Remember our other post on how to antler hunt? I shared in that post that I found one five point elk antler but was unable to find the match. Well, we went back to the same area this week and I found the match!!!!

My eyes were scouring the area around me and I was about to turn and head up the steep mountainside when our two dogs ran past me and started sniffing around about 15 feet ahead of me. They stopped and when I looked at them, the sunlight caught the two sun bleached bottom tines of the match to my 5 point elk antler I found last week!

Needless to say I was ecstatic. The spot I found the match today was about 30-40 yards from where I found the other elk antler last weekend even though last week I had looked around for the mate but was unsuccessful. What a joy to go back this weekend and find it, I feel so honored!

This antler also has a lot more squirrel damage and sun bleaching from lying on the south facing slope, but flip it over and you can see the original dark coloring of the antler and it shows little squirrel damage.

After hiking up the mountainside and around the bench at the top that was covered in a lot of deer and elk sign, we started heading out a ridge line to the west of where we were. I spotted a downed pine tree so went over for a closer inspection of the area.

About three feet from the downed tree, I found this little buck antler!

It looked about the same length as the other small buck antler I found last week but felt a lot narrower so I was skeptical it was a match.

Once we got home we compared the two small buck antlers and decided they in fact were NOT a match, as you can see there is too much variation in the antler circumference.

I can’t wait until we go antler hunting again, likely in a different area next time and who knows what we will find next!

Even with some squirrel damage, these antlers are making some wonderful “yard art” on our deck right outside the window where my serger sewing machine is so I can see them as I work on my creations!