Red River Find of a Livetime - Stag Antler

[johnr]

I have a handed down knife from my great grandfather with an antlered handle that he personally made and used for many years. I would say it's one of my top 5 prized possessions.

 

[Bed Wetter]

I'm thinking a 1911 grip goal.

Maybe multiple grip sets. Or one really big 1911.

 

[muskelllunge13]

Way cool find! Growing up in GF many years ago we would wade out in the red barefoot to feel for neat stuff, I found a couple partial buffalo skulls and a wolf skull ( probably the extinct buffalo or Plains wolf a larger subspecies of eastern Timber wolf).. I brought that skull to Bob Seabloom that was the mammalogy professor at UND who confirmed it. Not sure if he is still around..

Elk were common hundred of years ago in central Nodak. The Painted woods region was the main wintering area which the Native Americans fought over all the time because of the good hunting. My good friend making a feedlot 50 years ago with his bull doser found a mass of elk sheds covered in sand from many years of flooding..

 

[CatDaddy]

I promised Svn I wouldn't let this thread die without giving the end to the story....I failed. ;:;banghead

Not sure if this is the true end of the story or not, but here's what I finally found out:

Dr. Wendy Reed at NDSU, a vertebrate morphologist in the biology department gave the opinion that this antler was from a massive specimen belonging to the Eastern Elk, a subspecies that was extirpated from our area in the 1850's by hunting. She said that conclusive evidence would come from a genetic test that NDSU is not capable of, however she was confident in her answer and was excited for my find! According to her, the Eastern Elk is extinct and was wiped out completely in the U.S. from over hunting by settlers in the 1890's. She was unable to give any information on age of the antler except when the animal no longer existed.

It's enough for me to hear from her - I am not currently in a position to pony up for the $$ to genetically test but maybe someday I'll prioritize it and get it done!

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He was a professor of mine and really knows his stuff or can direct you to the right people.


Donald P. Schwert
Professor Emeritus of Geology
Department of Geosciences
Geosciences Bldg. 205
Dept. 2745
P.O. Box 6050
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA
E-mail: donald.schwert@ndsu.edu

Thanks Trapper - Donald was the contact that put me in touch with Dr. Reed!

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It's a slow go with communication to the Heritage Center in Bismarck. Anyone have any suggestions in Fargo?

And a comment on the Heritage Center. I emailed back and forth a few times with their Chief Paleontologist, during which they seemed uninterested and told me that they don't do carbon dating so basically good luck. Didn't point me any other direction, offered no other information, but did tell me it would cost thousands to get it dated. They then stopped communicating with me. I was gracious in all emails and NEVER demanding of anything - curious why it was so unimportant to them. Oh well.

 

[Ristorapper]

Probably not old enough for the paleo guys at Bismarck!! they like dealing with things aged in the millions of years.

 

[CatDaddy]

Probably not old enough for the paleo guys at Bismarck!! they like dealing with things aged in the millions of years.

You're probably right....I guess I should have mentioned I chiseled it from the jaws of what looked to be a T-Rex. Damn invasive species!

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Especially if it's Eastern...

Looks like you were most likely correct!!

 

[svnmag]

Thanks sir!

I've been chomping at the bit every time I mention a black Texas rigged 7.5 in Culprit with a 3/8oz bullet weight and 3-4/0 Eagle Claw LazerSharp offset. I believe those cats in your pics would be possible and amazing fun on bass gear. The worm needs to "peck" the bottom not a high hop. I swear to you sir, I'm not effing around. It's surprising how one can catch a species when the LOCATION is pinned down. Walleye and cat have a very similar top-water strike...

I don't know if cats as big in your pics would even "tap/thump" a worm. If I were doing this with the boy, I'd tell him to feel for a sensation of the line being cut and reel down to "weight": "If you think there's a fish Son; give a TINY bit of slack then jerk it crosseyed. If you miss, the worm will tell you the story". Bigger fish have lighter hits with plastic worms. Sometimes the slack will quickly straighten out unlike Elton John. If you see the slack running away; jerk it crosseyed just before the line gets tight."


Anyways, please keep us updated with the aging process. I still say sell it for 1911 grips...

 

[svnmag]

I just realized I've been confusing you and Capt. Brad for quite a while. I LOVE feeling like a tool.

 

[svnmag]

 

[CatDaddy]

I just realized I've been confusing you and Capt. Brad for quite a while. I LOVE feeling like a tool.

I'm flattered, but not worthy......