Regularly referred to as whistlers or buglers, the eyeteeth of elk are actually vestigial tusks—a throwback to their ancient ancestors. Cervids of old would use these tusks to battle during the rut and defend themselves against predators, but as evolution selected for bigger antlers, those canines started to recede.
In modern-day elk, the ivories have shrunk to be thumb tip-sized nubs. They’re found in bulls and cows, and form in calves at...