2016 - Volume #40, Issue #5, Page #02
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Wanted: Elk And Deer Antlers
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“About 95 percent goes to Asia for the medicinal trade,” says Procknow, owner of Alberta Antler.
He began buying antlers about 25 years ago when he was a door-to-door insurance agent. As a hunter he appreciated big antlers, and farmers were happy to get money for the shed antlers they found in their fields.
Realizing there was a strong market abroad, he went into buying antlers full time. He used to sell to the U.S. but after Mad Cow disease, import restrictions included antlers. Procknow turned to Canadian connections with China and began working with a buyer in Hong Kong.
Unweathered elk antlers (mostly from elk farms) are considered the most valuable for medicinal nutrients, followed by antlers stored indoors. Antlers that have turned white from being outdoors lose some quality and are worth less per pound.
Procknow pays more for trophy-size antlers. He recalls a farmer who had thrown antlers on a rock pile. He was happy to sell them, but showed Procknow a big whitetail deer shed that he wanted to keep - until Procknow offered him $500 for it.
Beside collectors, there is also a market for antlers among artists for chandeliers and furniture.
“The dog chew market is also growing. I sell to the largest supplier in Canada,” Procknow says.
There are many antler buyers in Canada and the U.S., he adds. They often network to trade. In Canada there are no regulations regarding selling and trading sheds, but there are some states in the U.S. that have restrictions.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Herb Procknow, Alberta Antler, 55 Ave., Viking, Alberta Canada T0B 4N0 (780 336-3546 or 780 385-0076; hpalbertaantler@gmail.com).
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