Sawing antlers

I had helped with this and we just darted and used the reciprocating saw in the enclosure and it went very well with no issues at all, maybe we were out of normal but like I said, it went well.

I do it in the chute. 50" or 300", they go through the chute, use saw wire and git-r-done. You will be a tired SOB when your done, but it is cheaper, and you dont have to dart. We do about 20 a year.

All right, here's a question that I can answer! You need at least 3 people. You (the saw person), the 'head man' (holds deer head) and the runner (gets stuff that may be needed).



I was traditionally the "head man" while my husband Randy cut the bucks. Vaccinations and syringes were the responsibility of the "runner". Randy used a wire saw, and two smallish heavy, short hand saws that narrow up at end (hard to find ones that are sturdy enough with no wobble). Check tool stores and get the narrowest ended, heaviest little saw you can.



We even cut some just before they lost velvet, to eliminate bringing in velvet antlered with hard horned bucks later on (bloody mess, but it doesn't hurt them as much as it does me!).



When first one went into hard horn, everything on farm stopped. Time to cut bucks. Run him through along with whatever else looks like "white/grey" velvet and cut them. Cut bucks go in different pen until all bucks cut, then put all back in buck pasture together when everyone has bald heads (sorry Roger!).



I was the head man until my oldest son became big enough to keep those beasts from throwing him around. As buck comes through squeeze, husband runs squeeze, and I grab both antlers when he is caught for sure, and pull him up over yoke, husband drops back press.

Then I wedge myself beck behind buck with left hand on his far antler, right on the one that is aimed at my gut. (Then runner puts 'hood' on buck).



Then if in hard horn, husband uses wire saw. If still velvet, uses the stubby narrow ended saw. If velvet: vacinations, cut, bolld stop powder and out as quick as possible.

The runner then labels all horns and check off tag numbers.

That's about it. The fun part was holding those heads while hubby taped it out and added and re-added scores!



How's that from the wife of a deer farmer!

Randy does all the measuring- spread and inches on the bigger guys before we release from squeeze. The ones that make the measurements got kicked into a pen for the preserves, the others got cut. Sometimes I stand there for 1/2 hour holding a head, while he adds, tapes and re-tapes. That way we can sell to ranches with an exact score.

We probably do everything backwards, but we cut antlers off our breeders as soon as velvet is stripped. We dart them, measure, cut with wire saw, and give any necessary shots. The rest of the bucks keep their antlers. We keep bucks of same age together until they are 4 years old. Yes we do lose a few, but if we ran them through the chute it would probably be a lot more. We have around 40-75 bucks in a pen all the same age, never introduce new bucks into that pen, and on average lose about 4 bucks a year out of over 150. I think the key is keeping the bucks together and keeping the pecking order the same over the years, by the time they are 3 1/2 they hardly fight at all.

Use a battery operated saws all and you will be a lot less tired gauranteed!!!

I saw all of my bucks alone every year. I prefer to knock them all down. I process each and everyone giving shots and sawing the antlers. Before I saw I write down the tag # measure the inside spread, beam lengths, first mass measurement, and any extras that are going to be below the saw line. Write them in a notepad and saw the antlers off. With a permanent marker I write the tag # on each cut off, put with the rest of the cut offs to be scored at a later time. And on to the next buck. I like using a hacksaw with an 18T blade.

Something we do when running elk thru the chutes that seems to help is to give them 1/4 cc when they are in the pens leading up to the chute. This seems to be enough to help take the edge off and they don't seem to fight so much.

Also, for a saw, we use a shark tooth saw from menards or fleet farm. The coarser the teeth the better.

Go to www.southtexasdeercompany.com . Click on Videos, That's how its done in Texas

We saw antlers in the chute and use a reciprocating saw. We have too many to dart - it would cost a fortune and take too much time. They are in and out of the chute in no time. We saw nearly everyone except for a few of the breeders.

After having stroke, and having lung cancer heck didnt let me recover some think had another stroke or stay in hosp i dont remember those 3 weeks!~ have hard time remembering went to cig drawer forgot 3 times ,i forget real bad! Lost my hearing!stay or surgey now went numb on left side now,plus leftIv in for 3 weeks caused blood clot now right arm is dead numb all time!, it took 3 weeks for me to breath on my own,great prayers all! least i got interested again if i gotta hire done, And good wife,heck she even has to shave me, mixes all my feed.no strength i may try fine tooth saw! like to wore me out! just make sure they out good~!DC

tverheyen said:

Something we do when running elk thru the chutes that seems to help is to give them 1/4 cc when they are in the pens leading up to the chute. This seems to be enough to help take the edge off and they don't seem to fight so much.

Also, for a saw, we use a shark tooth saw from menards or fleet farm. The coarser the teeth the better.

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1/4 cc of what????? do you dart them with the 1/4 cc ?

ddwhitetails said:

Use a battery operated saws all and you will be a lot less tired gauranteed!!!

Click to expand...

I completely agree, much easier than a hand saw as long as you are careful and watch where you cut at.

WHERE DO YOU GET A GOOD SAW WIRE

I broke two this year and I only cut three antlers

Had to use a saws-all to cut the rest.

Darin, Not sure which one you have, i bought one from whitetail sales and it has been real good to me.