Hello, I have a question on Eland horns. I have boiled them off and on for two days and can't get them to pop off the cores? Any ideas?
The membrane closest to the skull came off but I can't get the horns to budge at all. Any ideas would be grateful.
Thanks Shane
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This may sound strange but I've pulled many African spiral-horns like this, including common and giant eland. I tie the skull plate to my basketball goal post, then wrap the winch cable around one of the horn sheaths. A little persuasion with the winch and the sheath pops right off. Repeat with the other horn. You don't even have to do any boiling if the horns are good and dry.
Before I got a winch on my truck, I would tie the rope to the tow ball on the truck and pop the horn off by gently easing the truck forward. I've never yet broken a skull doing this.
Just remember this only works with spiral-horned antelope and other animals with fairly straight horns. You cannot do this with horns that curve back on themselves like impala, puku, lechwe, hartebeest, wildebeest, or Cape buffalo.