Planning to commercially buy and sell shed antlers? Certificate of registration required under new rules

Salt Lake City — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is reminding the public of some new requirements for anyone who plans to commercially buy and then sell shed antlers in Utah.

Male deer, elk and moose drop their antlers each winter and grow a new set of antlers starting in spring. Looking for the shed antlers is an activity that many Utahns enjoy each year.

In May, the Utah Wildlife Board approved a new law designating that legally obtained shed antlers and horns may be purchased or sold at any time in a whole or altered state. However, a certificate of registration — a document that authorizes a particular activity — is required for commercial antler buyers. A "commercial antler buyer" is defined as an individual or entity that buys shed antlers or horns for the purpose of reselling them for financial gain.

This new rule does not apply to shed hunters who pick up shed antlers off the ground and then sell them to an antler buyer. There are still no license or permit fees for anyone who shed hunts in Utah, unless they plan to commercially buy and resell the antlers.

"This new law went into effect on July 1, and we wanted to remind the public about this rule before next year's shed antler gathering begins," DWR Once-In-A-Lifetime Species Coordinator Rusty Robinson said. "This new law helps provide some clarity regarding the legality of this growing industry in Utah."

The certificate of registration required for commercial antler buyers costs $150 and can be purchased online, at a DWR office or from any available license agent. It is valid for 365 days.

More information about shed antler gathering requirements can be found on the DWR website.