Elk Ivories and Elk Rack

[338winmag]

Well I never gave this any thought (actually did not ever hear of this till stumbling upon a video)

Who here removes the Elk ivories or whistler teeth for "whatever"?


Also, do any of you just cut and take the elk rack but not the head?

 

[DrMike]

I have cut out the ivories on occasion, but I've never done anything with them. I have friends that have collected them; and on occasion, I've known of friends that used the ivories in making jewelry. I don't collect either the racks or the antlers, though I have friends that seek mounts. I know a couple of people that use the antlers for knife handles.

 

[jimbires]

I have the ivories from both my elk . I haven't done anything with them, still in the bag . I have the horns off my bull . haven't done anything with those either . Jim

 

[Teknys]

We've always pulled the ivories. We just keep them in the desk or a jar. Just carry them in your pocket with some change and they will polish right up.

 

[rick smith]

I have given racks to an old fellow who made whistles from them also have given quite a few whitetail racks to a lady who made buttons for period clothing.Rick

 

[Guy Miner]

Didn't have room in my house for a full shoulder/head mount, so I just kept the elk antlers on an oak plaque. They're on the wall in our family room, and remind me of a great hunt with a good friend every time I see them. A full head/shoulder mount of a big bull elk is large and just wouldn't work in our older home with smallish rooms.

Kept the ivories and was going to have them made into earrings for my wife, but somebody stole 'em! Some of that elk-ivory jewelry is pretty neat.

 

[Elkman]

I had a large number of ivories I had collected over the years, but I met a fella this spring on a fire in Arizona who has a wife who makes traditional Native American clothing. I mailed them to him, it was better than having them stored in a old glass milk jug. I have only one set of elk horns, ( and no head mounts) they are from the first elk my father killed and are from a mature Roosevelt Elk, killed east of Eugene Oregon in 57 or 58. One of my first hunts for elk with him.

 

[338winmag]

As always, these are the answers I am looking for.
Thanks all. 3 nights and a wake up and I am gone till end of month.

I am not excited one bit though.
Again only 72 hours, 29 minutes, 38 secsonds and 13 milliseconds

 

[6mm Remington]

I always keep my ivories just to have. They are really beautiful and each set is unique. I had a necklace made out one for me a long time back. They make beautiful earrings for women, and rings, but I'm not a ring wearing guy.

I have a couple elk racks from bulls I have taken, and I had my largest mounted and in my house. Long story but I don't have the mount any longer. It was beautiful and like others have said, it reminds you of the hunt and refreshes the memories, and that is what is important.

 

[R Flowers]

Yeah, like the others, I have the ivory from most of the elk I have killed. I have not had jewelry or anything made with them, just like to look at them. I have one great mount of a 6x6 bull from New Mexico in the living room. beautifull with the nicest ivory tips you ever saw.

The first elk I ever killed I did not get the ivories from as I was trying to survive being kicked in the ribs and the side of the head by another hunters horse after the fool fired his 300 Wby right over the horses head. We were in the high country in Wyoming and it was touch and go. I had a bad concussion and several broken ribs. Tried to ride my horse out of there but the ribs hurt too bad. I walked till dark then just had to give up and ride after it got dark, as I could not keep up.

The guides quartered the elk we had killed and they went back for them in the morning. I sat in camp and doctored my wounds. When I came in the night it happened my dad about had a fit, I guess the side of my face and head were a bloody mess.

Oh well, that was a long time ago and the last time I ever sat a horse. I could not be mad at the horse it was that fool huntes fault. (idiot) That horse was just mad and struck out at the closest thing he could find.

The ivories are never the same, very unique trophies.

 

[NoelW]

Here is a white rose pendant necklace and earrings I had made for my late wife in 1999. A local jeweler did it for me. He cut 1 tooth into 4 pieces to make the earrings and engraved white roses on all pieces and on the whole tooth for the pendant.

 

[jimbires]

your jewelry is nice , very nice . Jim

 

[DeerTracker]

Somewhere I have all the ivories from every elk I have killed. I sanded the root down on one and drilled a hole in it. I put a little split ring through the hole and on a leather cord and made a necklace.

 

[Scott Spencer]

I have a shoulder mount of my elk in my living room and the ivories are still in the bag. I've just never decided what to do with them. Maybe a necklace for myself is something to think about. My wife really doesn't wear jewelry that much anyway.