Featured 1st Find in Just Reopened Thrift Store - BIG Replica(?) Deer Antlers?

I was driving by one of the thrift stores I use to go to every day & saw a line in front - so I immediately parked & got in line my self (the feeling I got that they were finally open again must be like what a addict feels who has been going through withdrawal & finally gets his fix!) - and this is one of the first things I found (and for $20 I thought it was a steal even if a replica).
Only have 1 question - mostly wanted to show you'all what I found!
1 Question; what's the best/safest way to tell if it's real or a replica?
PS - they measure 34" tall from antler end to end & 26" across from top antler tips.
Thank you!

 

If the 2 are near mirror images of each other, I would guess faux. Don't think they are quite so symmetrical in nature.

 

Some hunter cut a plaque out of a pine board, attached a can tab to hang it. drilled through the bit of skull and used whatever screws he had handy to attach the antlers - not the best presentation, but will have a good value because of the size...

Aren't you in the Miami area? Thought y'all were still on shut-down of non-essential businesses?

~Cheryl

 

Elk, no doubt real, just an inexpensive way to display them.

 

My dad was a hunter and I actually have a set of antlers on my wall, unmounted. Usually the whole head is mounted by a taxidermist (pricey, only done for very important ones), or the antlers are just cut off with their natural base of bone and fur. Sorry this is kind of gross! Ha. I have never seen one like this without hair, obviously it is a home made mounting. Check for any leathery/hairy organic material. Maybe it was boiled clean. I am familiar with whitetail deer, I don't know these particular antlers but they would be very difficult to create! A mold would cost a fortune at this size/complexity, so if it's not carved of wood, they are probably real antlers. The two my dad were mounted were so important to him, they were named, and were assigned to nephews in his will. My son got the mounted crappie fish ha.

 

Are the antlers naturally attached to the skull plate, or are they shed antlers affixed to it?

 

look real from here........

 

Someone went out west on an elk hunt and bagged a nice 5X5 buck. Certainly not a trophy or monster but wanted to mount the antlers inexpensively.

Elk racks are normally very symmetrical.

No one would bother to reproduce an artificial set of antlers for an elk this size. He was probably only a 2 year old. The dimensions you listed aren't impressive for a trophy sized elk.

Age guess based on: height & width of rack, length of tines, small girth of beam and the fact that they show only minimal rubbings. He was never a contender with the big boys during the rut.

Am sure the hunter was very excited to bag him and wanted the antlers as a keepsake of an important hunting trip but he didn't warrant an expensive mount.

 

when you really stop to take a good look at them.....their either very majestic...or something out of a nightmare.....

 

Beautiful animal. Sorry to the hunters out there but I could never kill an animal for sport; I think humans are the only creatures who do that.
I thought they were fake & when I googled reproduction antlers I saw a large pair for $200+
I'll try to look better where antlers meet the bone(?) to see if there's ant hair or anything else.
Thanks all.

 

Or unscrew it from the board & see that it really is part of the skull.

 

I say screw the plaque right on to the Hyundai badge !!!

Heehehe!!!!

 

lol

 

well at least someone here had some fun at a thrift shop. So jealous.

 

Hrrruuummph . Me too.
Nice antlers ....glad you didn't have to brake sharply on the way home. I have 'arranged' my children around some interesting finds but nothing on that scale. You could end up with everyone kebabbed.

 

You could make some s'mores using the antlers near a fire and we will all come and have some.

 

I did consider whether 'kebabbed' was even a word or if I'd made it up

 

THAT was the word I was looking for!. My Thesaurus is snoring.