By Wilson Kerr — Columnist
They were on a ridgeline, deep in the woods.
Finding the first one was like noticing a gold nugget in a stream bed. I was immediately aware that I had something valuable — precious even. The deer antler was cool and solid and smooth in my hands. And then, just a few feet away was another — a matched pair.
They formed a symmetrical left and right, and these treasures of the woods held real power. As if a percentage of the life force of the animal itself was somehow transferred and left behind. I could sense it as clearly as I felt the warm sun on my face or heard the male cardinal sounding the impending arrival of spring from a treetop.
Antlers are used by male deer, elk, and moose as a formidable defense against predators and to mark and defend their territories. But each February and March, these members of the Cervidae family “shed” their antlers. They literally fall off. Unlike horns, which are permanent and made of fingernail-like keratin, antlers are made of living bone and regenerate annually.
When they regrow over the spring and summer, antlers are covered with a layer of soft, velvety tissue that comes off when they dry up and harden in the fall. In both form and function they are remarkable examples of nature’s beauty, growing larger each successive year. In fact, antlers are the fastest-growing bones on the planet. Bull elk antlers can grow an inch per day.
A natural masterpiece
Finding a shed in the woods is like finding a Picasso at a yard sale. But instead of aesthetics defined by human standards, you are rewarded with natural beauty forged by eons of evolutionary mastery. Antlers are polished — worn smooth by a year of use — and their color is alive, blending dark ivory hues with maple syrup and bourbon browns.
Shed hunting is a real activity and a wonderful way to spend time in the warming woods after the long winter. You can even buy a book called “Brown Gold” by Martin Brose, full of tips and techniques for finding antlers. I love the title.
Knowing how deer behave can help a lot, and because of this, many fall deer hunters excel at finding sheds in the spring. Though it is possible to find one randomly, you increase your chances by focusing on warm, south-facing slopes where deer feed. Rubs, as the name implies, are where bucks rub their antlers on trees; they’re good places to look.
But you have to be quick, as dropped antlers are a source of calcium, phosphorus, and protein for forest animals like mice, squirrels, and porcupines. And fear not, for it would be difficult for people to find and remove enough to have any detrimental impact, especially with our overabundance of deer.
A backyard bonanza
I took my daughter Aiya shed hunting four years ago. We were unsuccessful, and I stopped by our real estate agent Kim’s house on Blueberry Lane on the way home. While I was inside, I heard a yell from the yard. My sharp-eyed girl was pointing to a patch of melting snow near a bush, and there it was — her first shed. A beautiful, tall antler dropped by a neighborhood six-point buck. A proud Dad moment!
Sheds can be used for arts and crafts or even mounted like a trophy, if a matched pair is found. Most people have seen stag-handled knives, and antler lamps and chandeliers are ubiquitous at ski lodges and the like. Or you can simply keep them as is and admire their beauty on a mantel or shelf. That’s where Aiya’s is.
When you find a shed, you have found a real treasure — one I feel is infused with the spirit of the animal that owned it. Their beauty is in their heft and the smooth golden-brown color that seems to light up from the energy of the deer itself. Perhaps most important, shed hunting allows non-hunters to find trophies of their own, gained not from killing a deer, but from the time put in looking.
Until next month, keep your eyes peeled for “brown gold” in the woods, as you spend Time Outdoors. And if you live on Blueberry Lane, check your yard carefully.
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Wilson Kerr lives in Concord and is an avid outdoorsman and amateur naturalist. This monthly column is written to help grow awareness of the wonders of nature. In this increasingly fast-paced and technology-packed world, it is important to stop and take in the beauty of our area and the animals that inhabit it. The author hopes this column will be read by families and used as a teaching tool and that you will spend more… Time Outdoors.
