Saving antlers with velvet still on.

[BearSupreme]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to know if anyone has any tips for saving antlers that still are in the velvet stage. Do you have to preserve them somehow so they dont stink? I realize if they are loosing the velvet its pretty much a lost cause, but if its all still in tact it would be cool to save a nice fuzzy rack. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[Blainer]

inject fomaldehyde throughout

[dakoda62]

inject fomaldehyde throughout
X2they can also be freeze dried.

[Steeleco]

My daughters deer of three years ago was saved by using a jerry rigged De-hydrator. It's not as full as live velvet, but three years hence it's still in place

[caddisguy]

I'm glad this topic came up. I have a related question. If you get a deer with velvet, is it possible to keep the antlers without worrying about the preserving the velvet, or is the bone soft underneath and the whole thing just rots? Or does it depend on whether or not the velvet has started coming off? I'm guessing this is the case, but I'd like to find out for sure in the event I get one early this season. Optimistic I know ;-P

[hunter1947]

inject fomaldehyde throughout

X2 this is what you do you can get the taxidermy do it for you cost you very little or do it yourself..

[bc traper]

I put ours in the freezer for 4 or 5 months Took them out and they have been on the wall 3 years now

[crazyhunter1]

"Caddisguy" The antlers and velvet just stink for a bit, but they dry out and will be fine

[tinhorse]

I have found it all depends on what stage they are at of losing their velvet. Ive had velvet antlers that all Ive had to do was hang them up and they dried fine and others that stunk (especially the large moose I got in August a few years back). I wish I had injected formaldehyde. 2 years later the rotting smell never went away as the bone was not fully hardened underneath. I was finally able to soak and strip the velvet off but it was way too much work. This time of year they should be ok just hanging them to dry unless they have big drop tines where blood can collect in the tips hanging down.

[David Heitsman]

I shot a velvet 4 pt last week with Chilcotin Hillbilly. We injected a compound (Antler in Velvet Tan) from Knoblock's Taxidermy supply into the antler's every couple inches as we couldn't easily locate any veins. The anterls were then wrapped in cheesecloth and carefully packed back to civilization.Three days later after keeping it cool at friend's fridges and Tobiano's golf course restaurant cooler, I delivered it to my taxidermist who is confident the velvet will remain intact. I tried to get formaldehyde but couldn't readily source any. This product I used isn't hard on your skin or nose as it is not formaldehyde based.