Some times it takes a few years.

[antlerradar]

Back in the winter 2004 I had group of three nice bucks located. That spring I found 5 of the 6 antlers. I searched hard for the last one but never could find it. This morning I walked out on a little point and there it was fifty yards below me right out in the open. I have been on that point at least a dozen times over the years and never saw it. Judging by the pattern of the lichen growth it looks like the antler was just recently moved. Likely by a coyote.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Use the force, Art.

 

[Oak]

I don’t think most people realize just how long they will last out here in the west. I’m sure I have found 30+ year old deer antlers before.

 

[antlerradar]

Use the force, Art.

One person tried to convince me that I could find antlers with a set of his dowsing rods. He even gave me a set. I haven't tried them yet.

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Great find!

 

[Sasquatchewan]

I don’t think most people realize just how long they will last out here in the west. I’m sure I have found 30+ year old deer antlers before.

I've found some seriously old sheds. While I am not as excited finding an old shed as I am a fresh one, I have to honestly say that I find it very rewarding that I am the one who finds them, sometimes after probably 10+ years of hunters/hikers walking around.

 

[Bambistew]

Surprised it survived the critters. Cool find!

Caribou antlers start rotting in about 4 months, most are garbage in about 3-4 years. Some will make it a little longer if they are in the rocks, but they get this wierd mildew/mold that grows on them really quickly.

I don’t think most people realize just how long they will last out here in the west. I’m sure I have found 30+ year old deer antlers before.

I think after about 7-8 years the only way you can really tell is if there is lichen on them. Lichen grows at like 0.5-1mm a year and take maybe 6-10 to establish. I've found antlers that I'm sure where 50+ years old or older. Just depends on where they are laying. Think about all those antlers nailed to barns.

When I was a kid, maybe 14-15ish, my neighbor had a bunch of elk "yard horns." He was about 75ish at the time. I was always fascinated by antlers and ask him one day about them. He picked them up over a few years time while riding the range in SW MT when he was much younger 20s (they were 50ish years at that point). They were all in very good condition for chalk, most were off bulls in the 350-390 range.. he had probably 2 dozen of them, ridiculous collection elk sheds. I saw them a couple winters ago (his grand son has/had them). They are all still in very good shape, they're 70+ years old now, still sitting outside along the driveway.

How old is this moose antler? It looked exactly like this 9 years ago too...

 

[antlerradar]

I don’t think most people realize just how long they will last out here in the west. I’m sure I have found 30+ year old deer antlers before.

This is one of the reason I posted up this find. I have talked to hunters from back east that have found an ten year old + antler and are excited about hunting the buck. It is a big let down when I tell them the buck has likely been dead for years.
For the record the oldest antler I have found where I can get an accurate age in 40+ years. A buck my dad shot back in 72 and I found the antler forty + years later. Posted a thread on this forum a few years back.

 

[brownbear932008]

Back here in the East the rodents work them over quick. In some places I've found very old sheds in great shape other areas two months on the ground and they are a mess. This one I found last month in a small wood lot that is infested with squirrel and it was tore up bad and had probably not been on the ground a month.

 

[The Hedgehog]

One person tried to convince me that I could find antlers with a set of his dowsing rods. He even gave me a set. I haven't tried them yet.

What it a dowsing rod - let me try it, I never find antlers..

 

[Art Vandeley]

 

[EYJONAS!]

Only you Art Haha great find!

 

[theat]

Very cool. It is amazing how long an antler can last in an arid climate. I had to go down to Denver for a wedding around 10 years ago and decided to spend a couple days messing around near Leadville. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground but I found some BLM land in an area with no snow and stumbled across this mule deer set. After finding the one with the rotten log laying over it, it made me wonder if it wasn't 50+ year old?






Also found this young ram not too far away.

 

[theat]

It is pretty wet in my neck of the woods and the rodents are usually quick about getting their teeth into them. This is one of the oldest ones I have found around here that at least still looks like an antler.

 

[mountain monster]

Found this old set last year on May 15th at Sun river game range. Hard to believe nobody else has come across them with all the people that hit it.

 

[phor-O-six]

I have no idea how long this one has been laying around, but I know I have walked within at least 25 yards of it on many occasions. The Easter egg analogy seems more appropriate to this antler than most others I have found. I decided to leave it out there. For some reason, I just feel like this one belongs where it is.

 

[antlerradar]

A long long time.

 

[elkrchr]

That is cool that you finally found the other side. Some awesome photos of other antlers as well.

 

[TheTone]

I found my first antlers off this deer, the brown 2x3 set in the second row in the spring of 2016. I saw him with them on thanksgiving day in 2015. He didn’t live in a big area and saw little to no hunting pressure, but that was the only sighting I ever had of him. The only other antler I know is properly ordered is the brown 4 point which I picked up in 2017. I “think” the top two antlers are the oldest off of him. I may have found his skull this spring and if it is his it looks like he died a year or two ago. I’m a bit embarrassed how out in the open a couple of them were and it still took me years to find them