I have a set of large bison horns that I need to remove the cores from for shoulder mount. I have removed them from the skull I have about inch and a half or so of the core protruding from the bottom of the sheath. I have had them in plastic bags in my shop for 3 1/2 weeks now and they will not budge. 3 days ago I tried to remove them again no go, so I tried to seperate the horn from the sheath by forcing a knife between the two all the way around, I got in maybe 2 inches or so. I tried to inject as much water into the space that I cut between the horn and the sheath as I could then poured some water into the inside of the sheath sealed back in the bags and propped them up again. Dose anybody have any more advice about what I can do to get these suckers off?
Thanks
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I'm not a bison horn expert,but it sounds like you are going the right direction.On sheep and stubborn antelope I take a large screw driver(that I don't like)and drive it between the horn and core I keep doing that all way around and sometimes just wedging it in there causes them to pop.It creates a little more pressure than the knife,though I start with the knife.If that doesn't take them off,it does create more of an avenue for water to penetrate.I re-water and try the screw driver the next day.If you think they are totally dried out and that is the problem,I wouldn't hesitate to throw them in a bucket of water.I don't like to do that with sheep-it darkens them,but I often do that with antelope.I still would work them with the screw driver after that.Be careful with that knife-a good opportunity to stab one's self.Just some things to try.Good luck.
wait for a week or so if they dont come out throw them in a bucket of water for a week or so, making sure that you dont damage the horns it sound like you cut the horns off of the skull , big mistake, as you can see, if that dont work put them in the microwave for 2 1-2min,or so, and see if that dont work it works on dried antelope horns , and if that dont work boil them in hot water for 30 mins or so , and if that dont work dont call me , good luck shane h,,,
I have always boiled them off. Never any problem. I then Bondo them back after cleaning.
You'll find on these older bulls that the cores are almost splined. I've found that you have to twist them off, they won't slide straight off. Be careful leaving them in water for too long...the shields do get soft. Microwaving should help.
don't cut the horns off the skull. You could either make more money by offering the buffalo skull back to the owner boiled off and whitened, (I get $350.00), or you could have gotten a nice buffalo skull for yourself. You can always make a set of repro's to fit either on the skull or on the shoulder mount. As stated in an earlier response, it's a heck of alot easier to get the caps off it everything is still in one piece, so to speak.