elk fest 2010

saturday, may 22

we attended elk fest in jackson on saturday

it's held once a year in the park and on 2 of the streets next to the park.

every year the boy scouts are allowed to go to the elk reserve and collect all the antlers dropped by the elk.

the boy scouts then auction them at the elk fest and all the proceeds go to the scouts.

we weren't quite sure what to expect, but thought it would be fun to go check it out.

of course, as usual, the morning started out snowy and cold.

it was pretty crowded, so we had to park a couple of blocks away.

we just happened to park across the street from this motel

i thought it was appropriate for the day.

the one street was for the public to sell their own products. 

it was a mix of antlers, horns, pelts, skulls and even buffalo or coyote teeth.

there were alot of guys standing around in camoflage jackets and john deere hats.

on the other street was the boy scouts and their antlers that were to be auctioned.

the antlers were being sold in lots and had already been weighed and tagged.

the young scouts would bring up the lot that was being auctioned

 and hold it until it was SOLD!!!

there were quite a few people there bidding

the word was that this was a very bad year for antlers.

because the winter had been so mild the elk stayed up in the high country, so there were not as many elk in the reserve when the time came to lose their antlers.

after we had been there for awhile, i realized there was a weird odor in the air. 

the only thing i could think it could be, was the antlers that still had the heads and skulls attached.  it wasn't a really strong smell, but it was a smell none the less.

overall, it was pretty interesting.

we were glad we went and experienced it.

however,

i kinda think the elk and assorted other animal heads would have preferred to have been some where else.

preferably back on their bodies