Antlers How to preserve?

[sewing nana]

DH and I went walking in the woods today. 67* great day outside. Anyway I found a deer rack 8 point (still on the deer (parts)). We cut it off. Just left a little skull around them. Hung it in the shed. Clean it the best we could, what would you do?

[MTplainsman]

67??? You live in Arizona or what? I would have done the same thing... display what nature offered and enjoy it. What exactly are you asking here anyways? Are you asking if it is legal, or if we all would half tacked it up on the shed too? You did nothing wrong, enjoy the pretty horns.

[agmantoo]

I would have taken the skull with the antlers and done a skull mount. Since you have removed the antlers use something like this http://www.jimallred.com/antlermountchoices.aspx
other than clean the antlers and possible polish on them a bit nothing is required to preserve them

[Bearfootfarm]

I boil the skull section to get all the meat off, and then bleach it to make it whiter.

Dont get bleach on the antlers though. They dont need any treatment

[MTplainsman]

Oh, sorry, I just saw your question. I would have removed the skull from the last vertabrae, sprayed it down with some high strength hydrogen pyroxide that you get at a beauty sallon, spray it down with clear enamel and hung it on the wall as is.

[tallpines]

Don't leave it where rodents can reach it.

They love chewing on them and will gnaw them down to nothing.

[pancho]

I have a skull mount of the first deer I ever killed. It is getting close to 50 years old now and still looks the same as when I mounted it. I rubbed in a light stain to preserve the color.

[suzyhomemaker09]

Guess it all depends on what you wanted to do with them....
European mounts are very nice...the whole skull is buried with the horns above the ground and nature takes it's course. There are some who would boil to remove the flesh as well.

[kritterwood]

probably make some great knife handles......

[sewing nana]

Thank you all for your advice. We will just enjoy them.