I seem to have run into a slight problem. I am doing my first antelope shoulder mount, and I have heard mention of these scent glands in the neck. I found them, and have read thru the archives, and seen some leave them, some remove them before the pickle, some remove them after the pickle,and them some do it before they even salt.
Well, when I was removing them, I seemed to have went right into the hair follicles. The hair roots seemed to have been right in the middle of the gland. In a taxidermy instruction manual I have it says to take it clear to where it is blue. Well........that was just a bit to far it seems. Can someone please tell me how, when, and what kinda instrument works the best to remove these nightmares, aka scent glands.
Thanks in advance, Dee
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I was sure that someone more experienced than me would have answered this before now, but here's what I normally do. I take a scalpel and cross hatch cut the gland areas making incisions the depth of the gland between an 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart both up and down and across (being careful not to go too deep). Then I do the salt thing, making sure to rub it in good in that area especially. Then after the salting and after it has dried hard. I rehydrate, pickle, then shave as normal, then return to the pickle. I'm sure there are other ways but this works for me.
Your hide should be okay. I've done the same with antelope, black hairs showing on skin side under the shaved gland, and they've always come through all steps just fine. No hair loss. I use a scalpel to shave the gland off, then salt.
...some of us suggest waiting till after its been in the pickle to cut them close. You get the swell from the pickle to work with...