Velvet antler problem

Once it stinks it is not salvageable.

 

Shannon one thing to try in the future on velvet racks is to keep them unwrapped in the freezer for months. Eventually they get freezer burnt and dried out. I’ve had better luck doing that than injecting them or soaking them in velvet tan. If you get a rack in that’s starting to go bad there’s no amount of injecting that will save them. Never tried Balmex yet. The problem I found with injecting is all the fluid ends up coming out the same original vein and never fully gets into all the antler.
Take them to a mortician and have them soak them soak them for a week in some of their happy juice.

 

I agree with DL. I found out by accident, had one unwrapped in the freezer for three years it turned out ok. But a freeze dryer is the way to go.

 

soak in denatured alcohol until smell goes away then freeze dry

 

More than likely it is salvageable. Immerse in denatured alcohol for 30 days. Remove and let dry.

 

You guys!!!!! NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER use denatured alcohol and expect to freeze dry ANYTHING.

Why? Denatured alcohol has a freeze point of -173.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, some of it “flashes off” or evaporates. But think at a cellular level there is still uptake into those dried out cells. Impossible for it all to somehow evaporate. Therefore, exposure to denatured alcohol changes the freezing point of the specimen (in this case the velvet rack). So it won’t dry.

Plus it will ruin a vacuum pump on the machine. Those cost about 2k-7k to replace. Not fun. And yes, as someone who freeze dries I would be able to tell who’s specimen has been exposed to the alcohol.

Antler tan and other commercial products are similar. I won’t accept anything that has been tampered with.

Best bet is to get it to a freeze dry taxidermist right away. By the time you mess around with the chemicals, your time, etc, you could have just freeze dried it for $175 on average. Treated with two preservatives. Dried fully. No shortcuts.

And No, it’s not going to dry in your freezer. Unless you plan on having it in there for 2-3 years (and that would be for a very hard horned rack already). Freezer burn on the rack over a long period of time in an uncontrolled temperature? Not a good idea. Shrinkage city. Velvet hair that is flattened and sad looking, going every which way.

And sitting in your freezer for an extended period of time with your daily rummaging around and moving stuff around? Nope. Not good. Going to get damaged.

I always have to laugh at all these ideas. I picture all these taxidermists with needles prodding and poking and trying to get fluid into a rack. Just not going to happen the correct way to actually preserve it. Been there, done that. I get at least a dozen sets in a year where someone got too zealous with a zip tie and I have to inject into the tissue to minimize the mark from the zip tie. Most of the time it is impossible. Sometimes it works a bit but it is a tedious thing. I can’t imagine trying to inject an entire rack. Nope!

 

Nooooooo see my reply

 

dude, do you tell your clients that you have soaked it in formaldehyde? that is going to be in their home emitting that into the air. Not cool.

 

been freeze drying since 83 most all specimens treated with DA and no problems at all plus many many many many state national world awards, so dont tell me " you can tell" The DA is basically a carrier for moth proofing agent and tumbler and blow dryer disipate most of it.

 

I soak all mine in 110 racing fuel for a few weeks zero issues as long as there close to hard horn I’ve done Everything from spike horns to 300 inch farm deer

 

I got a buck that was hit by a car the last day in July. Big fat bulbous rack. I poked holes in the veins and drained the blood. Then I injected the veins with masters blend to fill em back up. Then I had em freeze dried. They look great. Gotta get that blood out or they will stink for sure.