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Velvet Buck

Khughes2345

Khughes2345

PMA Member
My buddy gave me a call today around 1 to let me know there was a decent buck in the ditch outside of town. Well after work and some calling around I got ahold of the county sherrifs office and asked them about a salvage tag. I met a sherrif out where the buck was laying and he gave me a salvage tag free of charge (didn't know they were free!). So had some buddies meet me out there and help load the carcass and made sure we didn't scuff the velvet up. Got him to my friends place, and dug a hole with his tractor, and thew the carcass in, man that thing STUNK!
So anyway I kinda wish I would have caped him out so I could get a full shoulder mount. But I'm gonna take it to the taxidermist in the morning to get a european mount. I don't know if I've ever really seen a velvet buck mounted, so I'm pretty pumped to get it done, I think it will look sweet on the wall. I just hope the velvet stays on overnight, and doesn't get hard or anything like that. I have it in the garage right with the door cracked open a little so i hope it stays alright.

here's some pics.
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Freezer would be the best place for it. That should make for quite the challenge for the taxidermist doing a euro mount with velvet on? I'm curious how he swings it. Keep us posted!
 
yeah i don't really know how he's gonna do it, but I've seen mulies with velvet still on mounted, so we'll see. I might go out to the garage and put it in the freezer
 
Definitely get it in the freezer. If you end up having trouble with the taxi doing it in velvet, give me a shout. There are a couple of great taxis out here who specialize in velvet since we have our early archery deer season when the bucks are still in velvet (mid-Aug through early Sept).
 
Definately freeze it, or it will be spoiled tomorrow. Guys that go out west early season get some stuff in a syringe to inject in the velvet to preserve it. Thats all blood so its gonna stink quick.
 
alright guys, barely fit in the freezer but i got it. It's crazy how soft and spongy feeling their antlers are when they have velvet and are still growing. I'll let yall know how it goes at the taxidermist tomorrow.
 
I know a guy that had a shoulder mount in velvet I would suggest trying to buy a cape and do it that way . He is on this site his handle is bowtech150 if you would like to ask him questions
 
AIRASSAULT said:
Get in the FREEZER! ;)
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i have had one in the freezer for over a year. Still pondering on what to do. I wish i would have caped mine out to but the road was to busy to be messing around with it at the time. Pretty exspensive to get them freeze dried still waiting to see if i can get a deal somewhere.
 
Shedaddict_2008 said:
i have had one in the freezer for over a year. Still pondering on what to do. I wish i would have caped mine out to but the road was to busy to be messing around with it at the time. Pretty exspensive to get them freeze dried still waiting to see if i can get a deal somewhere.
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Check out the "Mule Deer" link for this local (Flagstaff, AZ) taxidermist: http://www.pioneertaxidermy.com/. They have a good description of doing quality mounts with velvet (common out here as described above). IMO, There is a better taxi here in town (http://www.signaturetaxidermy.com/index.html), but this website describes using artificial velvet and why it can be better.
 
I have a nice 9 pt in velvet that was hit by a car a few years back. I kept it in my freezer with a salvage tag for about 6 months before I took it to my taxidermist to do a european mount. I spoke with numerous taxidermists about the best way to preserve the velvet and they told me as long as it was in good shape when I put it in my freezer with then the longer I could leave it in there the better as it was basically like freeze drying it. My taxidermist had to put it on a fake skull because he could not boil the original without damaging the velvet around the bases. I have had it now for about 4 years and it still looks like the day I picked it up off the road.

My guess for a european mount they will have to put it on a fake skull and will freeze dry the velvet on the antlers.
 
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Gundog said:
My taxidermist had to put it on a fake skull because he could not boil the original without damaging the velvet around the bases. I have had it now for about 4 years and it still looks like the day I picked it up off the road.

My guess for a european mount they will have to put it on a fake skull and will freeze dry the velvet on the antlers.
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That's what I'm thinking, I've seen velvet shoulder mounts but I'm curious how someone could do a velvet european mount? Any way you clean the meat/skin off the skull is going to do some damage to the velvet I'd think? You've got me curious now. :)
 
They can either freeze dry the rack or like someone said they shoot it with a solution. I believe Rick shot mine and also soaked it in some type of solution for a couple months. Getting into the freezer as soon as possible is the correct advice! I shot a buck 2 years ago in December that is in full velvet and his rack looks awesome!
 
Looks like that thing had some groing to do yet!!! I found a road kill about four years aga and i just cut the rack off hanging in my garage right now with all the velvet still on it.
 
called all seasons taxidermy, but no return call yet. maybe i can shoot a big doe this year and cape it out, so i can get a shoulder mount, but if a european mount is possible, i will probably end up doing that. either way it will look pretty cool.
 
Keep it in the freezer for now we injected our antlers with formaldehyde not had a single tear on it just where it was skidded on the road be more than welcome to help ya out with the deer so you can get what ya want
 
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