Preserving Velvet

Muleykenobe

Member
Messages
28
What's the best way to preserve velvet in the field? How many days can a velvet rack be exposed to warm weather and still be OK?
 
Depending on the condition and temps at night, it won't last long in warm weather. The best way to treat it is to get some velvet tan solution and a syringe/needle and inject solution if you can't get out for a few days. It's not hard, but the chemical is highly volatile, so great care must be taken to protect your skin and eyes. Keep this stuff in the truck just in case.
 
By far the best way (and the only really reliable way) is to get the antlers in a freezer ASAP and get the velvet freeze dried. Antlers in velvet contain blood. Remember, velvet is live flesh. Of course the less "mature" the antlers are the more blood and the greater difficulty preserving velvet. If you drill a small hole in the base you'll be surprised at the blood that comes out. A good rule of thumb is that Velvet will "spoil" nearly as fast as meat. Over time there have been various methods used to preserve natural velvet. Including velvet tan (as mentioned), injecting formaldehyde, etc... There are many variables (as mentioned - weather, maturity of antlers, etc..) but even best case scenario velvet preservation is iffy. Another option is to strip them and have your taxidermist apply artificial velvet. My Taxi shipped a Caribou rack of mine to Research Manikins in Washington and they did an excellent Job on the artificial velvet. I also have a B.C. Moose rack in full velvet that I was able to keep really cold and have freeze dried. That was 20 years ago and the velvet is still perfect. Hope this helps. Good luck. Chip
 
My wife killed a buck in the book cliffs during the rifle hunt.He was a Two by spike still in the velvet.The velvet was in way bad shape.So we put the artificial velvet on and it looks amazing.Your thinking a two by spike really, He was 26? wide the spike side was 27? tall the 2 point side was 28? tall.
 
In NWT we used Kerosene, just flooded it on the horns and dried them when I got home. It stunk, but worked. Still on my mount. Crazy but true.
 
>In NWT we used Kerosene, just
>flooded it on the horns
>and dried them when I
>got home. It stunk, but
>worked. Still on my mount.
>Crazy but true.

Coal oil works for keeping chiggers off of you too in case your ever in need
 
>>In NWT we used Kerosene, just
>>flooded it on the horns
>>and dried them when I
>>got home. It stunk, but
>>worked. Still on my mount.
>>Crazy but true.
>
>Coal oil works for keeping chiggers
>off of you too in
>case your ever in need
>

Crab lice too... or so I've heard. Better than an ice pick.
 
>My wife killed a buck in
>the book cliffs during the
>rifle hunt.He was a Two
>by spike still in the
>velvet.The velvet was in way
>bad shape.So we put the
>artificial velvet on and it
>looks amazing.Your thinking a two
>by spike really, He was
>26? wide the spike side
>was 27? tall the 2
>point side was 28? tall.
>


I would love to see this buck, he sounds way cool...
 
>Here's one way....hope it helps.
>
>http://www.monstermuleys.com/cgi-bin/stories/site90.pl?page=tip-roy112607&tem=tips1
>
>BOHNTR )))---------->


Thanks for the link BOHNTR. My question is...so if I were to follow those instructions, would the rack be OK for say a week in a vehicle. I normally cut them off at the skull, and get them to a cooler fast as possible, then freeze dry them when I get home. I've never killed a giant in velvet, but if I ever do, I'd hate to cut them at the skull to get them to fit in a cooler. I live on the east coast, and normally don't make it back for a week or two. The nicest ones I've killed have been hard horned which is no problem.
 
If you can get velvet antlers into a freezer within a day or two, that's your best bet. But if you can't, you'll need to inject them. Once it's injected and cured then they are cured.

BOHNTR )))---------->
 
I have just injected the horns with formaldehyde as much as possible and allow the blood to drip out of the skull. We did two book Caribou bulls in the NWT and both came out great.
I kept re injecting them every day for a couple of days.
 
Put a good coating of borax on them and then put them in the freezer for a few months to freeze dry. Works great and you don't need to worry about dangerous and hard to get formaldehyde.
 
The freezer method is solid if you have the space and can get it there quick. If killing an animal in velvet is a continual possibilty for you and you want to save velvet, I recommend having some solution on hand. The article by Bohntr is spot on.
 
>I have just injected the horns
>with formaldehyde as much as
>possible and allow the blood
>to drip out of the
>skull. We did two
>book Caribou bulls in the
>NWT and both came out
>great.
>I kept re injecting them every
>day for a couple of
>days.


This is what a Taxidermist I knew used all the time.
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom