Antelope European Mount question

[Outdoor Junkie]

Hello all,

I am making aEuropean mount of my antelope and mule deer from this year. All is going well. The skulls have been boiled, cleaned and whitened with 40% Hydrogen peroxide. I just need to super glue a couple loose pieces off the muley skull and I'll be done.... almost.

The antelope horns slide off the inner horns and there is a good amount of flesh between the inner bone and the sheath. I've got the skull completely clean and there isn't any flesh inside the sheaths. With that said, there is a good bit of "stink" coming from the inside of the sheaths. I don't want to boil these, since they are essentially matted hair and it seems like they could disintegrate if boiled.

Any tips on how to treat the inner part of the sheaths prior to reattaching them to the skull?

This will go in my office (the wife doesn't allow them in the living areas of our house ! I just don't want it to have that funky smell in the house. Thanks in advance. I'll send pictures once they are done!

 

[nmtaxi]

Wash the inside with borax water, and bondo them back on. If it's real bad, I've used venigar water to cut the smell.

 

[maginnis]

Boiling wont really hurt the horns. It just makes them a little soft. If you already have them off though, and they stink, I would just clean the up in some hot soapy dawn water and let them dry. If the still stink when they are dry fill them with borax. It absorbs odor well. Let them sit a day or two and shake all the borax out. You may have too brush it ir blow it out of the horns. Thats what I always do and do a dozen or so antelope every year. I always put some 2 part epoxy and lock the back on the skull when I am finished. That way they are attached for good. Hope this helps.

 

[mdunc8]

I let them sit in borax powder for a day or two.

 

[mdunc8]

Boiling wont really hurt the horns.

He's right. I usually leave mine in slightly less than simmering water for 20 minutes so that they're easy to pull off the skull. It doesn't hurt them.

 

[Outdoor Junkie]

Awesome info guys! That's why I keep coming back to this site! Your help is truly appreciated! I'll send pics when I get them done!

Any reccomendation on the adhesive for reattaching the sheathes? I heard Bondo (like used on cars).

 

[Big Sky]

After you wash the inside of the horn sheath out spray it heavily with Lysol. The Lysol will really help reduce the smell.

 

[174in]

The very best tip I got from taxidermist is to fil each horn up with a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and pure gum turpentine then rinse them out with water and and pack them with borax for a day or 2.

 

[Outdoor Junkie]

So here's my plan:

1.) Let them soak in hot water with dawn dish soap for 30 minutes and then scrub the inside out with a tooth brush or what ever I can find.

2.) Pack them with Borax for 2 days and rinse them out well afterwards

3.) Spray them with febreaze and lysol


If that doesn't work then the linseed oil and turpentine will come into play. I own the other ingrediens, so that's why this option is last on my list.

I should have time to get the first two steps rolling tomorroe night. Hopefully I have a finished product to show you guys by Thursday night.

 

[mdunc8]

I like using WD40 on my antelope horns. A light spray will give them a nice glossy dark finish.

 

[awapiti]

I like using WD40 on my antelope horns. A light spray will give them a nice glossy dark finish.

wd-40 also works well in removing the smell.