Horn Care

[Southern Elk]

He guys. I was fortunate enough to kill my first pronghorn this morning. I'll post pics later. I've read the horns are tricky to care for. This one is not huge, but I'd like to skull mount it. Can I freeze the head now and just take it to a taxidermist later? I usually do my own skull mounts on deer and elk, but I think I'll let someone else tackle this one.

 

[Addicting]

Congrats on your Lope!

 

[Cheese Curd]

Can I freeze the head now and just take it to a taxidermist later?

Yes.

Congrats on your first antelope.

 

[JLS]

Antelope are easy to DIY. I think BuzzH had a really good write up on it if I remember correctly. After you simmer them a bit, the horn sheaths will pop off. Let them dry good, then use an adhesive to glue them back onto the skull after it's clean and bleached.

Yes, you can freeze the whole thing for now until you decide what to do.

 

[JohnCushman]

Once you get the horns off I usually put some Borax in them for a few days

 

[Southern Elk]

Thanks guys! It's in the freezer for now.

 

[Hunting Wife]

They really aren't that difficult. Skin out the head, let it sit for a bit until the sheaths come off, rinse them out and put some borax in there for a week or so, do the skull the same way you would a deer, then put the sheaths back on. Paper mache works good for sticking them back on.

Here's a picture of mine that I did last year. If I can do it, you can do it

 

[Bydand]

I've done this dozens of time. I'm sure lots of methods work, but here's what I do:

1) Boil the skull with the horn bases submerged until the horns twist off
2) Use whatever method you like to clean the skull like any other skull (boiling, dermestid beetles, etc.)
3) Pack the horn interiors with borax for at least one week
4) Bleach the skull with whatever method you like
5) Use Bondo to reattach horns to skull
6) Coat the horns with Mod-Podge (use either glossy or flat depending on the look you want)

 

[wytex]

I put Skidmore's liquid beeswax wood finish on my antelope horns and other antlers. It seals them and gives them a natural looking finish. The beeswax in it does a nice job of keeping the horns from looking dried out. They also will not shrink as much with the finish. A light coating brushed on then excess wiped off with a soft cloth. It all soaks in and you can not tell it's on after drying.