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Animal Facts

With the exception of Caribou and Reindeer only the males have antlers. Mature males shed their antlers once a year in November/December and replace them with new larger ones. They are formed of living tissue supplied by blood through a network of vessels covered with a soft smooth skin called VELVET. Eventually the tissue solidifies, the velvet is scraped off and the antlers become completely formed of mineralized dead matter. Their main function is for display during the mating season and dominance within the herd.

Animal Facts

I find a handful of shed antlers every year, but most are purchased through sources verified to be 100% fair chase compliant. All antlers are ethically harvested. Cool Facts About Antlers & the Animals Who Wear Them… Most of my antler chandeliers are made from elk and mule deer antlers from the all over the country and includes several antlers and light bulbs. Elk and mule deer antlers are dropped, or ‘shed’ in the spring and collected by hikers and shed antler pickers, who gather and sell them. Elk and mule deer grow new, larger antlers each year until they reach their prime age of about 6-8 years old, at which point their antlers are no longer shed and reach their maximum size. ANTLERS VS HORNS All male members of the deer family in North America shed their antlers annually, including Moose, Whitetail Deer, Blacktail Deer, Sitka Deer, Couse Deer, Reindeer, and Caribou. Reindeer and Caribou are the only deer species in which the female also grow antlers! The horned animals in North America include the 4 sub-species of wild sheep, antelope, Bison, and Mountain Goat. Those species are not members of the deer family and carry their horns their entire life. The two terms, antler and horn, get mixed up a lot, but they are completely different. Antlers are actually covered in a blood bearing tissue called “velvet” when in the growth stage. In late summer, blood flow gets restricted due to an annual spike in testosterone, and antlers slowly morph into a hard bone by fall, then they are shed in spring. The shedding of antlers is caused by the new antler bud pushing the old one off right at the base of the skull. Horn is a two-part structure made up of an interior portion of bone that is covered by an exterior sheath of specialized hair follicles that grow together and harden over time. Horn constantly adds to itself at the base of the skull, pushing the hardened portion forward and creating the curved shapes we see.

Antlers

The origin of the word MOOSE is from the Algonquian Indians to mean 'eater of twigs' Description: The largest cervid in the world; horse-size. Long, dark brown hair. High, humped shoulders; long, slender legs; tail inconspicuous. Huge pendulous muzzle; large dewlap under chin; large ears. Male much larger than female, with massive palmate antlers, broadly flattened. Antler spread usually 4–5' (1.2–1.5 m); record 6' 9" (2.06 m). Breeding Mates mid-September through late October; after gestation of 8 months, 1 or 2 calves born late May–early June. Newborn weighs 24–35 lb (11–16 kg). habitat Spruce forest, swamps, and aspen and willow thickets. Range Most of Canada; in the East south to Maine, Minnesota, and Isle Royale in Lake Superior; in the West, Alaska, British Columbia, and southeast through Rocky Mountains to NE Utah and NW Colorado.

Moose

Description: A very large cervid, with thick neck and slender legs. Brown or tan above; under parts darker. Rump patch and tail yellowish brown. Male (known as a bull) has dark brown mane on throat and large, many- tined antlers: 6 tines on each side when mature, with main beam up to 5' (1.5 m). Males weight 600–1,089 lb (272–494 kg), female 450–650 lb (204–295 kg). Range chiefly high, open mountain pastures; in winter, lower wooded slopes, often dense woods. Range From e British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba south to New Mexico and Arizona, with great numbers in Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Also along coast from Vancouver Island to California; isolated populations elsewhere in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan. Small numbers in several eastern states, notably Pennsylvania. The Elk is primarily nocturnal, but is especially active at dusk and dawn.

Elk

White Tail Deer

Description: Size varies greatly; a small to medium-size deer. Tan or reddish brown above in summer; grayish brown in winter. Belly, throat, nose band, eye ring, and inside of ears are white. Tail brown, edged with white above, often with dark stripe down center; white below. Black spots on sides of chin. Buck’s antlers have main beam forward, several un branched tines behind, and a small brow tine; antler spread to 3' (90 cm). Doe rarely has antlers. Male weight 150–310 lb (68–141 kg), female 90–211 lb (41–96 kg).Range Southern half of southern tier of Canadian provinces; most of U.S., except far Southwest. Although primarily nocturnal, the White-tailed Deer may be active at any time. It often moves to feeding areas along established trails, then spreads out to feed.

American Bison

Description: The largest terrestrial animal in North America. Dark brown, with shaggy mane and beard. Long tail with tuft at tip. Broad, massive head; humped shoulders; short legs clothed with shaggy hair; large hooves. Both sexes have short black horns with pointed tips that protrude from the top of the head, above and behind the eyes, curving outward, then in. Horn spread to 3’ (90 cm). Males weight 991–2,000 lb (450–900 kg), female 793–1,013 lb (360–460 kg). Habitat Varied; primarily plains, prairies, and river valleys; sometimes forests. Range Historically ranged from South Northwest Territories to Northwest Mexico, Texas, and Mississippi, and east to Southwest New York, South Carolina, and Georgia. Now large, free- ranging herds only at Wood Buffalo National Park, Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary, and Slave River Lowlands in Northwest Territories, Canada, and in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Small free-ranging herds in Alaska, NE British Columbia, NW Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories. The American Bison is most active in early morning and late afternoon, but sometimes also on moonlit nights.

Description: A small bovid. White above and below, often with yellowish or brownish cast; hooves yellowish brown. Horns of ram massive, light yellow, with well-defined growth rings flaring out and away from head; about 3' the largest recorded size; horn spread to 3' (90 cm). Males weight 174- 200 lb (79-91 kg), female 100-125 lb (45-57 kg). Similar Species Bighorn Sheep is brown, has larger, thicker horns, and occurs to the south. Habitat Rocky, mountainous areas. Range Disjunct populations in Alaska, Yukon, Mackenzie district (Northwest Territories), and British Columbia. Dall's Sheep is diurnal. Its habits are similar to those of the Bighorn Sheep, but it seems more wary and agile.

Dall’s Sheep

Petrified wood has been preserved for millions of years by the process of petrification . This process turns the wood into quartz crystal which is very brittle and shatters. Even though petrified wood is fragile, it is also harder than steel. Petrified wood is known for it's exquisite color and detail. Some pieces of petrified wood have retained the original cellular structure of the wood and the grain can easily be seen. Petrified wood can be found throughout the desert regions. It is easy to find and identify. It is used often in jewelry making and for other types of decorative artwork. The process of petrification begins with three raw ingredients: wood, water and mud. Petrification of the wood found in the Petrified Forest began during the Triassic Period when the primitive conifer fell to the ground and into the waterways on a journey through time. The logs were swept and tumbled downstream with sediment and other debris. The mud that covered the logs contained volcanic ash which was a key ingredient in the petrification process. When the volcanic ash began to decompose it released chemicals into the water and mud. As the water seeped into the wood the chemicals from the volcanic ash reacted to the wood and formed into quartz crystals. As the crystals grew over time, the wood became encased in the crystals which over millions of years, turned the wood into stone.

Petrified Wood

Bristlecone Pine is the oldest inhabitants on earth with living specimens dated at 9,000 years old! Bristlecones are only found on the harsh windswept mountaintops of the Great Basin in the western United States. Occurring in only six western states, many of the trees living today were seedlings when the pyramids were being constructed, mature in the time of Christ, and ancient patriarchs today. Bristlecone trees can remain standing for hundreds of years after death and will not fall until their supporting root system is undermined by erosion. Bristlecone wood has a high resin content, preventing rot and decay. Fallen trees resist natural destructive elements on the ground for thousands of years. Many of our items are made or trimmed with Bristlecone Pine. The increasingly high demand and very limited availability of this precious wood guarantees each privileged owner a "one of a kind" work of art providing lifetimes of enjoyment.

Bristlecone Pine

Description: This polished slab of agate Cryptocrystalline Quarts has been cut from a nodule which was mined in Southern Brazil. Concentric, waving and irregular banding patterns owe their form to intermittent depositions by silica rich solutions in hardened lava air pockets. These deposits of silica reflect the irregular shape of the cavity in which they are formed. Metallic impurities of iron and aluminum are responsible for naturally contrasting colors. Very rich royal blue, deep black and dark red colors are from dyes used to enhance the color of the porous,finely crystallized banded silica of the agate.

Brazilian Agate

Call 270-462-2522

Animal Facts

I find a handful of shed antlers every year, but most are purchased through sources verified to be 100% fair chase compliant. All antlers are ethically harvested. Cool Facts About Antlers & the Animals Who Wear Them… Most of my antler chandeliers are made from elk and mule deer antlers from the all over the country and includes several antlers and light bulbs. Elk and mule deer antlers are dropped, or ‘shed’ in the spring and collected by hikers and shed antler pickers, who gather and sell them. Elk and mule deer grow new, larger antlers each year until they reach their prime age of about 6-8 years old, at which point their antlers are no longer shed and reach their maximum size. ANTLERS VS HORNS All male members of the deer family in North America shed their antlers annually, including Moose, Whitetail Deer, Blacktail Deer, Sitka Deer, Couse Deer, Reindeer, and Caribou. Reindeer and Caribou are the only deer species in which the female also grow antlers! The horned animals in North America include the 4 sub- species of wild sheep, antelope, Bison, and Mountain Goat. Those species are not members of the deer family and carry their horns their entire life. The two terms, antler and horn, get mixed up a lot, but they are completely different. Antlers are actually covered in a blood bearing tissue called “velvet” when in the growth stage. In late summer, blood flow gets restricted due to an annual spike in testosterone, and antlers slowly morph into a hard bone by fall, then they are shed in spring. The shedding of antlers is caused by the new antler bud pushing the old one off right at the base of the skull. Horn is a two-part structure made up of an interior portion of bone that is covered by an exterior sheath of specialized hair follicles that grow together and harden over time. Horn constantly adds to itself at the base of the skull, pushing the hardened portion forward and creating the curved shapes we see.

Antlers

Moose

Description: A very large cervid, with thick neck and slender legs. Brown or tan above; under parts darker. Rump patch and tail yellowish brown. Male (known as a bull) has dark brown mane on throat and large, many-tined antlers: 6 tines on each side when mature, with main beam up to 5' (1.5 m). Males weight 600–1,089 lb (272–494 kg), female 450–650 lb (204–295 kg). Range chiefly high, open mountain pastures; in winter, lower wooded slopes, often dense woods. Range From e British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba south to New Mexico and Arizona, with great numbers in Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Also along coast from Vancouver Island to California; isolated populations elsewhere in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan. Small numbers in several eastern states, notably Pennsylvania. The Elk is primarily nocturnal, but is especially active at dusk and dawn.

Elk

White Tail Deer

American Bison

Description: The largest terrestrial animal in North America. Dark brown, with shaggy mane and beard. Long tail with tuft at tip. Broad, massive head; humped shoulders; short legs clothed with shaggy hair; large hooves. Both sexes have short black horns with pointed tips that protrude from the top of the head, above and behind the eyes, curving outward, then in. Horn spread to 3’ (90 cm). Males weight 991–2,000 lb (450–900 kg), female 793–1,013 lb (360–460 kg). Habitat Varied; primarily plains, prairies, and river valleys; sometimes forests. Range Historically ranged from South Northwest Territories to Northwest Mexico, Texas, and Mississippi, and east to Southwest New York, South Carolina, and Georgia. Now large, free-ranging herds only at Wood Buffalo National Park, Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary, and Slave River Lowlands in Northwest Territories, Canada, and in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Small free- ranging herds in Alaska, NE British Columbia, NW Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories. The American Bison is most active in early morning and late afternoon, but sometimes also on moonlit nights.

Description: A small bovid. White above and below, often with yellowish or brownish cast; hooves yellowish brown. Horns of ram massive, light yellow, with well-defined growth rings flaring out and away from head; about 3' the largest recorded size; horn spread to 3' (90 cm). Males weight 174-200 lb (79-91 kg), female 100-125 lb (45-57 kg). Similar Species Bighorn Sheep is brown, has larger, thicker horns, and occurs to the south. Habitat Rocky, mountainous areas. Range Disjunct populations in Alaska, Yukon, Mackenzie district (Northwest Territories), and British Columbia. Dall's Sheep is diurnal. Its habits are similar to those of the Bighorn Sheep, but it seems more wary and agile.