Mike and Aaron and George answered me about 10 days ago, for which I thank you. I had a couple more quesions: If it's a basic pickle, can I use oxalic acid instead of formic to get the same results? And I leave fresh velvet antlers submerged for at least a week? Is a ph lower than 2 harmful, or just unnecessary? Also, I've heard that freeze-drying makes antlers so brittle that they will shatter if dropped (dry climate out here). We've been freeze-drying antlers that were small enough, but maybe this is a better option...what do you think?
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All the injections and submersions will shrink to some degree if the animal isn't completely hardhorned underneath. I've used all the magic elixirs and none of them work in the end. As for the brittleness of freezedried antlers, that's false. ALL velvet antlers not in hard horn underneath are fragile. They are like sponge or cork and any of them will shatter if you drop them. Next time you get an antler to waste, cut it in half. Look at the center core of it at how spongy and open the cells are. That's what the entire antler looks like in early velvet.
That's what I wanted to know. These last elk antlers were so big that we didn't think the freeze-dry place could handle them, and we couldn't get them in the freezer until then anyway.
Why didn't you split the rack? I know the bigger places, like Joe Kulis could handle them regardless, but even smaller units will handle a split rack.
formeldahyde is the best , freeze drying , your only removing the moisture.Then you have to bug proof it.Not with formeldahyde.
But of course George will not agree.George is king pumba of this site, or is it not obvious ?
I've used formaldehyde submersion. I used it for years, but it has shrinkage problems big time when you take it out of the solution. And velvet antlers are no more subject to insect infestation than deer HAIR is. Bugs are bugs and if they're eating your velvet antlers, they're eating your mount.
You know, if you bothered visiting the 21st century, you might actually find that they've come up with better and more efficient methods than you've learned in 1950.
That's why I hardly ever come here anymore. It was getting too mean and nasty (and I don't mean you two; it seemed to be newcomers). George, we have no good excuse as to why we didn't, just little excuses: we didn't think our freeze-dryer could handle the size, they would have practically filled our freezer even split, they seemed dry enough to work with...this is only the second large velvet elk we've had in 16 years. If we should ever happen to get another one, it will be split and freeze-dried one way or another!
It's hard to imagine those huge racks in velvet. Bet it turned out beautifully.
George I don't use formaldehyde submersion. I do it diferently.So if you don't know what I do , then keep your big nose to your self, some day someone will bite it off. And I don't (ever ) have any bug damage.
So go back under your rock and keep up the good work with your D.P.
and I will tann ALL of my work then we will see how is do dam lazy to do their work right. [expletive deleted]