Whether you hunt deer or elk, shed provides many clues to an animal’s homeland, such as preferred travel routes and bedding areas. (Shutterstock photo)
May 01, 2026
By Mark Kayser
My fascination with antlers dates back nearly half a century to the day when I found my first slightly-deteriorating whitetail antler on a high slope in South Dakota’s Black Hills. I still have that old shed today. Man’s obsession with antlers extends beyond recorded history into human prehistory. The allure of antlers likely began with horns on the African continent, but cave art in the Old and New worlds, ancient antler artifacts, and even newer antler tools collected from Native American archeological sites all point to humans’ appreciation for antlers not only as useful tools, but also as ornamental adornment. Our ancestors had good taste.
When I first got...
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