Help!!

[IDduckhntr]

I need to know what to do with the horns off antelope if you want to mount them. (Just doing the plaque thing) but I read somewhere about removing the sheath and cleaning something out.... but I cant seem to find the info again-anyone willing to share????

 

[justdada]

Get yourself a big pot at the salvation army store and boil them (outside) until the sheaths slip off. Clean out the skin stuff, let dry and then bondo the sheath back on.
It stinks a bit, but it works.
Foam skull forms for a plaque are available from several taxidermy supply places online for 6 or 7 bucks.

 

[brymoore]

I did a european mount of the antelope I shot two years ago. Pull the horn off and peel off the layer skin still on the skull. I poured some borax in my horns to ensure I dried up any remaining tissue. After I was done cleaning/bleaching the skull, I glued to horns back on.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Remember to measure the distance between the prongs and the tips before you boil them. So you have a good idea how it was before you removed them.

Also drill 2 small holes towards the bases through the sheaths into the actual bone, front and back. Then when putting the shealths back on you can stick small finish nails or tie wire through the holes. This gives you an idea of where they were in relation to the horn, height wise.

Nothing nastier looking than that skin after you pop off the shealths. Looks like something out of a alien movie. Smells great as well.

 

[wilecoyote76]

When I shot my first antelope last year, I didn't know how to go about getting the horns off either. I simply let mine rot off. Yes, it stunk like heck but they finally came off after about a week. I placed the head in a black bag and let the rotting process take over. I then boiled the skull and had some help using bondo to get the horns back on. Dinkshooter make some good tips to ensure you get the horns back on in the right spots. This was my first antelope euro mount. I had a friend help me cut out the wood and I put it together and sealed it.I'm happy with how it turned out. Not bad for my first attempt. Here is a pic:

 

[schmalts]

If you boil them either have them completely covered, or have the water just up the the bases and steam them off by covering the pot with foil. If you let the water only cover part of the horn it will make a stain line. To loosen give them a hard twist, it worked great for the couple i just did, and the Orxy a couple years a go as well.

 

[IDduckhntr]

Thanks for the help! How big is the base height wise?? I am assuming not real far up into the sheath?? It seems if it went all the way to the top might be kinda tricky to get back on with the prong in the way?? I will post pics as soon as I'm done. Thought about the euro mount but AFTER I cut them off!! A friend is a native american and wanted the brains along with the hide to tan it-is there a way to get it out without messing the skull up too bad?? (for future reference) Or can you boil as mentioned as use the liquid to tan the hide?

 

[brymoore]

About a 1/3 up if I remember correctly.

 

[Spitz]

Nice mount and buck Wiley. what'd he score?

 

[justdada]

The bone sticks up about 4-5 inches.
Schmalts is right about the boil line though. I submerge the entire horn to avoid this. Have done a dozen using this method. Quick and easy.

 

[wilecoyote76]

Spitz, it is a dink Idaho buck I shot out here in the Owyhees last fall. It scored just over 71 and change IIRC. There was only about 1/4" of deductions so pretty even from one horn to the other. Antelope are sure fun to hunt. IdahoBugler was nice enough to take me out and shot it on Friday the 13th of October. Good times!

IDuckhntr, I thought the skull was devilish so I took a picture of it when the horns popped off. The tissue between the sheath and the bone is about 1/4" thick but it boiled and popped off in the pot. Take a look see:

 

[WFGinNM]

Wilecoyote76 hit it on the head, I do the same closing them in a black plastic bag until I can pull off the horns, then boil to get the meat off. I've used Bondo, or spray foam to attach the horns back. Both work the same but it take a bit longer for the bondo to kick off.
I use Red Devil Lye (caustic) to boil skulls, it works fast, don't use an aluminum pot, and don't dump the lye in hot water, put it in while the water is cold and bring to a simmer. doesn't take long to turn the meat and cartiledge [sp] into jelly. If you over boil the skull will turn to powder. Then I soak the skull in hydrogen peroxide from the store (2%) use a dark container or cover airtight with a black plastic bag. The hydrogen will dissapate if not sealed and the whiteneing won't be as good (without the hydrogen you have water). After a couple days I set the skull in the sun for a week to bleach white, then use superglue gell, or 5 min. epoxy to set the teeth. If you think the teeth might crack I use clear fingernail polish to seal the teeth. One more thing, I use alcohol inside the horn sheaths to kill the smell and dissolve any grease so the bondo or foamwill adhere better.

Hope this isn't to long winded,
--Bill