60 day dry tips

Coveyleader72 · Dec 4, 2016

I saw on Randys show his pronghorn really shrunk at the bases bad.

Any recommendations on drying sheep horns?

Position of horns, temp etc?

Homer · Dec 4, 2016

you mention pronghorn....then ask about sheep??????

Coveyleader72 · Dec 4, 2016

Yes, I did. He stated he wish he would have stored or made some changes to the way he took care of his buck.

So, being that I'm waiting out a drying period on sheep I was hoping to get some feedback from taxidermists or guides in the know.

BIGJOHNT · Dec 4, 2016

With deer and elk. We always put a 2x4 between the horns while it dried . Not sure about sheep. Hope to get a tag someday and have the same problem you are having.

Coveyleader72 · Dec 5, 2016

I'm just looking for some general storage tips. I don't think boards, freezers, etc. is something B&C will tolerate.

I'm not even sure why it matters with this animal as others I've taken just get hung in the rafters etc. I guess I hope it gets there.

huntin50 · Dec 5, 2016

cold dry place.

Blank · Dec 5, 2016

We just pop them off the cores in the first week when it's easier. Clean and let dry, then bondo them back on for a nice clean permanent mount. Let dry in a cool dry place

If you're worried about making minimums, just shoot bigger ones in the first place!

Coveyleader72 · Dec 5, 2016

Thanks Blank. They have been poped off, and are glassed back on. I guess it's wait and see now.

Thanks

Zeke · Dec 5, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-16 AT 02:37PM (MST)[p]So where are the pics?

where's the story?

where was this ram killed?

Details man, details!

Don't tell us you have a movie deal and can't share pics and a story! I can't take any more bad news today.

Zeke

wytex · Dec 5, 2016

You should use paper mache to put them back on the cores, put enough to just come out the bottom of the horn. seal the horns with something, I use Skidmores liquid beeswax wood finish. It puts a light beeswax coat and gives a natural shine to the horns. None of our multitude of european mounts have shrunk much at all over many years.

Togwotee · Dec 5, 2016

Why would a dry place be advantageous for preventing shrinking? think about that and you'll have your answer.

Pronghorn can shrink a couple inches I've seen it. I doubt sheep would shrink as much but I can't say.

Stay Thirsty My Friends

philthy · Dec 5, 2016

Glad to see this post! I wasn't sure about popping the horns off as I haven't looked at the rules. My desert sheep hunt starts in 8 days and I'm pretty excited! I know the taxidermist I hope to be using mentioned that I need to make sure G&F doesn't put the seal into the bone core when they seal the horns. Maybe I should touch bases with them to see if the horns can be popped off before they seal them. The taxi is wanting me to keep the skull until they're ready, so I plan to hang them in the garage up away from any beady eyed rodents that might sneak in.

Phil

Cozmo8 · Dec 7, 2016

Philthy They will seal them past the core

goforbroke · Dec 7, 2016

had a archery pronghorn that when green would have been a state record. lost more than an inch. Wished I would have put it in root cellar at the cabin. cold and moist. I left in garage here in Utah, hot and dry were bad.

nripepi · Dec 8, 2016

Must be air dried at normal room temperature and you cannot freeze them during the 60 days. Here is what B&C says:

https://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRecords/records_policies.asp?area=bgRecords

DRYING PERIOD
Official measurements cannot be taken until the antlers, horns, skulls, or tusks have air dried at normal room temperature for at least 60 days after the animal was killed. If the trophy has been frozen prior to cleaning, as is often the case with skulls, the 60-day drying period begins once the cleaning process is complete. The drying process for trophies that have been boiled or freeze-dried starts the day they are removed from the boiling pot or freeze-drier, respectively.
In the case of picked up trophies, the 60-day drying period also applies. If it is very clear from the condition of the antlers, horns, skulls, or tusks that the trophy has dried for more than 60 days, one does not have to wait another 60 days from when it was found to measure it. However, it is necessary to enter the approximate date the animal died on the line provided for the date of kill on the score chart. Trophy owners may be asked to provide a brief history for "Picked Up" trophies or trophies of unknown origin to substantiate the approximate date of death.

Zeke · Dec 8, 2016

>Must be air dried at normal
>room temperature and you cannot
>freeze them during the 60
>days. Here is what B&C
>says:
>
>https://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRecords/records_policies.asp?area=bgRecords
>
>DRYING PERIOD
>Official measurements cannot be taken until
>the antlers, horns, skulls, or
>tusks have air dried at
>normal room temperature for at
>least 60 days after the
>animal was killed. If the
>trophy has been frozen prior
>to cleaning, as is often
>the case with skulls, the
>60-day drying period begins once
>the cleaning process is complete.
>The drying process for trophies
>that have been boiled or
>freeze-dried starts the day they
>are removed from the boiling
>pot or freeze-drier, respectively.
>In the case of picked up
>trophies, the 60-day drying period
>also applies. If it is
>very clear from the condition
>of the antlers, horns, skulls,
>or tusks that the trophy
>has dried for more than
>60 days, one does not
>have to wait another 60
>days from when it was
>found to measure it. However,
>it is necessary to enter
>the approximate date the animal
>died on the line provided
>for the date of kill
>on the score chart. Trophy
>owners may be asked to
>provide a brief history for
>"Picked Up" trophies or trophies
>of unknown origin to substantiate
>the approximate date of death.
>

That^^^ pretty much spells it out and settles the discussion.

I suspect some guys cheat just to reach a number and they're the same guys who measure a 300" bull and come up with 330" by the time it's posted on MM.

Zeke

jims · Dec 10, 2016

The biggest chunk of the score for horned critters is mass. Pronghorn horns tend to shrink more than any other game species I've harvested. The important thing with antelope is to get the horns off the skull as quick as possible and bondo them to the skull. Someone mentioned paper mache in one of the posts above but I would think it would still allow horns to shrink? I would leave them in the coolest place possible during the drying period.

In regard to sheep...I harvested a booner last year and did the same exact thing. Got the horns off the skull ASAP and made certain bondo was placed fairly thick inside the horn and sheath to the ends to prevent shrinkage.

The other nice thing about bondo is there is no way bugs will get inside the horn/sheath. I would expect bugs could potentially be a problem with paper mache? The last thing you want in your trophy room is bugs! I've never had a problem since I started using bondo.

Good luck with your hunt!

wytex · Dec 10, 2016

My Bad, it is not Paper mache but a mache product made for attaching horns to the bony core. It dries hard and no bugs will penetrate it. We have many mounted this way, no bugs and little shrinkage. Yes get them on the cores asap and I would store them in a humidity controlled environment if you are very worried. Sealed the outside of the horns with a natural product, beeswax or something similar.

jm77 · Dec 14, 2016

Be very careful about putting a sealer on sheep horns. In most cases it darkens the horn from the natural color.

Togwotee · Dec 16, 2016

Air dry where? here where I am in the high desert is much drier than it would be in a New Orleans . both are acceptable places to dry a pronghorn or anything else according to the rules. so think about it.

Getting the horns off and back on ASAP is good advice. minimize your mass loss.

Stay Thirsty My Friends

mntman · Dec 17, 2016

antlers/horns shrink cause they lose moisture. So if you want to try and maintain them during the 60 days a cool damp place would be best. The more humid it is the less likely they will shrink.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

jims · Dec 18, 2016

Bondo doesn't shrink. If you get bondo packed as tight to the horns as possible they shouldn't shrink much. Sheep horns are fairly thick so the horn itself will shrink. I would agree to store them in the coolest place possible. Humidity/moisture is a vector for bacteria so keep that in mind! You don't want mold, mildew and other bad stuff stinking up your horns!