How to preserve antlers which are in velvet?
- Thread starter kieran222
- Start date
done it a number of times now quite succesfully.
before you worry about the velvet, prepare the trophy like you normally would, but be very careful when boiling not to let any water near the velvet, you may find spending more time scraping the bottom of the coronets is better than submerging too deep in water to protect the velvet.
once the skull is done:
steps
a. take a super sharp hobby knife and cut a wee incision at each antler tip
b. hang upside down or 24hrs to let blood in velvet run out of the cuts
c. wife off dried blood if any, and let dry if you got it wet
d. put in kitchen roll, then in ziplock bag (or similar arrangement) and pop in freezer for a few days.
e. take out of freezer for 12-24hrs (12 if hot days, 24 if normal 'spring' days)...roughly,,could be +/- really,,these are very rough guidelines
f. pop back in freezer (in your kitchen roll/bag) for another few days.
repeat septs e and f for about a week...if you don't have time to do it every day, rather leave in freezer for a few days than 'out' of freezer for a few days!..
the whole process will essentially 'freeze dry' the velvet' and it will stick nicely and not rot.
I taught this myself due to lack of other means to preserve the velvet and it's just proven to work fine on many occasions..never failed yet either I might add.
a fine buck in velvet nicely preserved is beautiful, although sacriledge to the purist ! LOL..however, it's a stunning piece to have and a good addition to the book shelf or trophy wall.
I take it you got a nice spring buck
before you worry about the velvet, prepare the trophy like you normally would, but be very careful when boiling not to let any water near the velvet, you may find spending more time scraping the bottom of the coronets is better than submerging too deep in water to protect the velvet.
once the skull is done:
steps
a. take a super sharp hobby knife and cut a wee incision at each antler tip
b. hang upside down or 24hrs to let blood in velvet run out of the cuts
c. wife off dried blood if any, and let dry if you got it wet
d. put in kitchen roll, then in ziplock bag (or similar arrangement) and pop in freezer for a few days.
e. take out of freezer for 12-24hrs (12 if hot days, 24 if normal 'spring' days)...roughly,,could be +/- really,,these are very rough guidelines
f. pop back in freezer (in your kitchen roll/bag) for another few days.
repeat septs e and f for about a week...if you don't have time to do it every day, rather leave in freezer for a few days than 'out' of freezer for a few days!..
the whole process will essentially 'freeze dry' the velvet' and it will stick nicely and not rot.
I taught this myself due to lack of other means to preserve the velvet and it's just proven to work fine on many occasions..never failed yet either I might add.
a fine buck in velvet nicely preserved is beautiful, although sacriledge to the purist ! LOL..however, it's a stunning piece to have and a good addition to the book shelf or trophy wall.
I take it you got a nice spring buck
steve109
Well-Known Member
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