Antlers on Ebay, your thoughts....
 

Lately, I was curious looking up some game cameras and deer stands on ebay and came across people selling harvested deer antlers on there as well. It got me thinking. I looked at many of these antlers and 90% did not have tags on them anywhere and looked to be quite fresh. I could understand someone selling a rack here and there from a garage sale or a road kill, but some people had 8 to 10 racks at a time with no tags seems fishy. True, they could come from a ranch but I feel with no restrictions on antler sales on ebay, but I can't see that many people doing that. Seems like this just encourages poaching. What stops someone from going out, shooting a nice buck and just cutting the rack off and making some money. Seems like ebay should have some sort of regulations on this (ie, tagged antlers or a letter from the game preserve it came from). Just a thought, I hate poachers and anything that would benefit them and seems like ebay may be one of those things. Would like to hear what other people have to say. Thanks

Are you assuming that the tag must remain with the rack in every state in the US ? Its not required here at all.

Sheds will have no tag.

I can donate to you a rack, tag wouldn't match you at all.

Road kill won't have a tag.

Depredation hunts probably won't have a tag.

I believe PA has laws against the sale of any part of a game animal. Not sure how that works if you buy from another state.

I could never sell any of my antlers. Even a spike rack has special meaning to me and I could never replace it. It is a slice in time that will never come back.

Why would anyone want to buy someone else's trophy? Success must be earned, not purchased.

Meby they want to make some rattleing antlers or a knife handle and don't want to use a antler from a buck they have harvested???

If you look carefully, you'll see the majority of them were not cut off. I don't know many who want cut-off antlers. Most I see are sheds. Having the cuticle attached gives the antler realism and is also used in crafts.

Seems fishy? LOL! So if a guy and family or friends go out shed hunting and gets several pair after a season's end, he's suppose to have antler soup? Some keep the finds, some make arts and crafts from them, while others may trade or sell them.

Not sure if you thought it all out before your post, but if you think about it, there are many crafts for sale out there that involve antlers... jewelry, belt buckles, key chains, lamps, knives, plaques, etc. Someone out there selling several racks doesn't raise my suspicion... now bear gall bladders are a different matter. LOL!

iSnipe

We Pennsylvania Germans grind the antlers into a powder and make a tea out of it. It's an aphrodysiac :D

Who said this had anything to do with a trophy or success. Antlers are used to make all kinds of arts, crafts, furniture, decor, jewelry and costumes. I sell off any antlers I find that I don't want to the guy who processes my game meat. He makes lamps, knife handles and furnishings with them.

I honestly don't see a problem here. Plus, I don't feel poaching plays a big part. Some folks may want to sell antlers to help with their income. I'm not sure, but I don't think there are many states that restricts the sale of antlers.

As long as the antlers were obtained legally, I guess I don't see an issue with it. I would say that I wouldn't be interested in purchasing them but some people do not have access to private land like I do and as has been mentioned, there are alot of applications such as art and furnishings as well as making a rattling set.

As far as buying them for the purposes of display, as a trophy, it may not be ethical, but people do that and I expect there is a market for it. In fact, I've seen stories on TV about catching poachers who literally take orders and go out and shoot a deer for someone.

In Montana the tag is required to stay with the meat, not the antlers..... Technically, you are supposed to have the tag with the meat in your freezer, although I don't know of anyone who has ever been checked. I do keep my tags in the freezer where the meat is.

Beware when it comes to antlers on ebay....... I just read a discussion in another forum about a set of antlers on ebay where the score had been grossly overstated. The guy who made the post had seen the antlers before they were listed on ebay. The listing on ebay stated they would score 199", although they only scored in the 160's. When I looked the bid was already up to $3500...I don't know what the final price was. These were shed antlers. How anyone could pay that much for a pair of shed horns is beyond my comprehension...

Every antler I find is a trophy to me. If I go out in the woods and find antler I consider it successful. Right?

unfortunatley with those type of cowards, nothing:s8:

There is a web site called antler tom .com and this guys sells consigned antlers from all over and he gets out ragious money. Who keeps tags from animals they kill .i dont my home is to cluttered as it is.

Thanks guys, just wondering about everyones opinions. I understand that a lot of people use antlers for crafts and things like that. I find nothing wrong with that at all. I enjoy seeing the knives, coat racks, chairs and such made of antlers at outdoors shows. The thing that concerns me is when I see a rack still attached to a skull plate that is on Ebay. Just the other day I saw one person selling 9 racks all attached to skull plates still. It just seemed kind of fishy to me. I understand people supplementing there income with sheds and maybe selling off a rack here and there and I find nothing wrong with it, we all run into tough times, but when I see many racks on ebay and no where does it say where there from it seems a little "iffy" to me.

I guess ever buck (and doe for that matter) has a story. The antlers of all my bucks tell a story and I couldn't sell them unless I was in serious financial trouble.

Shed antlers are a different story. People spend days hunting for them and deserve to do what they want with them. I see no problem in selling them at all. I personally have around 20 or so. One day Im hoping to make a chandalier (sp?) for my future hunting cabin (fingers crossed!).

Again, I was just curious on everyones opinion. Maybe Im thinking of too many negative thoughts when I see these racks still attached to skull caps. I just hear of too many stories with poached deer (and seen too many) with just there antlers cut off, I just hate to see people benefiting financially from poaching in this fashion. Sorry if I offended anyone, didn't mean too.

I don't think there is "great" money to be had by killing bucks and selling them on ebay, the profit margain wouldn't be in the sellers best interest...just speaking realistically..

However sometimes it can lead to stupid people doing stupid things!!!

http://www.californiagameandfish.com...01r/index.html

Not sure what you can do in Indiana. Selling meat is illegal, so I figure the same goes for antlers too, but not sure.

haha. It definitely don't help you spell better.