Naturally shed elk antlers are collected each spring from the National Elk refuge and auctioned off at this family event to raise money for the Boy Scouts and also to give 75% of proceeds to the Elk Refuge to support habitat improvement projects.
Collectors come from all over the world to bid on the antlers. They can be used for mounting, medicinal purposes (Asian buyers), chandeliers, jewelry, knife handles, furniture, and even dog chews because they love the marrow inside. It's illegal to harvest the antlers from the ground in the Elk Refuge, but the Boy Scouts have an agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service that allows them to harvest them solely for the auction. Over 4 tons of antlers will be auctioned, at prices of $15/pound and up.
From the Elkfest website:
"We try to provide a variety of lot types. We sort and
bundle antler into the following lots. There will be lefts, rights, or
lefts and rights, and be graded by size small, medium, and large:
- matched pairs
- bundles of small antler (appx. 6 lbs/antler)
- bundles of medium antler (appx. 8 lbs/antler)
- bundles of large antler (appx. 10 lbs/antler or more)
- bundles of small one and two point antler for knives, etc.
- pallets, lefts and rights, and matched pairs (200-400 lbs)
- pallet(s) of broken antler for dog chews and crafts
- small trailer of bulk antler
- large trailer of bulk antler
- trailer of white antler
- winter kill skulls
- beetle cleaned skulls
- bison skulls
- deer and moose antler (rarely)
It's been chilly and drizzling since I arrived, but this evening I finally ventured out for a walk around the ranch. There are hummingbird feeders around the main lodge and all day long, they are literally covered with tiny birds. 
Not far into my walk, I saw a few deer, along with an elk and a pair of geese in a field. Not a bad day. The sun's supposed to come out tomorrow. I'm definitely not used to temps in the 30s and 40s in May!
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