Man searching for deer antlers in Kansas finds human skeleton

A man searching for deer antlers in Kansas instead found a human skeleton, officials said.

The Kansas bureau of investigation and the Allen county sheriff’s office were conducting a death investigation after the discovery of the remains near Humboldt, about 100 miles east of Wichita, on Saturday.

“On Saturday 18 March, at around 5.50pm, a man who was searching for antler sheds called 911 when he discovered what he believed were human remains,” the KBI said in a statement.

“Deputies from the Allen county sheriff’s office responded to the area, east of Humboldt, near Arizona Road and 1800th Street. Upon arrival they found human skeletal remains.”

Officials said identification of the body was “expected to take longer than typical cases due to the condition of the remains”.

The man who found the remains was not immediately named.

Spring is a popular time for enthusiasts to hunt for discarded antlers, after deer have shed the appendages during the winter. Kansas is home to both the mule deer and the white-tailed deer.

The practice of “shed hunting” has long been popular in the American countryside. In recent years the activity has been so in demand that some companies offer week-long guided “shed hunts” in prime antler areas, at prices up to $2,500, according to Mossy Oak, an outdoors lifestyle company based in Mississippi.