Hello,
Before I make someone mad, let me first say that I have already searched w/ the orange button. However, almost all hits directed me to the search button again. Heres the deal. I took in a couple of velvet racked deer and both racks are in good condition. I have never dealt with velvet before. If shipping them off and freeze drying is at all avoidable I would like to avoid it. I contacted a local taxidermist buddy and he said all I needed to do was to soak in alcohol and then inject with alcohol...and then dust with borax. I will buy whatever chemical is necessary if something will work that I can do myself. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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I haved tried injecting with needled syringes full of various types of chemicals(just like you read about),but after jabbing myself once I said enough of that. So I tried my tanning solution (Formic Acid)with good results. But I found out after a few sets is to make the solution a bit stronger (1-1.5 ph.),let them hang in container(cut-off plastic 55 gal. drum) with a small rope. Position them so they don't touch each other or barrel. Let them soak for 3-4 weeks,then hang them inside (dry) by ropes till dried. Do not grip them hard (the velvet might loosen) when first taken out of solution,just pull out by rope. I forgot to mention,before you put them in the solution,take an Upholster's needle, 3-4 incher, and poke a bunch of holes up&down the antlers(leaves undetected holes but allows blood etc. to be drawn out). Sometimes if the racks aren't fully developed they'll get rubbery,don't get nervous you can shape them back as they dry .I also had a Top Taxidermy Dog years ago tell me to soak them in a 5gal. bucket of gasoline but I didn't take the chance, too expensive now & maybe a bit dangerous. Hopefully this helps (first time I told how ,probably no secret anyways)!
...the gasoline showed up.
DO NOT USE GASOLINE, KEROSENE, or ANTIFREEZE. Order Bruce Rittels Preservz It or Touchstone's 4 in 1 inject fluids. Inject the antlers in ever place you can get the needle into the velvet. Then spray them down with the injection fluid. Repeat this until you can no longer stick a syringe under the velvet. Allow to dry.
Still, you already know that freeze drying is the best way. However, if the antlers are "hard horned" underneath, injections work as well as anything else.
If the antlers were hard under the velvet, just leave them . They need no preserving. If the antlers were soft under the velvet (i.e. still growing and bendy on the tips )you can preserve yourself by mixing a 5% formaldahyde solution and soak antlers upside down for 2-3 weeks. Remove let dry and they are fully preserved. Formaldahyde available from rural or farming outlets.
one the Top Dogs showed up. I never used the "Unleaded Method" just mentioned it. Probably Big Dog used it and doesn't want to admit it. He waited for somebody else to come up with a new injector method after a jab with formaldehyde. Try freeze-dried ,but good luck putting them in someone else's hands. Sent a newborn fawn to get freeze-dried(Yes ,Pen -raised w/papers)To: MO. ,looked good when I got it back,6 months later customer came back & said it oozed out gunk & flattened right out,I even sent out a Mole & it did the same thing. I'd soon bet I'm not the only one this happened to either. THE only things I send out are Turkey Heads,but I would rather they use artificial heads. JUST my opinion. I guess I have a right to that. No more responses from me, I'll just stay on the porch with the pups & lick my N#+$,stay out of trouble that way.
Now we got a dog pretending to be a taxidermist. What's next? LOL
Gorb, sounds as if you need to find a real freeze drier and stay out of the doghouse.
I know you said above you don't want to freeze-dry these racks but they do turn out very nice this way. If you want to e-mail me we can talk about it. We are in Hibbing Minnesota.
218-263-7177 m-f 8-5 central time
Thank you for your time.
Galen from Edgewater Taxidermy
Since 1978
I've done 6 with preserve it so far this year. The antler in velvet works as well, but it is slower and it feels a little sticky several days later. I think the antler in velvet looks a little more natural, but I want the velvet DRY before I send it to a customer.
http://www.hidetanning.net/SkullCleaning.html
scroll down to cleaning velvet antler skulls, and do what it says for the antlers. BP
Weren't you the one doing a "test" on those methods? If so and if they aren't dry yet, how did you come to the conclusion that they "work"? I'm honestly awaiting your final results. If those antlers are soft underneath and you preserve them without their looking like dried prunes, then I have some opinions that need changing.
I have tried the injection method but the final results are not as good as freeze drying. I just charge extra for it and if the customer does not want to pay for it I figure it is probably a customer I don't need.