It started as game of hide and seek.
After a weekend fishing expedition, Steve Colley and Brooke Wemyss would take their children, Zach, 14, Coby, 5, and Zahli, 4, on a deer antler hunt through local properties they had permission to access.
That was about three years ago now and what eventuated for the Inverell family of five was a growing venture selling the antlers wholesale for up to $85/kg.
However, in recent months their buyer has ceased operation.
With more than 80 kilograms of cast antlers on hand the family have now turned their attention to the pet supplies market and established Zakoza Buck Bones.
The naturally shedded antlers are used in two ways; fresh ones are cut and sanded to expose the marrow for dogs to chew while those that are weathered are sold for decorative purposes.
"It started as a hide and seek competition to see who can get the most," Brooke said.
"We had these huge stock piles of antlers just everywhere and had no idea what to do with them.
"We had given them to our dogs and they weren't interested at all and then we decided to cut them...to expose the marrow and they suddenly loved them."
Deer shed their antlers following the mating season and can occur over two to three weeks. How long a deer retains his antlers depends on nutrition and genetics.
The Inverell family have found the antlers also offer a number of benefits as nontraditional pet snacks.
The antlers are completely odorless, good for oral health as they naturally remove plaque from teeth, rich in protein and a natural source of nutrients, and can last at least a month.
Recently they experimented with flavoured chicken and beef options too.
"On the weekend we started trialing some flavoured ones and the dogs have been eating them a little quicker," Brooke said.
"We warm soak them in chicken stock or beef stock with apple cider vinegar and just let them dry out completely and give them to the dogs."
Since advertising their new business venture, the response has been described as incredible.
In just 10 days they had received at least 50 orders which have been posted to as far as South Australia and Western Australia while inquiry has also been made for bulk supplies.
Brooke and Steve will marry at the end of the year and plan to reward their children with an overseas trip using the antler funds.
More than that, the antlers have allowed their children to develop a business mind, particularly Zach.
"They are thrilled," Brooke said.
"Before we sold them wholesale it was still fun to collect them but they had no idea where they went, they just disappeared.
"Now they see us cutting them up, where they go, and they think it's brilliant.
"On Sunday they go out and they will go for a fish and then they will drive around and pick up what they can.
"Their Dad cuts them up and sands them, I take the photos and post them online and as I only work three days a week, on my days off I send them off in the post."
Given antler shedding is seasonal, Brooke expects their supply will be dependent on availability.
But it shows no signs of slowing down just yet.
"We have got heaps of them but if we keep getting demand like we have we will eventually run out," she said.
"We have still got a lot around here.
"We are just going to spend our weekends walking around looking for antlers."
Zakoza Buck Bones can be ordered online by visiting facebook.com/Zakoza-Buck-Bones-107545617483264/