Caribou Velvet Preservation

[bklotthor]

Wanting peoples recommendations on velvet preservation. We killed a couple good caribou on the north slope this past week and want to preserve the velvet on the antlers. Right now we have the skulls skinned and stored in cold storage at -5 F. Capes are froze to if we decide to shoulder mount. Meat horns and hide will ship down to Nebraska in cold storage mid October.

Is the best method of preservation a chemical soaking of the antlers? Cold storage folks are also taxidermists and offered to do this for us for a fee prior to shipping in October. Wanting to hear some reviews/experiences long term with velvet preservation methods.

Thanks

 

[shrapnel]

Ask Randy. I was talking to him when he returned with his latest caribou and he said that a taxidermist recommended injecting something into the base of the antlers that would preserve the velvet…

 

[buffybr]

Yeas ago I hunted with the same outfitter that Randy hunted his caribou this year.

The caribou bull that I shot was also in full velvet and hadn't started rubbing. The camp crew soaked the velvet antlers with turpentine, pricked the tip of each antler point to allow the blood to drain out, and hung the antlers, points down, in the shade.

When I got home, my taxidermist immediately sent the antlers to a place that freeze dried them. Those velvet antlers are still perfect today.

 

[Ajax2744]

I’m you can inject them with basically basically formaldehyde. But it is typically best done before antlers are frozen because it needs to flow through the veins and replace the blood under the velvet. Once frozen it can lead to mixed results. And the chemicals can make the velvet appearance change.

Another option (If the velvet rots and can’t be saved) is stripping it and coating the antlers in flocking to mimic velvet.

Personally I believe freeze drying is the absolute best way to preserve them and have them maintain the natural look.

 

[Big Fin]

Once you freeze them, your options get less. The outfitter who has preserved two of mine has impressed my taxidermist.

He uses a mix of water and alum. He injects that in the artery at the base of the antler. A small poke at the time of each tine allows the mixture to push the blood out of the antler. He does that on every large portion (main beam, bez, shovel) until the mixture runs clear and shows the blood is gone. Alum is used for many purposes, as it cures hides and stops slippage.

If it is an early bull that still hasn't developed hard tips under the velvet, they inject a small bit of formaldehyde. Not much. They then hang them by the skull plate with antlers down, allowing everything to drain. They clean them up with a bit of turpentine on a rag.

My taxidermist has been doing work for 45 years. He claims these are the best preserved velvet antlers he's encountered.

All that said, I am not sure you have that option once they've been frozen. I think freeze drying will be your option.