I've got two seperate issues with two specimens of horned animals and was looking at getting some information to help remove the horn caps.
First, I have an auodad ewe with a broadhead completely imbedded in one of the horns. There is no way to remove the broadhead before trying to get the horn caps off, since it goes in all the way though most of the treads of the head. I've had luck with maggots eating the tissue surrounding the core of the horns and was wondering if just letting them do their job and not worry about getting the horn cap off on that side?
Second is a Texas dall, which is missing a big chuck of one of it's horns. It's on the top of the curl and it's about half the size of a fist. Obviously, much of the missing horn is the core along with the horn cap which covered that area. I'm considering not even trying to remove the horn cap on that side in fear of not being able to put it all back together again.
I do have a picture of the horn, but I'm not sure if I can post a picture on this site, even if I have it hosted on another website. I've never seen pictures in any of the threads, just links to them.
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Seen one of these. It's a tool sold in archery catalogs. Kind of a broad head pry bar. One end of the tool screws into the threaded end of the broad head. The tool is hinged at one point and you use it kind like a pry bar.
As far as the Texas dall, I'd think you'd have to remove that horn cap or it'll stay a stinking mess almost forever. As long as you have enough horn core coming off of the skull cap, you can bondo the horn cap back to the core after you clean it out. I'd then build up the hole with apoxi sculpt, texture and paint. Maybe some of that horn repair stuff might work better? Darker horns are easier to disguise.
There may not be enough of the threads showing for it to grab onto.
My concern with the TX is dall is getting the cap off while keeping the core in one piece. If the core breaks, then there won't be anything for the other end of horn cap to attach to. I think the horn caps are going to eventyall come off in two pieces because there's a crack in the horns that goes all the around the circumference of the horn where the piece of horn and core are missing.