elk ivory

[boots]

Does anyone collect the ivories from the elk that they harvest?

I got my first elk this year and a buddy told me to take out the ivory teeth and clean them up and save them.

I thought it was kind of cool and just wondering if anyone else does this?

[PolarBear]

I just throw them in a drawer in my shop.

[grundy53]

i just started this year. i took one out of the rag horn i killed. i just wish i would have snagged the ones out of my first 2. They were older animals and a lot bigger.

[grundy53]

i was told to carry it in my pocket for a few weeks and it will shine up really well.

[BigD]

Saw a show a while back about elk ivory jewelry, they did some nice work. Don't remember the company but here is a link to one i just looked up.
http://www.elkjewelry.net/

[bwhntr2819]

I'll keep the ivories from any elk I kill.  Only have one pair at the moment.

[MADMAX]

I keep all the ivories even from winterkills I find shed horn hunting, I drill a small hole in the root and put them on a leather boot lace.
Have a dozen sets maybe give or take.

[krout81]

I have a leather necklace my Dad made for me with my first elk teeth all attached with wire.  I have added the ivories from my other elk except I have lost a few and forgot to pull 1 set, because the head was nastey when I left.  So yes I keep them 

[singleshot12]

They always make a good luck charm or necklace.

[DoubleJ]

Which teeth are the ivories?

[singleshot12]

The shiny rounded off ones in about the middle of the jaw I believe

[D-Rock425]

I keep all of mine.  They shine up real nice in your pocket

[krout81]

Upper Canines the only 2 teeth on the front Cant miss them

[Hyde]

I collected 7 sets before I sold them on Ebay.  Got $200.00 for the batch. 

[krout81]

This is pretty cool

[HUNT]

I keep them all.  Put them in a jar in my reloading room.  Gonna put them on a leather boot lace one of these days.  

[Hornseeker]

Mine are in my pocket right now... Got a pretty good collection in a draw in my shop, like PB.... Hell yeah... save your ivories!

I am going to embed these ivories in my bow handle... or possibly in my rifle stock (since I killed it with my rifle... we'll see)..

E

[400out]

I keep all of them they are veryy special to me! The bull I go this year has the coolest colors i have ever seen! I will postt pictures of them later

[grundy53]

Mine are in my pocket right now... Got a pretty good collection in a draw in my shop, like PB.... Hell yeah... save your ivories!

I am going to embed these ivories in my bow handle... or possibly in my rifle stock (since I killed it with my rifle... we'll see)..

E

Mine our in my pocket too

[elkoholicmike]

Yes it is important that you keep the ivories from your elk. They make really nice jewlrey and so on. I have all of mine labeled for each year of harvest. Some are not as colorful as others but they still mean alot to me. In the past the indians used them to decorate clothing and so on. So by all means hang on to those and happy hunting folks.

[Mike450r]

Keep em all, I forgot one set years back and regret it to this day, it's part of the trophy especially on anlerless kills

[DoubleJ]

Is it just 2 teeth?  On the top I'm assuming?

[jackmaster]

the only 2 on the upper jaw about half way down his jaw bone towards his throat  we have always called them the whistlers

[Chesapeake]

I keep them all. Keep all my recovered bullets also. Have my first set on a necklace with the recovered bullet hanging on the rearview in the truck. All the others are in a ziplock with the recovered bullets in my toy room.

I have no idea why I keep them, just do.

[Alan K]

I've kept them all, or at least pulled them out. . . Don't know where they ended up. 

I too save my recovered bullets.

[ouchfoss]

I keep every set.  If I remember right, they are the only ivory you can legally sell or purchase in north America. I still have the set from my first elk back when I was 14. There is also a several sets I have found on some winter kills. Plus the trick about cleaning them by putting them in your pocket works perfect!

[Ihuntelk2]

Elk used to have Tusks back in the day like pig and saber tooth tigers, they used for foregging.

[bowtech721]

I save them for sure... eventually plan on doing something cool with them

[rock]

kinda hard to get a recovered bullet when you use a 12 gauge slug  i dont know why 

[400out]

Here is the coolest I've seen and 3 differant I have, Left to right -mature bull,cow,spike 

[poohdog]

Has anyone had a ring or necklace made from their teeth.  Does anyone know somebody that does this type of stuuff.  And yes I keep all mine also.

[Hawk I]

After taking the Ivory's out of my elk this year. I had them on the floor on my shop with the skull plate and horns to clean up. All I did was turn my back and my lab had a elk ivory scooby snack. I'm still looking into any crap pile that I can find!

[Big P]

how do you pull them, just use pliers?

[400out]

The best way is to cut the gums loose on the back of the tooth then use a claw hammer and they pop right out 

[bow4elk]

I keep all of them but there are a few sets from cows and spikes I didn't take out.  Some are in a bowl on my bench, some in a roll-away drawer, some in my archery tackle box, and I once found a set deep in the glove box of my old Mazda when I was cleaning it before selling    

Big P - it's best to cut around the tooth with a caping knife then I wrap the tooth in a piece of cloth or leather and wiggle it out with pliers.  You have to be careful because the jaws of pliers can crack the tooth or chip the enamel pretty good.  I use boiling water to quickly to "flash" cook the tissue, then peel it off.  Boiling the teeth for any length of time can actually crack them in half.