Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: boots on December 08, 2010, 11:55:07 PM

Title: elk ivory
Post by: boots on December 08, 2010, 11:55:07 PM: 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?
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: PolarBear on December 08, 2010, 11:57:32 PM: I just throw them in a drawer in my shop.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: grundy53 on December 08, 2010, 11:58:25 PM: 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.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: grundy53 on December 08, 2010, 11:59:27 PM: i was told to carry it in my pocket for a few weeks and it will shine up really well.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: BigD on December 09, 2010, 12:02:25 AM: 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/ (http://www.elkjewelry.net/)
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: bwhntr2819 on December 09, 2010, 06:18:22 AM: I'll keep the ivories from any elk I kill. Only have one pair at the moment.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: MADMAX on December 09, 2010, 06:21:36 AM: 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.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: krout81 on December 09, 2010, 07:04:37 AM: 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 :chuckle:
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: singleshot12 on December 09, 2010, 07:05:05 AM: They always make a good luck charm or necklace.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: DoubleJ on December 09, 2010, 07:10:36 AM: Which teeth are the ivories?
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: singleshot12 on December 09, 2010, 07:17:11 AM: The shiny rounded off ones in about the middle of the jaw I believe
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: D-Rock425 on December 09, 2010, 07:21:59 AM: I keep all of mine. They shine up real nice in your pocket
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: krout81 on December 09, 2010, 07:30:55 AM: Upper Canines the only 2 teeth on the front Cant miss them
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Hyde on December 09, 2010, 07:32:06 AM: I collected 7 sets before I sold them on Ebay. Got $200.00 for the batch.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: krout81 on December 09, 2010, 07:36:12 AM: This is pretty cool
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: HUNT on December 09, 2010, 07:52:51 AM: 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.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Hornseeker on December 09, 2010, 08:21:00 AM: 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
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: 400out on December 09, 2010, 08:38:01 AM: 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
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: grundy53 on December 09, 2010, 08:41:39 AM: Quote from: Hornseeker on December 09, 2010, 08:21:00 AM
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
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: elkoholicmike on December 09, 2010, 09:10:38 AM: 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.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Mike450r on December 09, 2010, 09:20:07 AM: 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
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: DoubleJ on December 09, 2010, 09:20:59 AM: Is it just 2 teeth? On the top I'm assuming?
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: jackmaster on December 09, 2010, 12:11:56 PM: the only 2 on the upper jaw about half way down his jaw bone towards his throat we have always called them the whistlers
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Chesapeake on December 09, 2010, 02:49:31 PM: 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.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Alan K on December 09, 2010, 04:22:14 PM: I've kept them all, or at least pulled them out. . . Don't know where they ended up. :dunno:

I too save my recovered bullets.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: ouchfoss on December 09, 2010, 09:26:30 PM: 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!
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Ihuntelk2 on December 09, 2010, 10:11:22 PM: Elk used to have Tusks back in the day like pig and saber tooth tigers, they used for foregging.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: bowtech721 on December 10, 2010, 08:09:22 AM: I save them for sure... eventually plan on doing something cool with them
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: rock on December 10, 2010, 04:29:15 PM: kinda hard to get a recovered bullet when you use a 12 gauge slug :chuckle: i dont know why :dunno:
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: 400out on December 10, 2010, 04:55:20 PM: Here is the coolest I've seen and 3 differant I have, Left to right -mature bull,cow,spike :hello:
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: poohdog on December 10, 2010, 05:41:21 PM: 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.
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Hawk I on December 10, 2010, 06:50:47 PM: 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!
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: Big P on December 10, 2010, 09:33:38 PM: how do you pull them, just use pliers?
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: 400out on December 10, 2010, 09:46:00 PM: 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 :hello:
Title: Re: elk ivory
Post by: bow4elk on December 10, 2010, 09:48:54 PM: 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 :chuckle:

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.