I had a dropped set of moose antlers that a taxidermist on here gave me advice on and it worked great. That was to take some peat moss and let it rot. Them rub it onto the antlers. This way you have more control on where you want the darker and lighter parts to be. Also a plus is you can leave little bits and pieces of bark around the base of them giving a more natural look. When done spray them down with a clear coat.. Good Luck with what you decide to do..