DIY pronghorn euro - stinky prongs

[GAdrahthaar]

I'm trying to do my own euro mount of my pronghorn buck this year. The skull is currently chain wrapped and sitting in a little pond, hoping the fish do the hard work for me. This is my first attempt at this method, if it fails I'll give the fire ants a chance. But I'm at a loss for how to clean the prongs. They smell like hot death inside. How do I clean them without destroying them? thanks

 

[Hunting Wife]

Do you mean the horn sheaths? Fill them with borax and let them sit until dry...a couple weeks maybe in the garage. Don’t let them sit in the sun and rain. They are basically just made of hair....they eventually fall apart if you don’t take care of them.

 

[GAdrahthaar]

Do you mean the horn sheaths? Fill them with borax and let them sit until dry...a couple weeks maybe in the garage. Don’t let them sit in the sun and rain. They are basically just made of hair....they eventually fall apart if you don’t take care of them.

Yep, wasn't sure how to handle the sheaths. I knew they would fall apart but wasn't sure what to do so I just stuck them in the freezer. Just fill them with powdered borax and set somewhere cool/dry/sunless? thanks for the help

 

[Hunting Wife]

Yep, wasn't sure how to handle the sheaths. I knew they would fall apart but wasn't sure what to do so I just stuck them in the freezer. Just fill them with powdered borax and set somewhere cool/dry/sunless? thanks for the help

That’s what I do. They’ll always smell “antelopey” but they shouldn’t smell rotten. Check them in a couple weeks. If still gooey or stinky, freshen the borax and let it go a little longer. It’s very dry here, so might take longer in higher humidity.

 

[GAdrahthaar]

That’s what I do. They’ll always smell “antelopey” but they shouldn’t smell rotten. Check them in a couple weeks. If still gooey or stinky, freshen the borax and let it go a little longer. It’s very dry here, so might take longer in higher humidity.

Awesome. thanks

 

[Letthemgrow]

Packed my last ones with baking soda for a few weeks and it took the smell out of them.

 

[wytex]

You need to make sure that lining is not still inside them, it's thin material that will rot and stink if not removed. Borax may take care if it's in there but we always get it off the cores or from the inside the sheaths.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I'm trying to do my own euro mount of my pronghorn buck this year. The skull is currently chain wrapped and sitting in a little pond, hoping the fish do the hard work for me. This is my first attempt at this method, if it fails I'll give the fire ants a chance. But I'm at a loss for how to clean the prongs. They smell like hot death inside. How do I clean them without destroying them? thanks

Man just boil it and pick/spray it clean. I couldn't imagine waiting for fish, or ants, to eat it clean. And as said above, borax works great to remove the stank from the horn sheaths.

 

[sbhooper]

Like Wytex said, make sure that the membrane is not in them. Get your skull out of the pond. Lightly boil it for 45 minutes in WASHING SODA (not baking), then hit it with a pressure washer, making sure to blast out the brain cavity, too. All of the meat just falls off, when you hit it with the pressure. You are done with no stink. After it is cleaned, then soak it in peroxide for a couple days, to get it as white as possible. This is easier, the fresher the skull is, but I would still try it, rather than the route you are taking now.

The horns will still have the antelope smell, but you do not want a rotten smell. When everything is as dry and de-scented as possible, I use a generous amount of silicone, or gorilla glue to re-attach the horn sheaths.

Done.

 

[wytex]

We use a paper mache type of stuff to re attach horns, get it from taxidermy supply, it's cheap or we buy a bit from a taxidermist here in town.

 

[BuzzH]

Bondo for attaching the horn sheaths works well too.

But I haven't done many...so....

 

[wytex]

Yep, bondo works great, the mache is just cheaper.

 

[GAdrahthaar]

You need to make sure that lining is not still inside them, it's thin material that will rot and stink if not removed. Borax may take care if it's in there but we always get it off the cores or from the inside the sheaths.

Do you remove the lining chemically or by scraping with spoon/knife/etc? thanks

 

[Hankg]

I'm trying to do my own euro mount of my pronghorn buck this year. The skull is currently chain wrapped and sitting in a little pond, hoping the fish do the hard work for me. This is my first attempt at this method, if it fails I'll give the fire ants a chance. But I'm at a loss for how to clean the prongs. They smell like hot death inside. How do I clean them without destroying them? thanks

Watch the whitebone creations guy’s video on doing a pronghorn. I followed his steps. It was very easy and turned out great.

 

[oxn939]

That’s what I do. They’ll always smell “antelopey” but they shouldn’t smell rotten. Check them in a couple weeks. If still gooey or stinky, freshen the borax and let it go a little longer. It’s very dry here, so might take longer in higher humidity.

Necromancing this as I'm doing one for a shoulder mount. Got the sheaths off, now about to boil the skull plate and cut off the last 1/3 off the bony protrusions that fill them. Don't have any borax on hand- will filling them with regular table salt do the trick or would that damage the sheaths?

 

[Hunting Wife]

Necromancing this as I'm doing one for a shoulder mount. Got the sheaths off, now about to boil the skull plate and cut off the last 1/3 off the bony protrusions that fill them. Don't have any borax on hand- will filling them with regular table salt do the trick or would that damage the sheaths?

First, why cut off the cores? Never heard of that, so I’m curious. But then I’ve never done a shoulder mount either.

I imagine table or pickling salt will probably work fine on the sheaths. It’s no more harsh than borax.

 

[oxn939]

I imagine table or pickling salt will probably work fine on the sheaths. It’s no more harsh than borax.

Chemically similar, so I wouldn't imagine table salt to be harmful. Taxidermist who's tanning the cape for me recommended that cutting the ends of the cores makes a better and more sanitary mount. Not like it's visible anyway, so I figured I'd do it the way he advised

 

[manitou1]

Well, when you remove the sheaths there will be about 1/8"+ thick sheath of a rubbery cartlage type of material that is on the boney protrusions. When boiling, you pop the sheaths off with a twist and pull the cartilage off the boney protrusions. If you did not do this I doubt you will ever get the "Stank" out until that cartilage is removed.

 

[Firedude]

First, why cut off the cores? Never heard of that, so I’m curious. But then I’ve never done a shoulder mount either.

I imagine table or pickling salt will probably work fine on the sheaths. It’s no more harsh than borax.

Some people do that to drill out the marrow. I did it with my last one. I drilled it and got it really clean on the inside, allowed it to dry completely, then filled the hole with bondo. It works pretty good and if you're gluing the horns on why not?