blake
Life Member
Big Antlers, Not Big Bucks
Kevin Petrzilka has heard all the big-money rumors.
Antlers from the white-tailed deer he shot in November could fetch $1.2 million.
Or $600,000.
Or $66,000.
“I've heard a zillion different numbers, but the truth is that nobody's offered nothing,'' he said. “I didn't shoot it to make money on it. I don't care.''
In the world of hunting, Petrzilka won the lottery one Friday afternoon nearly three months ago.
The antlers from the white-tailed buck he shot on his farm near Brainard set a Nebraska state record. The rack also is tied for seventh place in the Boone and Crockett Club world ranking.
Petrzilka — who was one of 141,573 people who bought a 2010 Nebraska deer-hunting permit — could be in line for a big payday if he decides to sell his trophy, but probably not as big as some think.
Despite coffee shop chatter, big antlers don't naturally grow into unnatural riches for hunters, say officials for two of the nation's leading buyers of antler collections: Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops.
“There's no rack out there worth a million dollars,'' said Mark Dowse, taxidermy manager at Cabela's headquarters in Sidney, Neb.
Petrzilka has no plans to quit his production job at Veyance Technologies in Lincoln in anticipation of receiving big bucks for his trophy.
But now he's keeping a low profile to avoid inquiries and speculation. Petrzilka said the attention, false stories and rumors have taken the joy out of holding the state white-tailed record.
“It gets old real fast,'' he said. “It's discouraging. I'm tired of it.''
Dowse and Larry Whiteley, a spokesman for Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo., aren't surprised. They said they regularly hear from hunters whose buddies tell them that their trophies ought to be worth two or three times the extraordinary amount of money Cabela's or Bass Pro reportedly paid for a lesser set of antlers.
“Unfortunately it's not true,'' Dowse said.
Dowse said he uses a chart created by the late Wisconsin collector Larry Huffman — and tweaked by Cabela's — as a starting point when determining a value for antlers. Petrzilka's antler's could bring $25,000 or more, based on their score, Dowse said.
“But there are a ton of factors,'' he said.
For starters, are the antlers pristine, or are they white and cracked antlers that show signs of being shed andchewed by mice? Is there a “Wow!'' factor? Is there an interesting story behind the antlers?
“All antlers are different. They're like fingerprints. No two are alike. They are God's work of art,'' Dowse said.
Dowse and Whiteley said talk of antler riches may give some people the wrong impression about hunting.
Dowse and Whiteley said they will sometimes get calls telling of an albino deer, for example, or a state-record deer. The caller will ask how much they would be paid to bring it in. The answer is nothing.
“We're not in the business of putting a bounty on something,'' Dowse said.
Said Whiteley: “We don't advocate taking animals for display.''
More often, Dowse said, excited hunters will inquire about Cabela's buying a trophy mount so other people could view and enjoy it. The hunter may lend or sell the mount to Cabela's.
“It's neat for people to see all the great antlers out there and how every one is different,'' Dowse said.
He said 99 percent of the trophy mounts Cabela's has purchased during the 13 years he has been with the company have been from individuals who wanted to be rid of a collection and approached Cabela's as a potential buyer.
Some are older collectors who are moving to smaller houses. For some, the appeal of big game mounts has faded. Some are widows seeking a way to clear out their husbands' collections.
Buying trophy antlers from individuals doesn't happen often, Whiteley said.
Whiteley said Bass Pro not only buys antler collections for decorating its 56 stores across North America, but also to inspire and educate customers.
“We're a natural history museum,'' he said. “School groups tour our stores to see animals and fish — some alive and some taxidermy — that they won't see anywhere else.''
Joe Meder, a world and national champion taxidermist in Solon, Iowa, said putting dollar values on antlers is a touchy subject because it could be seen as promoting the unethical or illegal shooting of deer.
“It's an octopus,'' he said. “I steer clear of the dollars and cents, but I've seen big dollar signs that stretch way out of reality. I've heard of $100,000 sales. If you cut that by a third you'd be closer to the truth. I've seen situations where it could pay for a college education.''
Meder said antler mounts are popular because they remind hunters of a good time in the field.
“Maybe it was an exhilarating time when they took a trophy animal,'' he said, “or maybe it was a lad's first deer and his dad had it mounted to remember a special time together. In 30 or 40 years it'll still put smiles on their faces.''
Kohl Johnson of Alliance, Neb., agreed. He is the new state record holder for a mule deer taken with archery equipment.
“It's a trophy to me. I can't imagine somebody wanting to buy it if they didn't earn it,'' he said. “I wouldn't want to buy somebody's first-place bowling trophy.''
Johnson, 27, a BNSF Railroad electrician, bagged his deer from 35 yards in a rye field on his parents' Cherry County ranch in November.
Jason Schendt of Papillion, a co-founder of the Nebraska Big Buck Classic event, said antler mounts are priceless to him and many other hunters because they are reminders of a year-round passion for hunting that includes tending deer food plots and monitoring trail cameras.
Still, the show attracts collectors, and some hunters will sell their antlers. An estimated 200 trophy antler mounts will be scored and on display when the event returns to the Qwest Center Omaha for its third year the last weekend in March.
“There's great demand by collectors for these majestic animals in the record books because they have unique characteristics,'' Schendt said. “The credit goes to landowners and hunters for managing the deer herd and letting little bucks reach their potential.''
Dowse said Petrzilka's antlers are an impressive trophy. Dowse has seen photographs of the rack but has not talked with Petrzilka.
“We may not even make him an offer,'' Dowse said. “They could be worth $25,000, but do we want to spend that much money? They (Cabela's leaders) may say no. Or they may say ‘Absolutely we want to have that in our store' in La Vista or Kearney or Sidney, to show off what a state record looks like.''
Petrzilka is proud of the antlers — he dropped the buck as it was running about 150 yards from his position in a field of cedar trees — and plans to keep them until at least 2013, when they will be displayed at the next Boone and Crockett awards program. The club maintains the records of native North American big game in assessing the success of wildlife management programs.
Petrzilka's trophy is not on display — he has it stored in a safe place.
“I happened to be at the right place at the right time,'' he said. “It was just luck. Who knows? Someone might break the record next season.''
