turning fresh antler

[mick]

OK , I guess a search woulda turned up something, but I was wondering about turning fresh antler. The antler comes from a freshly harvested deer and I was wondering if it needed to dry out or anything. It was a small 6 point and the only usable part was the relatively straight parts at the base. I was able to cut one blank half from each side.

 

[Kevin M]

I have never tried turning fresh antler but instead have let mine dry out for at least a year first. Not sure how it would turn. You might try cutting a section that would be unusable and drilling into it to see what the texture is and make a decision from there.

 

[mrcook4570]

Both Boone & Crockett and Pope and Young require a 60 day drying period before antlers can be officially scored. There is some shrinkage.