Background InformationSince 1968, elk antlers collected on the National Elk Refuge have been sold annually at a public auction on the Jackson Town Square.

The antler auction is now the premier event of a weekend-long community celebration called ElkFest. The annual auction is held on the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend. Thousands of pounds of antlers are sold at the auction within several hours.

Key to the success of the auction is the long-standing partnership between the National Elk Refuge staff and the Jackson District Boy Scouts.

History As difficult as it is to believe today, getting rid of antlers was once a burden for National Elk Refuge staff. Until the late 1950s, it was standard practice to give visitors an antler as a memento of their visit to the refuge.

As the value of elk antlers increased over time, antler poaching on the refuge became more commonplace and led to significant disturbance to elk due to the illegal activity. As a result, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department began collecting antlers on the refuge.

Local Boy Scouts were first recruited in 1957 to collect antlers on the refuge under the supervision of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.

Then, in 1966, the National Elk Refuge issued its first special use permit to the Jackson District Boy Scouts to assist with spring antler collection.

Early on, the Rotary Club purchased antlers to build the iconic antler arches seen on Jackson’s Town Square. It wasn’t until 1968, however, that antlers became available to the general public through a public auction.

Fifty years later, this public auction is still a spring highlight and celebrated event in the Town of Jackson.

Auction Preparation National Elk Refuge staff and volunteers begin picking up antlers as soon as they start dropping in early to mid-March. Because antlers can be worth a large sum of money, refuge staff collects them to keep others from coming onto the refuge and taking the antlers illegally. Removing antlers also reduces damage to tractors, trailers, and other equipment used by refuge personnel. Antlers can easily blend in with both grass and snow, potentially damaging machinery if the antlers are accidentally run over.

Through an annual special use permit, the Jackson District Boy Scouts are allowed to help National Elk Refuge staff collect antlers at designated times in the spring. Factors that contribute to the number of antlers found include the number of bulls wintering on the

refuge and the timing of the elk migration off the refuge to summer ranges.

Scout leaders also spend hours of behind-the-scenes work to prepare the antlers for sale, including sorting, bundling, weighing, and tagging the bundles of antlers, which are sold in small lots. Jackson District Boy Scout leaders also administer the sales at the auction and manage the account where the funds are held.

More than 200 Scouts and adult leaders work for nearly 2,000 hours with refuge personnel during the annual antler project.

Auction ProceedsFrom 1968 through 1974, the Scouts retained the full revenue from the auction sales. It wasn’t until 1975 that the refuge began receiving a portion of the funds.

Today, seventy-five percent (75%) of the proceeds from the auction are retained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and used for habitat enhancement projects, including hiring seasonal employees that operate the refuge’s irrigation program, purchasing farming equipment, and managing for noxious weeds.

The remaining 25% of the sale’s proceeds stay with the Jackson District Boy Scouts, recognizing the extraordinary effort it takes to pull off such a large event as the antler auction.

50th Boy Scout Elk Antler Auction

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

National Elk Refuge

Comparison Over Time

Total auction proceeds: � 1st auction – 1968: $3,000 � 25th auction – 1992: $61,761 � Last year – 2016: $175, 397

The number of antlers sold at the auction:

� 1st auction – 1968: 3,340 pounds � 25th auction – 1992: 7,300 pounds � Last year – 2016: 11,512 pounds

Auction average price per pound: � 1st auction – 1968: $0.90 � 25th auction – 1992: $8.46 � Last year – 2016: $14.65

Ten-year averages (2007 - 2016) � Number of antlers sold: 9,676 pounds

� Auction proceeds: $124,024 � Price per pound: $12.28 per pound

� Number of registered bidders: 124

Ten-year highs (2007 - 2016) � Number of antlers sold: 13,698 pounds (2014)

� Auction proceeds: $233,614 (2014)

� Price per pound: $17.03 per pound (2015)

� Number of registered bidders: 140 (2015)

Multimedia http://bit.ly/1eCF0YmAn audiovisual presentation is posted in the multimedia section of the refuge’s web site. The 5-minute video describes the collection, preparation, and sale of antlers at the annual auction.

http://bit.ly/1nrRwNkA collection of photos is housed in the photo gallery on the refuge’s web site. It includes images of

antler collection, preparation for the event, and scenes from previous auctions.

Other Purchasing OpportunitiesIn conjunction with the auction, a private antler sale is held north of the Town Square on Deloney Avenue. The private sale, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Jackson, runs from 9:00 am through 3:00 pm. This private sale gives people an option to purchase individual antlers rather than bundled collections. Antlers from several wildlife species are generally available for sale.

Individual antlers can also be purchased year-round at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, located at 532 N. Cache Street in Jackson. The antlers come with a Certificate of Authenticity indicating they were collected on the refuge.

Above: A young Scout holds a hefty bundle of antlers during his turn on stage.

Below: An older, experienced Boy Scout passes time with a Cub Scout as they wait to carry a bundle up to the stage for viewing during the bidding process.