JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Even the rain knew enough to hold off until the Boy Scouts had completed Saturday’s annual elk antler auction. The 51stElkfest event was spectacular and prices fetched were impressive.
This year, 8,593 pounds of antlers were collected on the National Elk Refuge have been sold at a public auction on Jackson’s Town Square. As anticipated, because of the mild winter, the take was down from last year by about 1,080 pounds. Still, the more limited inventory may have been the driving force in keeping prices high.
Bidders paid an average of $18.36 per pound this year, surpassed only by last year’s record-setting price per pound of $18.79. It also represents a notable 41% increase over the 10-year average price per pound of $12.98.
A total of 136 registered bidders participated in Saturday’s auction, which yielded a total of $173,805. Though the auction generated less than last year’s $192,759, it hit the mark of the fifth highest total in the auction’s history. During the past decade, the auction has brought in an average of $137,325.
Though a number of beetle-cleaned elk skulls neared or topped the $1,000 mark, it was a 7×7 large skull with ivories and long tines sold near the end of the auction that stole the show. Two buyers on opposite sides of the bleachers began a bidding war that lasted for several minutes.
Like spectators at a tennis match, the crowd glanced from one side of the seating area to the other as the bids rose in rapid-fire succession, cheering on the bidders and giving a loud round of applause when the prized skull was finally secured. The skull, which carries a Boone & Crockett score of 411, was purchased for $7,500.
Key to the success of the auction is the long-standing partnership between the National Elk Refuge staff and Jackson District Scouts. Each year, Scouts and Scout leaders donate approximately 2,000 hours to prepare and execute the sale, comparable to one staff member working a 40-hour week for a full year. For their extraordinary effort, the Jackson District Scouts retain 25% of the sale’s proceeds, which is used to supplement fees for day camps, leader and Scout training, and other activities.
The remaining 75% of the take is returned to the National Elk Refuge, which manages approximately 25,000 acres as winter range for the Jackson Elk Herd. The funds are used for habitat enhancement projects, including paying for farming equipment, weed management, and seasonal employees that operate the Refuge’s irrigation program.
Next year’s antler auction is set for Saturday, May 18. However, single antlers are available for sale throughout the year at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, located at 532 North Cache Street in Jackson.
