Antler Mount ? (for Northern Rancher) or others.

[TimH]

Maybe some of you remember, about a year ago I posted, on here, about a nice buck that I had found dead in a hayfield. He scored about 160 B&C.
Anyway, my number 1 son got me an antler mount kit for him for Christmas last year(wall plaque,brass cap etc.). I know absolutely NOTHING about taxidermy. The instructions that came with the kit are very good and easy to understand as far as mounting the rack and all that goes, but there is nothing about cleaning the actual antlers up to make them look nice.
Just wondering if anyone has any tips on this. Bleach maybe???? The kid says that he thinks there is some sort of wax that they use????
He is after me to "git 'er done" ,now that things have slowed down around here, and I want to do it right!!!
Any hints would be appreciated!!

PS. Speaking of "mounting" trophies, reminds me of an old guy that lives around here............This elderly guy,who is a legend for his sense of humor,spends a lot of time fishing in the lake that is nearby.
A couple years ago, he managed to catch a 27 pound pike. Someone asked him if he "mounted" it. His reply was....."Well, I wanted to, but I was afraid somebody would see me" !!! (He is about 85 or so!!!!)

 

[Northern Rancher]

Just do a search for European Mounts and they will tell you how to clean it and whiten it if you are doing a skull mount. That's pretty much all we do is those skull ones unless we get a really good deer.

 

[Northern Rancher]

Just do a search for European Mounts and they will tell you how to clean it and whiten it if you are doing a skull mount. That's pretty much all we do is those skull ones unless we get a really good deer.

 

[Mudhen]

http://www.wildlifeartistry.com/hints-european.htm
This site is close to what I do. I like to get some aluminum folio and wrap my antlers so they do not get wet. If you don't have dogs and you have sometime you could just put it over an ant bed and they will clean it for you too. Best of luck, I hope this helped

 

[Northern Rancher]

That's exactly the right site -I bookmarked it also.

 

[Mudhen]

Here is the one I got last year and did this one.

 

[TimH]

Thanks guys! The skull has been sitting on an ant-hill in my shelterbelt all summer so it should be nice and clean by now.
The son is bugging me to get it done and hung up in the living room and the wife is "warning" me not to.........It's one of them "no-win" situations for me. :roll:

 

[Mudhen]

Sounds like your one the right track. Just get you wife some wild flowers (they don't cost anything and she will like them more then you buying them anyway) and tell her it will look good, just look at Mudhen's fire place, miss mudhen didn't want hem to but she likes it now.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Fire ants will sure clean off a skull good and fast