A Basic Description of Antler Shed

After receiving a very angry email about this article being anti-hunting from an avid hunter, I thought I better clarify a few things here: This article is to assure folks of a sensitive nature, that antler items, whether in our store or someone else's, are not necessarily from dead animals! Deer and Elk shed their antlers naturally. For the record, my husband & I do hunt! Not so much as we have gotten older but there was a time that hunting and raising farm animals were our only sources of meat. I can't believe I had to put a disclaimer on here! I hope you enjoy the information below.

When I was a kid, I thought for every antler candle stick holder, ornate antler chandelier and antler handled knife there was a knuckle dragging redneck devouring a poor animal or worse yet an animal left rotting on the side of the road being picked by buzzards. I was wrong! I am happy to report there is no need for animals to be harmed in anyway for antler products such as we carry for your purchase and enjoyment. Log Cabin Fever Gifts & Decor is providing this interesting and important information regarding humane antler product construction and shed antlers so you can enjoy one of nature's incredible gifts guilt free.

It is an amazing site to behold when a Bull Elk rears his majestic head and displays his massive rack for all to see. It is just as amazing to me that he grows that enormous set of antlers every year! Bulls and bucks, the males of the Elk, moose and deer species shed their antlers, that is, their antlers literally fall off or are rubbed off once a year. During the winter and spring months, usually between February and April depending on your locale, the animals rub against young trees, brush, the ground and each other with their antlers to get them to come off so the new antlers at the base of the old can grow. When that bull elk raises his head next year to proudly show off his new rack he will have another point or tip as well.

The new antlers, which are true bone unlike horns on cows and goats, grows at an amazing rate. Elk and moose antlers can grow an inch a day, which explains their awesome racks that appear to just keep growing. The young antlers are covered in velvet which is a fuzzy skin to protect the growing bone. This velvety skin is the only know regenerating skin found in mammals. Velvet is sensitive and full of blood vessels to nourish the new antlers until it is no longer needed. The velvet is susceptible to damage which causes antler bleeding and abnormalities if rubbed or damaged too early in the growing stage. Eventually the velvet dries up and falls off, sometimes assisted by the animal rubbing on trees and brush. A few months later, as stated earlier between February and April, the antler are ready to be dropped or shed, again assisted by rubbing.

This is the time to collect the shed to make those beautiful antler decorating items. If antler shed collecting or hunting is something you think you and your family would enjoy please see our article on Responsible Antler Shed Collecting.

Apologies to dear hubby, my knuckle dragging Redneck!

Article by Elly Kendall. Elly writes for Log Cabin Fever Gifts & Decor. http://www.cabinfevergifts.com

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