Oryx European mount - Help!

[grimes]

I am trying to do an European oryx mount. I wasn't aware that I needed to remove the horns before I started this process. I'm on my second boil, the skull is just about cleaned off but I'm not having much luck getting the horns off. Do I keep boiling them until I can remove the horns or will putting them in a bag work after I already boiled it twice? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[tkhunt]

I had the same problem. I boiled them then took a filet blade and loosened them around the bases as best I could. Then resoaked them and then wrapped them in suran wrap around the skull and base of the horns and let them "cook" in the sun for a month and they popped right off the cores. I then finished boiling the skull. I took a saw and cut the cores down to 6 or 7 inches. I then took bondo and set the horns back on the shortened cores.

 

[NMPaul]

I am going to save you a lot of work.

Steam is the way to get the horns off without screwing them up.

If you have a metal trash can (or any metal container, drum etc....), put the head in the trash can with a couple inches of water in the bottom. If you have already cleaned the skull then if your concerned about itget it out of the water.

Fit a contractors size trash bag over the top of the horns and the can so the steam does not escape. You can tie around the base of the bag and top of the can with string to seal it better.

Cook for about 45 minutes and the horns slip right off with out damaging the horns. Done at least 15 that way.

 

[grimes]

Great, thanks for the help guys. I am trying the steam method right now, I will let you know how it turns out.

 

[JRABQ]

Left a note over on your bowsite post. I'll have to try the steaming deal, if I ever shot another one.

 

[grimes]

NMPaul-
I'm about 3 hours into steaming it, and still no luck. The bag does fill up with steam, horn are starting to get soft so it must be working, just taking longer than I expected. Have you ever had one take longer?

 

[NMPaul]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-02-13 AT 05:24PM (MST)[p]Should be an hour max if it is steaming good. Get a good grip and twist. Should slip right out.

Grab at the base with a dry rag and twist one horn one way and the other the opposite.

Then like mentioned above. Cut the white inner horn off at about 8-10". Clean that part, fill black horn with couple table spoons laundry detergent, 1/8 cup bleach fill rest with water and leave a couple days before you empty them.

When you go to put the horns back on I just use a little caulking and slide them back on, or just slide on with out anything and easy to remove if you have to ship.

 

[jims]

The bone and fleshy material (sheaths) go way up each horn. If your horns have sat around for a while and the sheath fleshy material has dried out they can be a bear to get off! Make sure each horn is almost totally submerged in water. One time I had this happen with a bighorn skull and kept it in a trash can with water for several weaks to rot off the horns. This would be about the last resort since the horns could swell and dis-color.

One word of advise after you shoot a "fresh" oryx is to place the entire skull/horns inside a giant garbage bag. If it isn't winter (and to warm) allow the skull horns to rot for a few days and they will be SO much easier to clean and drop the horns off! I do this all the time with pronghorn. About 85% of the time I can pop off the horns without even boiling them plus the fleshy material flakes off the skull much, much quicker and easier after boiling. I've done this same thing w/mtn goat and other horned animals.

 

[bowhuntrJLG]

Did it work in the end?

 

[nmtaxi]

Just saw this.

If you let the horns dry on the skull, you've made your task a little harder. The best way to get them off at this point is to drill a couple of holes in the back of the horn. One about six inches up, and another one another six inches up. Submerge the entire horn in water for a couple of days, then repeat the steaming process. Once pulled, cleaned and re-attached, a little apoxie sculpt and paint over the holes should fix you up.

 

[grimes]

I got one horn off and it took 20 hours of steaming to get it off (split over two days). The second horn is getting close. The bases are getting loose it seems to be higher up the horn where the problem is. When I twisted off the first horn, the tip of the inter-bone appears to be broken off. Will that cause me a problem in the future? Thanks guys for all the tips, I will be trying them soon.

 

[NMPaul]

Wow, never had that much problem. I just did 2 oryx from a hunt in Dec and they have been sitting outside drying out. Not frozen though it has been cold outside.
It took about 40 minutes of steaming before they twisted off.

Regarding the piece up in the horn I do not think that will present a problem if you put a little bleach and detergent up there and let soak for a couple days.

Good luck