do you have to boil elk antlers for dogs

Native Nickname – Elk are also known as wapiti.Not only can other herd members provide protection, but being in a group also makes it statistically less likely you will be the animal picked by a predator. Elk are commonly found in herds of 10 – 20 individuals.

All For One and One For All – Another great way to avoid being eaten is to remain in protective groups.

tall! This size makes them quite a challenge to natural predators. When you add up their large antlers, and impressive shoulder height, male elk can stand well over 9 ft.

Standing Tall – All elk are large, imposing animals, with even the females easily weighing over 500 lbs.

Their size is not their only unique characteristic, as they have a number of interesting survival adaptations. These massive animals are members of the deer, or Cervidae, family. Horns have a sheath of keratin, a blood vessel filled core, and are never shed. These antlers differ from horns because they are made of bone, and are shed yearly. If nothing else, shed hunting can turn into a hobby that pays for itself or provides you with a little extra cash for when the real hunting begins.Males have large antlers that can be nearly 4 ft. In some instances, individual antlers or sets have been sold at a much higher price to collectors looking for giant or one-of-a-kind animals.Īs for smaller matched sets, a 170-inch mule deer goes for around $60, and 300 class elk sells in the $200 range. A 400 class elk can fetch over $1500, while a 200-inch mule deer can be worth $500 or more. This is because the market is saturated with humongous whitetail antlers from farmed deer.Īlthough some buyers will pay a premium for sets, this generally only applies to extremely large or unique antlers. Fresh whitetail sheds generally fetch around $6-8 per pound, but are not as easily sold as mule deer and elk. Chalky, white antlers still have a value, but around $1-3 per pound. Last year's white antlers in good condition are $8 per pound for mule deer and $10 per pound for elk. Most antlers are purchased at a price per pound and on a quality grading system.Īs a general average, brown mule deer antlers fetch around $10 per pound and brown elk antlers average $12 per pound. Shed antlers are big business, and buyers are out there looking to pay you to find them. Just because you're not willing to eat the antler doesn't mean your dog won't be thankful a shed hunting trip. Dogs enjoy gnawing on them and get calcium as an added bonus. This is now a large part of the shed antler market. When heated, the gaseous ammonia is released in the baking process, acting as a leveling agent.Īlthough you would not just bite into a shed antler or boil it up and put it on a plate, recently antlers have grown in popularity as dog chews.

This was the predecessor to baking powder, which is still used today in thin shaped cookies and crackers. This product is made from distilled, ground antler by burning in kilns, which makes ammonium carbonate. Although rare now, some old recipes still call for Hartshorn.

Processed antlers can also be used in baking recipes. Antlers can be used to make gelatin by boiling the ground antler and straining off the remains, which could be used to make fruit gelatin or added to homemade jellies. Deer antlers are edible, and not just as a pill used in eastern medicine or a health supplement. You've heard the adage 'you can't eat the horns,' but that's not necessarily true.

Do you have to boil elk antlers for dogs