Ill start thispost by saying that I am not a Taxidermist or expertnor do I guarantee results. Iam just sharing what I do when I take buck in velvet. I am sure there are better methods out there but this is what's worked for me in the past.
Early seasonarchery hunting in the west takes place early enough to give mostarchers the chance to take a buck in full velvet. If your lucky,you are faced with the decision, to strip or not to strip the velvet.
Thefirst velvetrack I placed my hands on was back in the 2003. It was later inAugust and the velvet was already starting to peel. I really wantedto keep the trophy the way it was so I immediately took it to ataxidermist and paid to have the velvet preserved. I really enjoyviewing that trophy on my wall today but have learned that you don'tneed to rush to a taxidermist to preserve velvet.
Not to Strip- PreservingVelvet Antlers
Velvet antlersprovide a great trophy and if preserved correctly can look identicalto the day you took the animal. You have a couple options that Irecommend for preserving your antlers. The Do-it-yourself chemicaloption and the freeze and wait option.
Freeze and Waitoption: So I have used this option the most. Its simple and foolproof. Velvet antlers are just like meat, you must cool them downand freeze them in order to stop them from spoiling. With that beingsaid, if you have room in the freezer put the entire rack and killplate in. If you don't have much room but still want to freeze themanother option is to cut the skull plate directly down the middle.This is very tough to do since they are your trophy but its verysimple to reattach and mask the cut behind a plaque or shoulder mount.
*FYI - if yourtrying to enter your trophy into a book like SCI, Pope and Young etcsplitting the skull platewill void the score.
Once they are inthe freezer you should leave them in place for 8-12 months and theywill come out dried and perfect. All the antlers I have done using this method look the same as the day I took the animal. If you don't wantto wait then you can go ahead and get the chemicals and DIY or takethem to a taxidermist but at least the antlers are frozen andpreserved till they can be treated.
To preserve theantlers the DIY chemical way you will first need to purchase someformaldehyde or comparable preservative. I purchased some online andmost are available through taxidermy websites. Next with protectiveclothing on (gloves, goggles, etc) make small cuts/slits around thetines of the antlers and on the antler tips then hang them upsidedown. This will allow the blood to drain. Next you will need toinject the bases with the preserving solution until the solutionsstart to drip out the cuts. You can purchase syringes at any feedstore that will work great. Let them hang overnight and then take the remainder of thewatered down solution and spray it on using a spray bottle. Rememberto wear gloves and eye protection especially when spraying.
To Strip!Stripping the Antlers
This past season Iwas asked how and why I stripped the velvet from some of the buckshad taken during the early season.
Why to strip yourantlers:
Well this issomething that depends on the antlers. I have taken numerous velvetbucks and I would have loved to save all the velvet but sometimes thevelvet was at a stage was too far gone to save. One buck I took a fewyears back, his antlers completely stripped in my hand when I startedto drag him.
Another reasonI'll strip the velvet is if I cannot get the antlers cooled down intime. I was on a week long trip last year in July and killed a buckon day two. I had no way of cooling the antlers let alone freezingthem. Instead of dealing with a rotten mess at the end of the trip Iopted to strip them in camp.
How to:
Ifyou want to strip the velvet from your antlers the process is verysimple. Use a sharp knife and make long cuts up and down the antlers tines leaving you with 1/2" strips. I like to use my Havalonrazor knife. Use your fingers to peel away the velvet at the antler tips until youhave a ½ inch exposed. Then use a set of pliers and start to stripdown toward the base. The velvet strips come off in the largesections and follow the lines you cut along the tines. Once you’redone set them out to dry in the sun. After 2-4 hours you will be ableto get all the small pieces and veins off with ease. Once this is done you will be left with a pearly white set of antlers ready to be sanded and stained or taken to a taxidermist to be flocked with faux velvet. I willpost another segment on finishingyour antlers later this summer.Kerwin at Mounts Unlimited http://mountsunlimited.com/museum-quality/is currently finishing the faux velvet on Emily's Sitka Blacktail and will keep you all posted when we get them back.
Click below for a short video of me stripping a set of early season antlers.
Well that's it! I hope you all have a successful early season and send me photos of your early season velvet racks! Dan
