"elk ivories" ???

boogercounty

New member
...I've heard this term several times, and haven't learned what nor where.

Someone please enlighten me. I have seen pictures of jewelry made with them, but that's all.


Do only bulls have them, or cows, also???


Yes, I'm serious. This is a term I have heard, and people say if you kill an elk, you should retrieve them for a keepsake or souvenir.

Any help??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
it is 2 teeth on the upper jaw also known as bugles! they are where canines would be if they had them ! Never hunted elk so I'm not sure if cows have them or not, but I think they do!
 
Yep, both bulls and cows have them. From what I have heard the ivories used to be tusks many thousands of years ago. They only take a minute to cut out and do make a cool memento. Usually older elk will have darker ivories that have more character. On old elk the ivories will be worn down. Calves and young elk will have nothing worth cutting out.

I know guys who search the wintering grounds looking for shed antlers and winter kills and then take the ivories off dead elk.
 
Here is a pic of a few sets that were easy to find. The small set is a calf. Don't remember which of the other sets are from bulls or cows.
574b73f5.jpg
 
Thanks, guys.


That's what I like about this site, there is always someone willing to answer a question.

Once in a while, you'll get a cute answer, but mostly, good answers.

I'm going elk hunting this year, for the 2nd time, ever. I was asking about the ivories, just in case.


Thanks to all.
 
Came across a fresh elk carcus today. No meat but the head was there. Which probably means poaching. Anyway they left the ivory for me.
 
Does elk always have ivories? And is the material different from it's other teeth?

Funny that ivories were mentioned right now. I took a detour from a hunt last week to collect a rather ripe upper jaw from a moose with ivories, which is rare. We're trying to figure out how rare but have found no statistics yet. In roe deer it is unusual but not super rare, one in 20 has them.
 
Here is a pic of a necklace i made from ivorys I have taken from bulls i killed over the years along with claws from my first B bear.
 
When I hunted in Germany for 4 or 5 years it's very popular there for the hunters to make accessories for their hunting outfits, rifles, or wives with the "eye teeth" of the Hirsch....red stag ( Euro Elk ). It's one of the 3 trophy's off the animal that belong to the hunter.
 
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