# What to do with antlers



## SamnTuck (Sep 18, 2008)

Hey guys--I just shot my first real buck yesterday morning(got a button buck last year, so doesn't really count), a nice little 5 point. We got him skinned and quartered last night, and got those tasty loins out. Anyway, we also cut the skull portion off that the antlers are attached to, and I'd like to be able to show it off. Is there a quick and easy way to get the remaining fur and flesh off? People have mentioned leaving it outside or something to let birds and little critters take care of it, but that'll take a while and it might not be the best. Thanks for your help.


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## Booster (Sep 8, 2003)

just use a sharp knife and get what you can off and then boil it to take the remaining stuff off. That works good for me.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Like booster said.

You should be able to get most off with a good knife. Not alot of meat on the skull cap. What little bits remain you can just let dry. Once its good and dry (GOOD and dry), you can get a european mount kit for 20-30 bucks. Pretty easy to do.


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## Lvn2Hnt (Feb 22, 2005)

What about the beetles? How long do they take?

Boiling is the quickest, I believe


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## collar boy (Apr 5, 2008)

Booster said:


> just use a sharp knife and get what you can off and then boil it to take the remaining stuff off. That works good for me.


That is what i would do to. I have done it on full skulls of deer and it works really well so i dont see why it wont work for you either. Just make sure you get as much junk off the skull as you can before you boil it and then you wont have to boil it for quite as long


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Lvn2Hnt said:


> What about the beetles? How long do they take?
> 
> Boiling is the quickest, I believe


Carrion beetles dont take long, if you have enough. Thats the problem especially this time of year. Youd have to order them, not really an option for just one skull. And if its just the skull plate beetles would be overkill. Not alot of meat on the skull plate.

For full skulls boiling is good. There is another method that is better, but takes a few weeks and you need warm sunny days (summer), but it yields a MUCH nicer finished product.

For just a skull cap, boiling is unecessary. Clean it up with a knife real good, and let it dry a week.


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

Just a side note for something to do that does take longer. I once left my rack on top on my dog house. By the spring it was pure white. Bugs and sun got to it. A buddy of mine took an elk head and tied a rope to one antler and threw it into a slough for the summer. ( of course on private property) In the fall he then pulled it out clean as a whistle.


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## deerslayer80 (Mar 27, 2007)

Make sure when you boil it, if you decide to do it that way, try to do it in a very well ventilated area. The smell will get overwhelming otherwise.

I've heard of people putting them into a bucket of water with a lot of bleach in it. The problem there is if you get the anters in the water it will dye them white, so make sure you keep them above the water.


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## frosty2169 (Sep 4, 2008)

Boiling works but it will weaken the bones on the deer. Not a problem with just the skull plate but comes into play with a full skull. It's best to just get the water to a slow simmer and let it soak awhile, take it out, scrape what you can and repeat until you are done.

Bleach is a no-no, it will eat away the bone and make them brittle and flakey. Regular 3% hydrogen peroxide works great.

With my skulls that I do, I now use the maceration technique. Not for the faint of heart though, pretty smelly!

If anyone has any questions, just shoot away.

Frosty


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## SamnTuck (Sep 18, 2008)

I read somewhere that boiling can also bleach out the antlers? Does it in fact have any effect what-so-ever on the color of the antlers? And if so, should I just try to keep as little of the antlers as possible out of the water?


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## frosty2169 (Sep 4, 2008)

If you don't add anything to the water you should be fine. Depends on the color of the horns. With light colored horns you might get a little off coloring. Best bet is to keep as much of the horns out as possible though, just to play it safe.

Frosty


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## Hick-From-Hell (Mar 18, 2008)

It can change the color of the antlers quite a bit. Wrap them in tin foil really good and keep them out of the water.


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## hlt (Mar 15, 2008)

WHen i have done it i usually put crisco around the antlers havent hurt the color of the antlers yet. foil works to but i like this way better. just my thoughts though. :withstupid:


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## boondocks (Jan 27, 2006)

SamnTuck said:


> I read somewhere that boiling can also bleach out the antlers? Does it in fact have any effect what-so-ever on the color of the antlers? And if so, should I just try to keep as little of the antlers as possible out of the water?


Be sure to keep the antlers out of the water when boiling. All the meat, grease and grime that comes off while boiling will float to the top and cook itself to the antler that is in the water turning it a very dark unnatural color. Wrap tinfoil tightly around the base of the antlers that may come in contact with boiling water.


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