I recieved a set of hard antlers in velvet from a car hit whitetail. They have been in the chest freezer for two years. Here is the problem. The wife wants them out and I'd like to know if that is enough time to kill any bugs or bacteria that may harm them ? Will I still have to have them freeze-dried or have some chemical work done on them? I just want to have a antler mount done! Thanks!
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If the velveet was hard on the antlers, close to shedding, and they have been in the freezer for two years, most likely they are already freeze dried. Unless they were wrapped up in plastic.
It is hard to give advice here since I can't see or feel the antlers. Do they soften up if you let them sit out of the freezer over night?
Do they have a smell to them? You can spray or rub them down with presrvez it and hang them up to dry. This should be all that's needed to preserve them.
Evelyn: Thanks for the response.They were rapped in plastic. I thought the freezer burn may harm them. I just started to thaw them out. The antlers are hard, but the velvet is still realy soft. As they are thawing, there is blood in the water and on the bone where they were broken off the skull cap.