droptiner, I have half a dozen or so velvet sets, the oldest being a 5x5 I shot in 1983. All are in excellent condition and all have been treated the same - several months frozen solid. I skin the skull plate very clean before finding room in the freezer and have never had the slightest problem when finally taking them out. Of course, the method of injecting them with appropriate liquid is a possibility that works well with many sets. It will depend on how dry the velvet is at the time the deer is killed and whether you can inject successfully.