I AM A NEW TAXIDERMIST CAN DO A DEERHEAD NO PROBLEMS BUT HAVE NEVER DONE AN ANTELOPE AND A FRIEND JUST HARVESTED A SMALL BUCK TODAY AND WANTS ME TO MOUNT IT .I KNOW THERE IS ALOT OF THINGS DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM AS HORNS AND SOMETHING ABOUT SOME GLANDS YOU HAVE TO BE SURE TO REMOVE OR THEY WILL STINK. CAN SOMEONE HELP ME OUT WITH THIS? THANK YOU VERY MUCK, SHAWN
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Shawn,
I do several antelope every year, they all seem like all the hair is going to fall out because the hair is hollow! Cape the antelope like a deer..... The horns can be boiled off, but I usually cut the horns off the head, clean up the brain cavity, and then I microwave the horns for 1 minute, then I use a small knife or screwdriver to loosen the bottom of a sheath. I then microwave again 1 minute and keep that up until I can remove the sheaths.... use gloves and don't over do the microwave. I then clean off all the gristle off the bone with a knife. I let airdry and then cut the ends off of the bone. I stick a little perservative in the sheaths and eventually bondo the sheaths back on.
The glands are behind the black spots below the ear... they are about 3-4 inches wide. I cut 1/4 inch cuts into glands and scissor them out or just shave them out! When I salt the cape, I make sure this area is well salted. If you have any blood on the white area of the cape, I try to clean this up with a sponge and soapy water before I salt! Just my way..... hope this helps!
The glands are just behind the horns, so you must cape out the hide, take it off the horns, and carefully scrape the skin around the horn bases.If this is not sufficient, use some white gas, which has to be rubbed in carefully you remove the oily sustance found in the gland.
As for the horns, they can be treated with some sort of clear enamel, make sure that you use one that does not reflect light, otherwise the mount will look fake.
GOOD LUCK!