Shed Hunting

Photography

9 in x 14 in

2017

This series of images comprises of antlers, both in their natural state and crafted state, hidden in the landscape. Like actual shed hunting, some of these antlers are quicker to discover in the images than the others.  Shed hunting is when adult male deer naturally shed their antlers after breeding season when their testosterone levels drop. This causes them to grow a new, usually larger, set of antlers beginning in the spring. More hunters and nonhunters have taken up an interest in searching for these deer’s and their antlers and more people are decorating their homes and cabins with antler chandeliers and other antler crafts. The demand for antlers, including the desire to find them, increases.

Antlers have been collected and crafted into useful things for thousands of years. Although the origins may have been for survival, like making weapons and tools, today many crafters are creating objects out of antlers as simple as necklaces or something as intricate as knife handles. Surprisingly, chandeliers, mantle pieces, and lamps remain the driving force in the shed market. Through research, I have found that the majority of “antler art” are crafted home décor. A number of these retailing sites do not specify if these animals were harmed or not for these antlers, where these antlers are from, or even if they are authentic. The use of these antlers as a type of modern décor has become popular and stays in demand.

This work is about the cycle of shed hunting. The typical season for the shedding antlers begins in November and ends in the spring. Antler shedding typically happens when the mall deer experience a drop-in testosterone but can also happen depending on region, lack of nutrition, stress, and injury. I was interested in thinking about where these antlers are found in nature and the domestic setting. Shed hunting is safe for the animals because they are not being hunted. However, many hunters hunt and kill deer and use their antlers for home décor as a trophy.