ANTLERS: A GUIDE TO COLLECTING, SCORING, MOUNTING AND CARVING. By Dennis Walrod.

2005 1st edition. 8vo paperback (152 x 228mm). Ppxii,211,ad. B/w photographs.

"There's no question that antlers are hot these days, with collectors paying top dollar for quality racks and everyone from hunters to hikers searching for them in fields and backwoods across the country. Handicraft techniques have moved far beyond the basic trophy mount as well, and you can find antler knives, antler pipes, and even antler chandeliers in shops and homes. Equal parts natural history and instructional guide, this truly unique book offers a fascinating survey of all things antler, from their biology to their role in wildlife management to the sordid side of the antler boom. (Dubbed 'the new ivory,' they have a lively presence on the international aphrodisiac market.) It's also loaded with practical information and step-by-step instructions for collectors and craftsmen, designed to maximize the use (and profit) you can get out of your antlers". Chapters include:- Incredible antlers; Antler mania; Shed-hunting: "Lost and found" in the woods; Keeping score: How to measure antlers; The medical benefits of velvet antlers; Mounting and displaying antlers; Carving the new ivory; Antler fabrication gone wild; Antler art: From cave walls to the internet; The future of antlers. An appendix gives Boone and Crockett score sheets for the various species of North American antlered game.