Racks: A Natural History of Antlers and the Animals that Wear Them

by David Petersen, Vakeruys Geust (Foreword)

This 20th Anniversary Edition of David Petersen's 1991 natural-history cult classic features new cover art by landscape master Thomas Aquinas Daly; original interior art by America's leading woodcut artist, Michael McCurdy; a foreword by world-renowned deer and antler expert Valerius Geist; and is revised and updated throughout. Well-researched chapters cover the antlers, evolution, natural histories, and social lives of each of North America's five deer species (white-tailed and mule deer, elk, moose, and caribou), as well as the extinct "Irish elk," which carried antlers as wide as an SUV is long. Throughout, Petersen's science is woven seamlessly into the author's personal-narrative natural history, taking readers beyond mere facts and figures and into the field for personal encounters with antlers and the animals that wear them. Also included are a ibliography, deer taxonomy chart, and a fascinating interview with antler expert Dr. Valerius Geist. "Whether you're a hunter, biologist, wildlife photographer or just a casual observer of nature, Racks is must reading if you're interested in the phenomena of antler growth and development." - Gary Wolfe (former CEO Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) "When field observations are as well described as David Petersen's are in Racks, they open up new insights even to scientists." -Dr. Valerius Geist (from his foreword to Racks)

Genres: Nature

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1991

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Reviews

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Racks: The Natural History of Antlers and the Animals That Wear Them by David Petersen (Raven's Eye Press 1991)(599.692+/-) is a volume on a truly esoteric subject: big antlers. Author David Petersen is fascinated by the antlered mammals (cervids) of North America (deer, elk, caribou, and moose); the book provides chapter-long descriptions of each of these animals. He also devotes a chapter to pay homage to a now-extinct animal which carried the largest set of antlers ever to exist on earth: the "Irish Elk." The book provides descriptions of unusual antlers, the antler trade, and the author's most memorable field observations. My rating: 7/10, finished 9/6/13.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange book for me to pick up and read, but I really enjoyed it.