How to Make a Barrel Antler Trap

Each year in winter or spring, male deer naturally shed their antlers. Collecting these treasures has become a popular pastime. Antlers often drop randomly in fields or forests and can be difficult to find. However, antler traps make collecting antlers much easier. Simply place bait in the trap, and when a buck feeds on the bait, with any luck, an antler will fall off in the trap, making it easy to collect.

Things You'll Need

  • Barrel
  • Power saw
  • Drill
  • Drill bit
  • Bungee cords
  • Corn
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Instructions

    • 1

      Saw a plastic or metal barrel in thirds horizontally with a power saw. This will give you three roughly equal-size rings - two with bottoms and one with no bottom.

    • 2

      Stand the barrel on the bottom with the open end facing up. The center ring won't have a bottom, so the bait can simply be poured onto the ground inside the ring.

    • 3

      Drill holes spread out around the top of the barrel to accommodate bungee cords. Space the holes about 15 inches apart so a deer can stick its head in between the bungee cords to feed.

    • 4

      Tie or hook bungees into the holes and run them vertically to a tree branch over the top of the barrel. The bungees should now form a cone shape.

    • 5

      Place bait inside the barrel.

    • 6

      Check the trap for antlers and rebait the trap as needed.