it doesn't make sense, and who knows why, but a lot of things don't make sense in this world. Personally I don't believe it, but that's just me.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

If the elk was sick or close to death it could drop earlier. Its rare but not unheard of.


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## duck jerky (Sep 8, 2007)

swbuckmaster said:


> If the elk was sick or close to death it could drop earlier. Its rare but not unheard of.


This:!:


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

Every shed I ever seen had a bulb extending beyond the base. Those do not. I have never seen a set of sheds "found" that were flat like those. Not to mention they were not dropped a month ago and have not been sitting on the ground for 10 months. Look at the shed in the link below then tell me these elks "sheds" are not cut.

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/12-big-game/40687-deer-shed.html


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Those are for sure sheds... If you have ever seen elk sheds 90% of the time they have flat bases. If they were indeed found just recently my bet is that they are some of the first 2014 sheds to drop this year. An extreme rarity. I have seen a lot of different extremes from bucks shedding at the shock of a bullet in October to a buck shedding one side in February only to pack the other side until the first week of May then finally breaking it off on a fence post leaving a small chunk of bone pointing off of one edge... Whatever chemical it is that interrupts horn growth and creates the burr and separates the antler from the base of the skull moves at its own pace. One day you could drag a buck by its horns and the next day the sheds could become dislodged by a 5 mph wind.


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## ake24 (Nov 23, 2013)

Well, we can all argue until we're blue in face about whether or not people think those are sheds but I'm done trying to defend myself to some of you. There's a sweet $170 in my pocket that's giving me all the affirmation I need from the guy who bought them for $10/pound. Evidently he's got some sort of side business buying sheds from sportsmen and selling them to craftsmen. He had a really cool collection too.

Anyway, if any of you are interested in his phone number to sell what sheds you may have PM me. He was really easy to contact, seemed honest (zero-ed his scale while I was watching, had cash on hand, up front and straight forward sort of a guy), was willing to come to me, and said that if I ever found anything else to give him a call and he'd buy whatever I had. If I ever find any more I'll be giving him a call and I'd recommend him to anyone.


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