Phil Carr Report post Posted December 1, 2013 How long after an elk sheds his antlers will it take for the antlers to start turning to an ivory color? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rageinthesage Report post Posted December 1, 2013 Couple months Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimmer Negamanee Report post Posted December 18, 2013 Interesting question. “Ivory” is kind of a special term in antler-speak. It generally means “white-ish” meaning white with a hint of yellow tint to it. An antler can still be on an elk and have ivory tips, for example. In fact, that’s really cool. With that said, if by ivory you mean the sun-burned white of an old shed, I’d say it depends on if it gets direct sunlight or not. If it does, it can turn white in a couple of months exactly as Rageinthesage suggests. Maybe even sooner. If it’s in a shady spot, it can stay brown for maybe six months or so, maybe a little longer. I would say that, out here in the West, the sun is the biggest degrader of antler color and condition but time is a strong second. (I hear that back east critter gnawing is a biggie.) Great question though. Nice thing aging sheds in the field is that they're always 1 year (give or take a month) apart. But there are times where, depending on condition and location, it can be hard to pinpoint when they dropped. Others on here are much more qualified than I am to chime in though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
