Elk Ivory

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:07 pm

Had this elk ivory laying around from a bull I got a few years ago finally had a ring made. A older bull, ivory is colored up well and looks good set in silver. danny

rangerider7 · Post by **rangerider7** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:10 pm

That's good looking!

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:19 pm

one of the ultimate hunting trophies in my eyes. very nice.

homefront · Post by **homefront** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:08 pm

Beautiful.
Did you make it?

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:15 pm

Very nice!

GoatGuy · Post by **GoatGuy** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:16 pm

Really nice, unique piece of jewelry, Danny.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:27 pm

That's pretty cool, Danny.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:28 pm

What is the origin of the silver?

RKrodle · Post by **RKrodle** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:30 pm

That's really nice, I've been looking for a piece to use to fill the tang safety slot on my 1886.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:33 pm

Very sharp!

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:26 pm

The ring came from a ring smith in Priest River it was mostly my design but he did the work. Iam not sure where the silver came from. danny

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:56 pm

I know a turquois mine in N.M. , if you buy the Mescal, I might could be pursuaded to get you some.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:23 am

Cool.

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:29 am

I don't generally care much one way or the other about jewelry but I DO like that!

Very Nice!

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:26 pm

Danny,
Very nice neat & professional job your guy did. Thanks for the idea! I've had a pair lying around since '03 and wondering what to do with 'em.-------------Sixgun

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:37 pm

Sixgun, you have to do something with those ivories cant just let them collect dust. danny

HATCHETTJACK · Post by **HATCHETTJACK** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:00 am

thats a good looking ring... bet that elk tasted good too

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:15 am

That's really neat!

OK, I'm going to show my igner'nce...what is elk ivory?

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:40 am

awo101,
Dude, you need to edit that line.

HATCHETTJACK · Post by **HATCHETTJACK** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:05 pm

awp101 wrote:That's really neat!

OK, I'm going to show my igner'nce...what is elk ivory?

his teeth

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 5:01 pm

Between the front teeth and back molars are 2 ivory teeth one on each side the others are just regular teeth. danny

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:18 pm

Ahhhh! Thanks, now I know!

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:53 pm

I'd bet if the guy was in Priest River he most likely got his silver from the Wallace, Idaho area. That's pretty much where most the silver comes from in the USA for quite a few years. Lots of great silver jewelry at reasonable prices in Wallace.

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:12 pm

93, Thats what I thought too but not for certain, theres alot of silver come out of the ground there. There also alot of elk in the Cooper Pass area the back way to Wallace from Thompson Falls. danny

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 6:19 am

awp101 wrote:That's really neat. OK, I'm going to show my igner'nce...what is elk ivory?

I'm glad you asked first; now I can just pretend I knew all along...

Mike D. · Post by **Mike D.** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:39 pm

Danny, that is a fine ring. Using elk teeth as jewelry and body adornments is nothing new. I have found them around here that are close to one thousand years old. Tule elk were very common game until the Gold Rush. The burgeoning population and the demand for meat caused them to be nearly wiped out. The local tribes hunted them and drilled those same teeth to be worn as amulets. Here are a couple of them, along with abalone shell pendants from a mound on one of our ranches. Although they no longer shine you'll get the picture.

Travis Morgan · Post by **Travis Morgan** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 10:52 pm

RKrodle wrote:That's really nice, I've been looking for a piece to use to fill the tang safety slot on my 1886.

I'll see if I can find my little pile of ivories; I collected them for a while, just in case someone wanted them.

RKrodle · Post by **RKrodle** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:35 am

Travis Morgan wrote:
RKrodle wrote:That's really nice, I've been looking for a piece to use to fill the tang safety slot on my 1886.
I'll see if I can find my little pile of ivories; I collected them for a while, just in case someone wanted them.

Travis, I could use some for sure. I want to shape it to fill that empty safety slot hole on the tang. I think it would look good and add a touch of class. I may need enough to do it twice as I have a tendency to screw up sometimes

. Let me know how much you want for some and we'll work out a deal.

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:36 am

Mike thats a nice looking collection. Ive hunted tule elk at cache creek area when they first opened a season for them there was so many anti-hunting protesters that F&G recommended we turn in our tags with no penalty and get to draw again we tried for one day the protesters followed us, we were ahorseback, and they couldnt keep up but they were on every hill and following the elk and blowing air horns we couldnt get a shot. Did Calif. ever pass a law about harassing hunters? danny

Travis Morgan · Post by **Travis Morgan** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:01 am

I believe I'd have tagged some Priuses.

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:27 am

Travis, there was a crowd that was trying to block our access at the trail head a couple of them came up and tried to grabbed the reins we spurred the horses and scattered the whole bunch like bowling pins warden was laughing his butt off. Putting hands on my horse is putting them on me to my way of thinking. danny

Travis Morgan · Post by **Travis Morgan** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:22 pm

Man, an over under whip woulda been nice; I'd enjoy flogging the granola out of them. Another idea would be to drag a huge log across the driveway of the parking area. They like staying out there being people? Fine. Let's see your Prius drag this log outta the way!

44magHunter · Post by **44magHunter** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:05 pm

That's one of the only really cool jewelry pieces I have ever seen. Great job!

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:54 pm

Mike,
Neat collection! How do you suppose they drilled those little holes in the shells without busting them up? Geeze, I could not do that with a drill press and a brand new bit.

Thats incredible they have lasted so many years.

Danny,
I like your attitude with the protesters.

You are 100% right when you say, "puttin' their hands on my horse is like puttin' their hands on me". You have more restraint than me. If they would have grabbed my horse, I would have rode over to their BMW/Volvo/Jag/Lexus/etc. and have my horse put a hind leg through their quarter panel.

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:30 pm

Sixgun, I considered roping one of those knotheads and dragging him aways, common sense prevailed too many witnesses. danny

Travis Morgan · Post by **Travis Morgan** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:46 pm

If ya rope a guy and get him skipping sideways like you're setting him up for a heeler, you can take a whole group of 'em out. (Yeah, I'm kind of a dirty bastard, but I generally win.)

pharmseller · Post by **pharmseller** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:52 pm

Travis Morgan wrote:If ya rope a guy and get him skipping sideways like you're setting him up for a heeler, you can take a whole group of 'em out. (Yeah, I'm kind of a dirty bastard, but I generally win.)

That right there is funny!

P

hemiallen · Post by **hemiallen** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:54 pm

I am pretty sure your hunt started the hunter anti-harassment law.

Is the ivory in the ring cut in half? I have 2 in a parts drawer from when I was 16.....guessing they are dried well enough to use now....lol, 34 years later.

Looks nice

Allen

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:32 pm

allen just the top 1/2 his ivory was really worn flat means old, younger animals are more pointed. danny

RANisbet · Post by **RANisbet** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:16 pm

Only two lower rear teeth on an elk are ivory.
All the other teeth in the elk are not ivory, just plain dentin.

The ivory can be pried out fairly easily with a pen knife or hunting knife, but not until after you "catch" the elk.
The ones not yet "caught" make their ivory very hard to get!
Bob Nisbet

SmokeEater2 · Post by **SmokeEater2** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:27 pm

That's a great looking ring Danny! Good use for that elk ivory too. If I ever get lucky enough to draw one of the few elk tags Arkansas doles out every year I may have to have something like that made up myself.

Buck Elliott · Post by **Buck Elliott** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:10 pm

RANisbet wrote:Only two lower rear teeth on an elk are ivory.
All the other teeth in the elk are not ivory, just plain dentin.

The ivory can be pried out fairly easily with a pen knife or hunting knife, but not until after you "catch" the elk.
The ones not yet "caught" make their ivory very hard to get!
Bob Nisbet

Huh...???

Travis Morgan · Post by **Travis Morgan** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:37 pm

RANisbet wrote:Only two lower rear teeth on an elk are ivory.
All the other teeth in the elk are not ivory, just plain dentin.

Dunno who told you that, but they're full of it; they're the FRONT canines from when Elk had tusks. It's an evolutionary thing.

Buck Elliott · Post by **Buck Elliott** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:09 am

Travis Morgan wrote:
RANisbet wrote:Only two lower rear teeth on an elk are ivory.
All the other teeth in the elk are not ivory, just plain dentin.
Dunno who told you that, but they're full of it; they're the FRONT canines from when Elk had tusks. It's an evolutionary thing.

Perzackly...!

RANisbet · Post by **RANisbet** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:18 pm

I stand corrected.
The ivorys are actually from the top jaw and are the ancestral canines!

Dastook · Post by **Dastook** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:30 pm

BigSky56 wrote:Between the front teeth and back molars are 2 ivory teeth one on each side the others are just regular teeth. danny

They say they are left over through evolution. They claim many, many centuries ago elk had tusks and this is all that is left over. I have four still around the house from my hunts outside Lincoln, Mt. when I used to live there. I really like the way your ring turned out. I may have to do something similar.

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:27 pm

Dastook , you wouldnt believe how bad the beetle kill trees are around Lincoln when they have a fire its going to be bad the FS insnt logging them or spraying . danny

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:34 pm

Is the forest service that stupid,? beetle kill trees are excellent lumber harvest, Good Lord , what next?

BigSky56 · Post by **BigSky56** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:02 pm

Mescalero, The greens have filed lawsuits to stop the logging and spraying the FS needs to spend the money and hire some good lawyers instead of kids just out of law school. Course that judge in Missoula doesnt help he always rules for the greens. danny

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:11 pm

Still, beetle kill trees have to be culled fast to maximize use & minimize fire danger, where were these people raised, in a city?