GRONG Report post Posted December 24, 2006 I found this set in 21 this past Oct on my coues hunt. I think they were dropped in the 80's by the look of them. They were about 25 yards apart on a bench I don't think anyone has been on since they were dropped there. Didn't see any deer either, maybe that's why. I only got one good "as it lay" shot when I found the first. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted December 24, 2006 old ones fr sure. I bet they did not weigh much either. Josh, 1980's, are you serious. I never thought antlers would last that long in the open. Elements and critters would seem to tear them up faster than that, but I am curious to hear your opinion on how long antlers can last in the open like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted December 24, 2006 Cool finds for sure. Boy you weren't kidding about being ancient. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BASS Report post Posted December 25, 2006 I have a set that dates back to the late 70's that my great grandfather shot. They sat out in his garage/carport in a box that got wet each time it rained for years until he died about seven years ago and I snagged them. They look better than some of the ones I find from last season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRONG Report post Posted December 25, 2006 old ones fr sure. I bet they did not weigh much either. Josh, 1980's, are you serious. I never thought antlers would last that long in the open. Elements and critters would seem to tear them up faster than that, but I am curious to hear your opinion on how long antlers can last in the open like that. From my experience and my degree in "antlerology" the past 17 years I'm just giving it a guess. Really hard to say actually but I do know that a coues antler weathers much better than elk sheds do when left untouched in the field. A coues antler will not get very chalky till it's been laying out in the sun for about 3 years at the earliest. Sure they'll lose their color but they'll stay pretty solid for a few years. For an antler to start splitting on the ends of the beams and points literally takes more than 10 years, I'd say closer to 15. az4life, place an antler you really don't have a connection to and hang it up outside and see what happens to it and at what stages it really begins to deteriorate. When it comes to the critter damage it seems that antlers get eaten in really brushy country and in the pines, from my experience. Antlers dropped in the wide open tend to do much better than ones dropped in areas of high populations of squirrels, rats and porcupines. I just found a coues antler in a pack-rat's nest in 8 a couple weeks ago and I shoulda taken a picture of it, that was a first for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
