Cub Slayer

Newbie type question about getting deer antlers.

I'm primarily a bear hunter, so unless a deer is extraordinary, I'm not into getting mounts (got my first deer mounted because it was the first one) However, I figure if I take a buck, why not just get the antlers, skip the taxidermy but retain an awesome memory, perhaps cheaply mounted on a Chinese wooden plaque from Wal-Mart.

Alas, given a buck's head, I would have no idea how to remove the antlers, intact, for mounting. Anybody here do this willing to point me to some tips?

mrbb

most folks when saving antlers, cut the skull with them intact, there are many ways, some like to cut in pretty triangles and or at special angles, pending how they wish to mount them, be it on a piece of wood, or screwed to a wall or??

then there are many folks that just leave the skull intact and lust clean that up really good, and bleach it white , or paint it

there are endless things one can do with them

I have also seen some folks just cut the antlers off real close to the skull, and mouth them that way, or use for rattling antlers, or throw in buckets
if you live close to a local butcher shop, stop in on opening day of rifle season, I am sure they will be cutting many of for customers and you can see how they do it!
or gather HAS to be videos on youtube of it as well?

wanderer08

Twice that mrbb said. Look it up on youtube. There are videos showing how to do it. It's basically just cutting a wedge out of the skull.

Come out a few inches from the base of each antler and use a hacksaw and cut through the skull, hide and all. Cut completely through the skull bone all the way around both antlers so when you lift both antlers they are held together by the bone of the skull. Clean any flesh off.
If you want to keep the hide on you have to treat it so it tans and doesn’t shrink. If you want to take it off, then just clean the skull base again by boiling it and removing the rest of the flesh. Then you can mount it to a plaque.

Cub Slayer

I figured cutting out the skull around the antlers was obvious. What I was wondering was, what kind of saw is used?

Bocajnala

it wasn't obvious in your first post. A sawzall with an open tooth works best. They make blades for them for processing. But a blade with a medium tooth on it will do.
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​​​​​​You can also makes cuts through the skin to bone and use a hand saw. Make the cuts first as the hair and flesh are difficult to saw through.

-Jake

Oldtimr

If I was going to remove the skull cap from a buck, I would use a sharp knife and cut through the skin down to the bone all the way around, then use a sawszall to finish the job. The deer hair makes it difficult, not impossible but difficult to do the job because the hair clogs the teeth. At least that has been my experience watching friends do it..

Rob in VT

excalibur43

I use a sawzall with a general wood cutting blade that's long enough to reach across the width of the skull.

Ridge Runner

chainsaw works as good as anything, won't dull it much if you don't hit the horns, cut down to the rear corner of the eyes, then straight into the forehead where the desired size of the skull plate you wish to save. don't make it too small or they will split when dry, my biggest buck to date was cut too small and broke one day when I threw them in the box. oh don't get your leg in line behind the chain it tends to be messy.

most of these were removed using the above method, takes 20 seconds to remove a plate
RR

Phil from Maine

That is the way I prefer to cut them as well. It is also easier if you cut threw the hide where you are going to make your cuts..