Red Deer

The Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) is the largest non-domesticated mammal still existing in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, and is one of the largest deer species in the world. It is found in Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor and the Caucasus and has a life span of up to 18 years.

The red deer migrated into Britain from Europe about 11,000 years ago. The animal was a vital source of food, skins and tools (made from the bones and antlers) to Mesolithic man. The importance of the red deer to early humans is illustrated by the fact they are depicted in cave art throughout Europe, with some of the art dating from as early as the upper Paleolithic period, 40,000 years ago.

When man began to develop agriculture in Neolithic times,  the red deer population declined as their forest habitat was cleared to make way for fields. The deer survived only in isolated pockets throughout the UK, with the main populations in the Scottish Highlands and South-West England. The red deer stag's impressive size and magnificent antlers have always made him a prestigious prize for the hunter, so the Normans sought to conserve the dwindling populations in protected parks and forests for royal hunting, but this protection was lost during the Medieval period and numbers declined once more. By the end of the 18th century the red deer was extinct in the Scottish Lowlands and most of England and Wales.

In the 19th century profits from sheep farming declined and deer stalking became fashionable, leading landowners to dedicate large areas to 'deer forest' (without any trees) where deer could multiply and be easily hunted. This, along with Victorian re-introductions and escapes from deer parks have all contributed to their resurgence and red deer are now widely distributed throughout Britain once more. Populations elsewhere are generally declining. 

Only the stags grow antlers, which sprout in the spring, driven by a surge in testosterone production. As autumn approaches the antlers stop growing and harden in readiness for the battles of the rut, or mating season, which occurs from late September to November. Stags compete for access to females,
or hinds, by performing elaborate displays of dominance including roaring, ritualised behaviour such as parallel walking and, as a last resort against rivals who will not submit to the less violent displays of supremacy, fighting.

The antlers are shed in April or May and almost immediately begin to grow again. This uses a massive amount of energy and nutrients but it ensures that the strongest and healthiest stags have the best chance of breeding and do not become disadvantaged by damaged antlers from previous ruts.

Shed antler is a brilliant material for making hair toys, as it is lightweight, organic, immensely strong and flexible and full of character. It has been used by humans for tens of thousands of years to make tools, ornaments and toys, and its durability means some of these items are still around today.

I try to hollow out as much of the fibrous 'marrow' of the antler as I can, which results in a much smoother surface and lighter weight to the piece. I finish the antler with natural oils and recommend oiling the surface sporadically to maintain the finish. Antler is much more stable and water-resistant than wood; however, I would still caution against using soap and water to clean it. Instead, rub an oil of your choice (I use olive, but other vegetable and nut oils and even baby oil are fine) over the piece, leave it for a few minutes then wipe off thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth or absorbent tissue. I regularly use antler hair toys in damp hair and have never encountered any problem from this.

I made this slim three-prong fork from a section of antler that I hollowed out and sanded down to the pure pale bone. It is really light and delicate in comparison with some of the larger forks I've been making from antler tips:

This is a big, curved fork made from the top 'branch' of the antler. I've hollowed out a lot of the marrow in order to lighten it:

and it now weighs in at just over 50g, but I'm going to work on it some more this weekend and see if I can shave another few grams off before I list it in my soon-to-be-opened Etsy shop.