Killed a small buck last week in velvet . A guy told me to stick the rack in a bucket of water with a lot of Borax for a couple of days and then take it out for a week or two ..........and said it should be fine !
Anyone know if that will work ?
I soaked the rack and have it out drying but I am sure going to hate it if the velvet falls off later . Is there anything I should do different ?
Boy its really too bad you ask now, after the fact. Borax is not a preservative. At best its a modest bug proofer. Velvet is nothing more then living skin. If you soak it, etc, itll rot just like skins do. The best way to handle velvet antlers is to freeze immediately. From there you have options. Deer antlers in September velvet are a lot different than caribou in velvet, or deer antlers in velvet from earlier in the year. Taxidermists often know how to chase the blood from the velvet and even the antlers and replace it with a preservative. Sometimes if the velvet was ready to peel, you can leave them in the freezer until winter, then leave them out to dry on the cold dry weather of winter. Bugs wont get it then as fresh flesh, but they might later as dried tissue. Thats why we as professionals preserve or freeze dry them. Theres tons more about this, if anyone really needs more help, feel free to call me, Ill try to steer you right, with a taxidermist in your area. 585-637-2450.
Bill , I appreciate it and I wish I would have thought about this forum earlier !
I am not sure if the damage has been done (probably has) ! I killed the deer last Thursday evening . I put the antlers in a bucket friday afternoon and took them out Sunday morning . I put them out in some sunlight to dry them out and put them in the garage ! I read your post this morning and stuck them in the freezer . I rubbed/pushed on them pretty hard before sticking them in the freezer and right now the velvet still feels like when I killed him and doesn't appear to be loose at all right now !! I guess I'm hoping to have gotten lucky but that probably will be unlikely knowing my luck ![&o]
I appreciate the help and will remember it in the future !
BTW.....this was a so called taxidermist that told me what to do !![>:]
Seems like the taxidermist that did my mule deer in velvet ......injected it with fermaldihyde (sp) ?? !!
I have heard of 2 ways to save the velvet on deer horns. Take them to a taxidermist thattans deer hideschemically. Have them put them into the vats. The second way isput a tiny X with a sharp knife on the very tip of the antler points. Then use a hypodermic needle and inject formaldehyde into the blood vessels at the base of the horns and force all the blood out of the antlers to the tips,through the incissions made on the tips. I haven't seen the second idea tried, but the first works GREAT. My dad has a nice 8pt mount done with the velvet on them and itlooks justlikewhen he shot it.
Good luck.
I have did several and turned out great.
you can order , whats called liquid ear liner from any taxiderist supply catalog on the net.
I take this and formaldihyde and mix 50 - 50 . cut around the base of each horn , take a hypo and start at the tips,(do not split), inject the mixture into each horn,go to each tip and do this and you will see the blood start to run out at the base.move down each horn from the tip a couple inches,then down another inch or two till you reach the bottom.do this until all you see coming out is the clear liquid.
set aside to dry(inside so nothing can get at it).after a mo. or two they will be OK.
I have several at home that are 10 12 years old and look great.
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I am not a hunter ; I am a whitetail population reduction specialest
remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.
September deer antlers in velvet sometimes are not receptive to chasing the blood out in this manner. Care MUST be taken, too, as forcing any liquid into something using a syringe can result in blowback. Formeldehyde, being a carcinogenic, would not be something Id want coming back onto me. Use goggles and protection. If you are going to go the cheaper route, try getting them into the pickle to preserve them, after flushing out the blood.
Preserving velvet ??
