WestVirginiaBrent

So I found my first set of antler sheds this year, and I'm 99.99% sure they were dropped this season and not too long before I found them. Problem is that mice and squirrel love to eat them for the calcium. The bastards ate them up pretty bad.

As I found them. They were on a ridge and just the gnawed off tines were visible, I found the more chewed up one 3 feet behind it.



I drilled two holes in the one bad one and used some 9 gauge wire to form the tine. I then hot glued the wire into place.



After that I started to apply some "Fix It" epoxy putty, similar to that infomercial crap you see. It's used by taxidermist's for antler repair. I formed it as much as I could and I'll sand it, detail it, and then paint it.



As you can see, he was a nice buck, especially for where I hunt, in fact it's the biggest antlers I have seen back there.







Since I had a little epoxy mixed up left I fixed 'Big Daddy' and old project I am going to try and finish this winter.



[8D]

bawanajim

I would guess those were last years sheds by the damage thats done, but it looks like your on your way to a nice finished set.

BTBowhunter

Nice progress! Keep us posted as the project evolves. I have no doubt they're gonna look great!

WestVirginiaBrent

I thought that too at first, but no way they made it through the year with that coloring, they were in a sun exposed section. I think the rodents just had at themfrom a buck that dropped them probably in mid-late december. We have shot one extremely large buck in November that had no antlers and it's not uncommon for a muzzleloader buck to lose one while you are dragging it. I imagine this guy is/was king sh*t back there, lord knows we haven't taken any 8 that big. I've come close and I got that 10 but this guy is a hoss for back there.

I'm hanging them in my cabin and when someone says "there ain't no big ones back here...." I can point to them and let them know there's some out there. I found these right above a guy's spot that said that very same thing this year. [8D]

bawanajim

Your right about the color,if they are in deed from this year you need to try deer horns for bait when your squirrel hunting.

WestVirginiaBrent

Squirrels are everywhere, no one hunts them. I've been hunting twice while a hawk has ripped one off a tree. It was freaky, the one time actually cost me a very large 8 point because I focused on the hawk tormenting the squirrel and the buck was running across the hill to my right.

I don't want to even talk about the mice, the mice and I are at war.........and they're winning. [:'(]

Shed94

Doing a great job on them!

Chenango Dave

Looks great.

bowtruck

looks great and looks like critters may be hungry