Preserving my muntjac

Mouse

Well-Known Member
Obviously I would like to keep the head of my muntjac buck because it is my first deer. However, the antlers are in velvet and quite soft. Is there anything I can do to preserve them so that they stay intact on the skull?
 
Hi and congratulations on your first muntjac! Was following your other post and the generous replies so very well done. Nearly offered myself for a roe buck but thought maybe Aberdeen was a bit far away!

This question has come up a couple of times on here but with regards to roe which I have some experience in. I have one that I left in velvet that was shot around 5 years ago. I just let it dry out and it seemed to do the trick. It hangs in the garage and I have not had anything try to eat it or live in it yet. Ultimately it is bone with a thin layer of skin and then fur. Now I don’t know how soft the antlers are but once all the moisture is out of the antlers and skin you are pretty much ok assuming that muntjac are similar to what I have experienced.

I have seen preserving powders etc online but have never had the need for it. This is of course if you want to keep the velvet on?

Chris
 
Hi Mouse,

Well done on getting your first deer!

I shot a Muntjac buck a while ago that was in velvet and I kept it as a friend of mine was after one. I opted to clean the antlers of velvet and I think it came out ok considering. I will try and attach a picture so you have a better idea of the outcome if it’s what you decide to do.

5pointer.










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That looks ok. I would be happy enough if mine came out like that. How did you get the velvet off?
 
I basically skinned the velvet off in much the same way as the rest of the head. There were a couple of points where I needed to work the knife a bit more carefully but still firmly enough to remove it in places, as I wanted to get it all off and avoid marking the antlers at the same time, but I think that was more excess caution than anything else. I’ve done a lot more heads since then to be honest and I can’t remeember 100% but I think I may have sumberged the whole thing into the pot to boil for a few minutes before I started skinning which I don’t normally do if it’s in hard antler.

Just one other note, when you come to do it be extra vigilant to keep an eye out in case the nasal bones fall off. They’re easily glued back on but when I did this particular one I tipped the contents of the pan away before I realised they had come off.

A good covering with some peroxide made all the difference as well. I’m sure the stronger stuff is better but at the time I could only get hold of a few little bottle of 12% peroxide from the hair dye section at Tesco’s and I’m pretty happy with the result.

Best of luck with it!

5pointer
 
In the states they inject the velvet to keep to it preserved. Not sure exactly what it is, but will try and find out.


Mouse,
I see that yours only had the first start of antlers. Would be very hard to keep preserved or remove as antlers would be soft.

Tusks would be easier to keep. Get yourself out on the Roe bucks for a nice mount.

Good luck/
 
In the states they inject the velvet to keep to it preserved. Not sure exactly what it is, but will try and find out.


Mouse,
I see that yours only had the first start of antlers. Would be very hard to keep preserved or remove as antlers would be soft.

Tusks would be easier to keep. Get yourself out on the Roe bucks for a nice mount.

Good luck/

Probably Formaldehyde. Be careful it is carcenagenic.
 
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