Jon Horton - Antler Auction
Looking for something to do on May 17th?
Why not come to Jackson Hole and take a gander at the annual elk antler auction?
Why would anyone want to buy an elk antler, you ask. Well, before Viagra came on the market the Chinese used to come to Jackson and buy horn by the ton. It was reputed to do for a man what it did for the elk - demonstrate virility. I assume they tie the racks to their heads and go to cocktail parties, flaunting their majestic horns to intimidate other males unfortunate enough to never attend our auction, and also making the dollies damp with desire. Some claim that they grind the horn to powder and drink it with wine but I find my version much more interesting.
Anyway, we have an enormous "ranch" north of town which was originally fenced off to keep hungry elk from eating all the shrubs in town, being chased by dogs, and dying in heaps in people's yards. Moving a rotting elk carcass off the lawn in springtime was one of those chores that no one looked forward to.
"Honey, do you think you could get that 1500 lb. dead elk off the lawn before it warms up enough to draw flies?"
Where was I? Oh yeah, the elk refuge. Anyways, the place was fenced off and the hay cut and stacked to feed the animals during our long and cold winters. One of the problems that the refuge managers had was that the shed antlers would tear up their haying equipment, so they started piling them up. Then someone got the idea to build the arches on the town square, starting one of our local landmarks.
In the 1950s the Boy Scouts started helping the managers by going out and picking up the antlers. Craftsmen and tourists began to buy antlers from the kids and, by 1968, the demand had grown to the point that they decided to auction them off at fifty cents a pound. Smart move. For instance, in 1989 when the Chinese were here in force, the antlers sold for $14.07 a pound. The boys gather about 10,000 pounds each year so if you take fourteen dollars times ten thousand you will understand why our boys scouts drive to meetings in Ferraris. Some think it's because Jackson has become a very exclusive community, but it's really just the elk antler auction that pays for the cars and the designer uniforms with Louis Vuiton scarves and 24 karat gold medals.
In reality, the kids donate the money to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to support the feeding program, including enormous tractors that pull the hay wagons and do other expensive chores, but I like my version better. The way things are set up, the east side of the square is where the scouts set up their auction and the north side is where individual vendors peddle their horn. There isn't anything like it anywhere else, so come on and participate. You'll want to be there when they auction off the big trailer of horns as a climax to the affair. Last year they sold a little over 6,000 pounds at once. Also, you can get one helluvva breakfast along with it. Coffee's on at 7:00 AM.
Yup, there's no place like America. And in America, there's no place like Jackson Hole.
-Jon Horton
network of Travel Guides