Antler mounts

[huntermike]

Here is a photo of my antlers that I mounted .
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee62/huntermike/IMG_1984.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee62/huntermike/IMG_6166.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee62/huntermike/IMG_0671.jpg

[Steeleco]

Nice job, BTW I put a space in the line to make the image work for you!!

[4blade]

looks good, just a tip .you can also glue a piece of different color braided or similiar rope type material around antler base

[huntermike]

I covered the bone with tanned deer hide.

[BlacktailStalker]

Very nice.

[cbearw]

Nice job! Nice plaque design. What sort of wood did you use for the plaques? I like the deerskin over the bone. I used to cover the bone on some of mine with velvet but have gotton lazy the past few years and left the bone exposed. How did you attach the bone to the plaque? I have been filling up the brain cavity with epoxy/filler mix to have a little more surface area to screw into but always felt there must be a simpler way.

[fozzy]

Another way to mount them is to have a space in the plaque for a picture.

Nice job by the way.

[huntermike]

I used maple ,with brown mahogany stain,I also filled the cavity with epoxy and saw dust mixture to take the screws I have mounted all 7 of my antlers the same way so they match.

[cbearw]

I used maple ,with brown mahogany stain,I also filled the cavity with epoxy and saw dust mixture to take the screws I have mounted all 7 of my antlers the same way so they match.

Thats interesting that you mount yours using the epoxy/filler method too. Wasn't sure if anyone else used it as I came by the idea on my own. Not to long ago I read an article in an oudoor publication (Field and Stream?)where one can drill a couple of holes right through the skull and the base plate and pass a wire through them all and tighten the whole works from the back with a pair of pliers. Probably be plenty strong and avoid the filler in the cavity. Not as neat a job IMHO. Yours look great. Thanks for sharing.

[hunter1947]

Nice job ,i love the placks you made.

[Sikanni Stalker]

very nice, I have a few in the garage I hope to get to this winter

[fozzy]

I used maple ,with brown mahogany stain,I also filled the cavity with epoxy and saw dust mixture to take the screws I have mounted all 7 of my antlers the same way so they match.

I've heard of guys using fiberglass bondo to fill the void as well. Just another option, :)

[porcupine]

I wish thta I had thought of the epoxy filler when I made my too mounts. The first one is of my first moose and the second of my largest moose. I''m not very handy with tools, crafts and similar tasks, so even though they aren't perfect they're at least acceptable.

First moose

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u260/tvaida/Moosehorns.jpg

2004 moose

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u260/tvaida/FinishedMount-1.jpg
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silversurfer vaporizer (http://vaporizer.org/reviews/silver-surfer)

[mikek blacktail]

love the tanned deer Hide look I mount my own I use foaming insulation as my fillerhttp://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee295/mikekblacktail/ujjjjj058-1.jpg?t=1195225936http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee295/mikekblacktail/ujjjjj055.jpg?t=1195226008[http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee295/mikekblacktail/ujjjjj052.jpg?t=1195226404

[cbearw]

I wish thta I had thought of the epoxy filler when I made my too mounts. The first one is of my first moose and the second of my largest moose. I''m not very handy with tools, crafts and similar tasks, so even though they aren't perfect they're at least acceptable.

First moose

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u260/tvaida/Moosehorns.jpg

2004 moose

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u260/tvaida/FinishedMount-1.jpg


Those moose racks look great. Love the color. Did you use something on them to darken them a bit? I have rubbed in a bit of dk. brown shoe polish on a few of my okanagan whitetails and then buffed them up a bit because they were so light colored. My Williams Lake area mule deer racks I have left their natural color because they had that dark brown chocolate color to begin with.

[porcupine]

Mike Moss, the taxidermist, told me to rub them with clear floor wax, and that is what I did. It also works well with deer antlers.
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[cbearw]

Mike Moss, the taxidermist, told me to rub them with clear floor wax, and that is what I did. It also works well with deer antlers.

Ahh.....clear floor wax. I'll give that a try next chance I get.:smile:

Mikek Blacktail: Like your mounts. The one in velvet looks very cool. The foam insulation sounds like a good idea as its probably shapes very easily and epoxy can be messy at times. I was wondering if you still use screws to attach it to the board. Seems like the the screws might pull out of the foam pretty easily. You must have another method to attach to the board?
One question with regard to antlers in velvet. Can the velvet be removed if one wants to and will the bone underneath eventually age to look like antlers that have lost their velvet naturally. As you can probably tell I have never taken a deer or animal in velvet. After seeing your mount I would definitly leave it in velvet but still am wondering if the aforementioned is possible. Actually if anyone who knows could chirp in here that would be great.

[mikek blacktail]

when I do my next set I'm going to do a how to pic by pic method,you can take the velvet of but the bone under neath is white the only methods I have come by that i've heard work are potasium permigate .Shoe polish aand air brushing the antlers to make them darker.i've shot A half dozen in velvet and I prefer the bone look but of the two I took the velvet off neither look as good as the real thing

[mikek blacktail]

foaming insulation can be very messy if you don't no how to use it.

[thatskindafunny]

I have mounted around 50 sets of antlers for myself and partners. I make thehttp://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/harriot_antlers.jpg wood small as the antlers should be the focal point.

[thatskindafunny]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/full_mount.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5483&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=2788)

[mikek blacktail]

I have mounted around 50 sets of antlers for myself and partners. I make thehttp://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/harriot_antlers.jpg wood small as the antlers should be the focal point.


good for you I'll do mine the way I like,nice job on your plaques

[cbearw]

when I do my next set I'm going to do a how to pic by pic method,you can take the velvet of but the bone under neath is white the only methods I have come by that i've heard work are potasium permigate .Shoe polish aand air brushing the antlers to make them darker.i've shot A half dozen in velvet and I prefer the bone look but of the two I took the velvet off neither look as good as the real thing

Mikek blacktail: Will look forward to your pic by pic method of mounting antlers in velvet. Hope to take up bow hunting some day and I anticipate doing the early hunts and expect (or am hoping) to harvest a few deer which will still be in velvet.

Thats Kindafunny: I like your idea of using a smaller mounting board. Can you tell me in your first picture. The second mount from the right of the eagle in the top row. What those antlers came off of. I don't recal seeing anything like that before, If I had to guess i would say some kinda european stag or perhaps a reindeer or maybe a young cariboo? Wild guesses I know!! Thanks for posting:smile:

[huntcoop]

Mikek blacktail: Will look forward to your pic by pic method of mounting antlers in velvet. Hope to take up bow hunting some day and I anticipate doing the early hunts and expect (or am hoping) to harvest a few deer which will still be in velvet.

Thats Kindafunny: I like your idea of using a smaller mounting board. Can you tell me in your first picture. The second mount from the right of the eagle in the top row. What those antlers came off of. I don't recal seeing anything like that before, If I had to guess i would say some kinda european stag or perhaps a reindeer or maybe a young cariboo? Wild guesses I know!! Thanks for posting:smile:

Fallow Deer.

[Tuffcity]

Huntcoop.... correction- nice Fallow Deer. :)

RC

[thatskindafunny]

This is a fallow deer that my hunting partner found over on James Island off of Sidney about 20 years ago. The whole animal was lying there without a bone out of place. No preditors, just died of old age.

[BushPig]

looks good, just a tip .you can also glue a piece of different color braided or similiar rope type material around antler base

Here is a mount that I did of a Mule Deer that my buddy got in Alberta. I am using the braided rope idea that you mention. Just wanted to show an idea of this type of mount. It really adds/finished the antlers/mount of very nicely. I am no professional by any means but I think I did alright.

I also cut out the browning symbol on the plaque just to add character (I like the way it adds to the plaque) and finished the wood with a mohogany stain.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc153/tyler7590/p1010428.jpg

[Chuck]

Wished I had a way of showing off my mounts...If someone is interested I can tell. All you need is a nicely finished plaque. I cut mine out of 3/4 inch plywood that I get from cabinet makers shops - oak, walnut, mahogany, ash etc. Route the edge, paint, stain, polyurethane etc. Inlay an aluminum keyhole hanger on back. Have rack cleaned and dry, and drill one hole thru centre of rack. Use a long screw and mount rack to a piece of 3/4 rough plywood, determine angle rack is to mate to plaque. Pack beneath edge of skull with pink autobody filler. When hard, remove from plywood and fill brain cavity with body filler to form a flat surface and give overall teardrop shape to skull outline. Sand and smooth till you're happy. Redrill that hole right through filler and countersink in skull to fit a 1/4 inch or smaller flathead bolt.
Determine where skull will sit on plaque and mark for hole through plaque. Countersink backside for nut and washer. With bolt glued into skull, fit it on plaque to determine bolt length. Cut bolt so it's just short of plaque back. Mould and carve 1/4 in foam sheeting to fit skull. Hot glue in place. (bolt head is now covered). Form velvet, soft leather or ? over skull. Two cuts are needed to wrap around antler bases, so keep them up high on sides almost invisible. Put rack on plaque and tighten down the nut. Make copper plate for info etc, use rub on lettering (Letraset). Pre polish, laquer, fancy edge etc.
Stick on with double sided tape - use short fake brass tcks for effect etc.

[cbearw]

Here is a mount that I did of a Mule Deer that my buddy got in Alberta. I am using the braided rope idea that you mention. Just wanted to show an idea of this type of mount. It really adds/finished the antlers/mount of very nicely. I am no professional by any means but I think I did alright.

I also cut out the browning symbol on the plaque just to add character (I like the way it adds to the plaque) and finished the wood with a mohogany stain.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc153/tyler7590/p1010428.jpg

Yep....thats very nice! I like the way the rope fills in between the base of the antler and the skull. Great job. Thanks for posting.

[cbearw]

Wished I had a way of showing off my mounts...If someone is interested I can tell. All you need is a nicely finished plaque. I cut mine out of 3/4 inch plywood that I get from cabinet makers shops - oak, walnut, mahogany, ash etc. Route the edge, paint, stain, polyurethane etc. Inlay an aluminum keyhole hanger on back. Have rack cleaned and dry, and drill one hole thru centre of rack. Use a long screw and mount rack to a piece of 3/4 rough plywood, determine angle rack is to mate to plaque. Pack beneath edge of skull with pink autobody filler. When hard, remove from plywood and fill brain cavity with body filler to form a flat surface and give overall teardrop shape to skull outline. Sand and smooth till you're happy. Redrill that hole right through filler and countersink in skull to fit a 1/4 inch or smaller flathead bolt.
Determine where skull will sit on plaque and mark for hole through plaque. Countersink backside for nut and washer. With bolt glued into skull, fit it on plaque to determine bolt length. Cut bolt so it's just short of plaque back. Mould and carve 1/4 in foam sheeting to fit skull. Hot glue in place. (bolt head is now covered). Form velvet, soft leather or ? over skull. Two cuts are needed to wrap around antler bases, so keep them up high on sides almost invisible. Put rack on plaque and tighten down the nut. Make copper plate for info etc, use rub on lettering (Letraset). Pre polish, laquer, fancy edge etc.
Stick on with double sided tape - use short fake brass tcks for effect etc.

Chuck: Thats a great explanation. I had to read it a couple of times but I think I have it figured out now. A couple of questions:
* when you cut the slits in the velvet to wrap around the antler bases do you use hot glue again to fasten these sections down?
* do you leave the velvet a little long to tuck under the skull and sandwich it between the skull and plaque?
Anyway it sounds like a great system and a great way to get the angle correct by using the plywood scrap and the autobody filler. Also very strong using the quarter in countersunk bolt. Would be nice to see the teardrop final shape you finish up with. When you initially cut the antlers from the head of the animal do you use one long saw cut behind the antlers or two cuts . The two cut method which I have been using would be one behind and another coming from the front and joining up to the back cut. Just trying to figure out which method of removing the antlers from the head would be better when using your mounting method. Perhaps it doesn't matter.
Thanks for posting. :-)

[huntcoop]

Huntcoop.... correction- nice Fallow Deer. :)

RC

I stand corrected. ;)

[huntermike]

posted new pictures

[BigfishCanada]

Doesnt anyone do european mounts with the racks they get? I really love the European mount over just the rack?

Thoughts?

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Picturedeer.jpg