3-antlered deer deadhead restoration

[Pucky Freak]

This 3 1/2 year-old buck died of EHD in 2013. When I found it the bone was burned, chalk/cracked, and rodents had done a number on it. The first pic is after I had scraped off all the burnt bone. I thought it would make a fun first try at a restoration project, since it was kind of a unique skull with 11 points on 3 antlers. Over the last month I used these two videos as guides: Rebuild tines; Chalk to brown. Supplies were about $50. It all worked really well except one mistake - from about 2" up the tines from the main beam to the tips they need to be super smooth after applying the diluted wood filler. Otherwise, the stain cannot be completely rubbed off to get nice white tips. I'll remember for next time.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

Turned out good!

 

[Hunting Wife]

That’s a neat one. It’s always fun to have little projects like that to putz around with. Looks good!

 

[wytex]

Nice job!

 

[Rzrbck918]

Awesome job. Thanks for sharing the videos as well. Ive often wondered how that worked.

 

[SG25]

Looks good!

 

[JohnCushman]

Very cool

 

[NYSKIER]

Looks spectacular thanks for sharing I might have to give it a go on a small dead head I've got lying around that's bleached out

 

[klampson]

Great job!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Looks spectacular thanks for sharing I might have to give it a go on a small dead head I've got lying around that's bleached out

If you do let me know if you have any questions along the way - I might be able to help

 

[kenton]

Looks great. Can you tell if the third antler grew from the pedicle of the nearby antler? The pic looks like the skull was broke and healed funny but its hard to tell.

 

[Pucky Freak]

The right pedicle grew in two separate peaks with regular skull bone between. I don't know enough about bone growth to tell if it is was a birth defect or an injury to the fetus or young fawn.

 

[roravetz]

Great job on that! @ElkFever2 I am going to start working on my first deadhead restoration. It looked like whitebone creations used “American chestnut poly stain” in one video and “early American” stain in another and I was wondering if you used either of those? Are you happy with the color you chose or do you think you would go darker or lighter next time ?

 

[pointingdogsrule]

WOW.... really great job!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MarvB]

Nice work there!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Great job on that! @ElkFever2 I am going to start working on my first deadhead restoration. It looked like whitebone creations used “American chestnut poly stain” in one video and “early American” stain in another and I was wondering if you used either of those? Are you happy with the color you chose or do you think you would go darker or lighter next time ?

I used Minwax Provincial. I found this to be slightly darker than most antlers found in Iowa, but lighter than antlers from northern MN (spruce/fir forest type).

 

[roravetz]

I used Minwax Provincial. I found this to be slightly darker than most antlers found in Iowa, but lighter than antlers from northern MN (spruce/fir forest type).

Thanks!