Velvet care when hunting out of state

[HoytHntr4]

I'm planning on archery hunting mule deer in southeast Montana and possibly western South Dakota this year. Since I'll be archery hunting in early September, there will be a good chance if I'm successful that the buck will still be in velvet. I've never personally taken a buck in velvet so I was wondering if anyone had any advice for preserving the velvet if I plan on mounting the deer? I will be traveling from Minnesota so that kind of throws a wrench in things as to being able to bring the deer back with our CWD carcass movement restrictions. I'm not sure if its possible to cape and then boil the skull without ruining the velvet? Is a velvet euro mount even possible If its not something I want to shoulder mount? Would it be better to just bring it to a taxidermist in the area and let them take care of it? If so I would be interested if anyone has a taxidermist they would recommend in SE Montana or Western South Dakota.

 

[JDH]

I used a product called Stop Rot on a set of velvet antlers and have not had any issues. It was a roadkill buck so the antlers still developing and I was able to inject the material into the veins and push most of the blood out. I then brushed it on the antlers and let it air dry. I'm not sure how good it would work on deer that were almost ready to shed the velvet. I've heard that you can spray it on or soak them in the solution.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Yes you can do a velvet euro. If that's the route you want to go you could cut the antlers off at the pedicle, clean the skull then re-attach them. You could try and clean it with them on but it would be tough to keep the velvet in good shape.

 

[Bullshot]

That sounds like a good solution, cutting and reattaching the antlers. I got a velvet buck that was already pretty dried out and tried to do a euro, but was incredibly frustrated skinning out and cleaning the skull with antlers attached and I was making the velvet look like garbage from constantly grabbing it. I finally just cut off the skull plate rather than do more damage. Now that I have that, and it is just air-dried, I am considering what to do with it / what to spray or soak it with to keep the bugs off it in the future.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

If you do cut them make two slightly angled cuts that come together so that you get the right angles when you reattach they, it will be much harder if you just cut straight across.

 

[HoytHntr4]

If you do cut them make two slightly angled cuts that come together so that you get the right angles when you reattach they, it will be much harder if you just cut straight across.

Thanks for the idea!