Velvet antlers - what to do?
 

I tend to avoid hunting the early bow season because I'm not sure what to do or how to properly care for a buck that's still in velvet.

Wondering what you guys do after the shot to keep the velvet in good condition? Do you need to toss it in the freezer? Straight to the taxidermist?

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.

I would take it to the taxidermist, they usually carry stuff to preserve the velvet on the antlers.