I am going to be hunting velvet bucks next week and if I am lucky enough to fill my tag I would like to do a European mount. I do all my own European mounts but have never done a deer that still has velvet. Has anyone ever done this? I know I have to preserve the velvet first of all but I am wondering how to bull the skull without ruining the velvet. I did a quick search and didn't find anything real helpful other than "have a taxidermist do it". Some people even mentioned cutting the antlers off completely and then reattaching them after boiling the skull. There has got to be a better way. Does anyone have any advice?
Velvet European Mount - Anyone Done It?
- Thread starter bigsky2
- Start date
I just got done hunting the TN velvet hunt this past weekend so I researched this same topic before I went. I saw a lot of discussion by taxidermists on Facebook about this topic to try and prepare those who were successful. Almost everyone I read said you cant do it well and recommended boiling the skull, removing the velvet, and replacing with artificial velvet. Most said it would cost $300+ for a euro for a taxidermist to do it for you.
In either case, I found a good article by Go Hunt that talks about a lot of the steps you'll need to do in the field to protect it. I hope this helps.
https://www.gohunt.com/read/how-to-preserve-velvet
In either case, I found a good article by Go Hunt that talks about a lot of the steps you'll need to do in the field to protect it. I hope this helps.
https://www.gohunt.com/read/how-to-preserve-velvet
Bambistew
Well-known member
There is a few ways to skin this cat, but cleaning a skull and not screwing up the velvet will be a challenge. Not sure how you could boil it and not mess up the velvet. The steam would be pretty hot I would think, but maybe you could wrap it with tinfoil or something. I suppose you could macerate the skull after the velvet is preserved, and protect it while doing so, but I would fear the maceration bacteria would get to the velvet. I've only done one, and I cut the antlers off and had them freeze dried. It turned out really nice, and even 7 years later the velvet is perfect.
It also depends on the quality of the velvet. I've killed a number of caribou in velvet, some the velvet pealed right off, others the horn was still spongy at the tips. I think getting an animal when the velvet is in the perfect condition for preservation is just as difficult as preserving it. I kept it cool, pricked all the ends of the points, hung it upside down and pushed out all the blood, both towards the tips and to the base. IMO velvet will slip/spoil much easier than meat. The blood goes bad very quickly.
Good luck!
It also depends on the quality of the velvet. I've killed a number of caribou in velvet, some the velvet pealed right off, others the horn was still spongy at the tips. I think getting an animal when the velvet is in the perfect condition for preservation is just as difficult as preserving it. I kept it cool, pricked all the ends of the points, hung it upside down and pushed out all the blood, both towards the tips and to the base. IMO velvet will slip/spoil much easier than meat. The blood goes bad very quickly.
Good luck!
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AZBridger
Active member
Only way I've done it is saw the antlers off the skull and put them in the freezer for about a year. Euro the skull in the meantime and remount the antlers in the skull when they are dry
PAGOAT
Active member
I tried it with my mule deer this past year. The beetle guy said he thought he could do it, well no velvet was left.
Good thread, leaving in minutes for a deer hunt that has potential for a velvet buck sighting at least 
If he gets to come home with me is another deal, but this was enlightening. Thanks! ANd WOW, Bambi, that is a beautiful euro mount!! Well done!
If he gets to come home with me is another deal, but this was enlightening. Thanks! ANd WOW, Bambi, that is a beautiful euro mount!! Well done!First thing meat is meat, this was a trial wasn't going to shoot any of the half dozen 8/10 points on camera I had and ruin the mount. So I took this 3 point rack came out great. I put whole head hide and all in freezer until I had what I needed to do it. Took it out and put plastic around entire skull accept rack and put upside down in 37% embalming fluid(2- 1L bottles filled the rest with water) I got on Amazon for $25 I read soak for ten days but I let it soak for a month because you only get one shot at this. After that month of soaking I took lower jaw off and boiled for 3 hours and removed as much as I could then soaked in bleach for 1 and half days. While boiling I loosely wrapped plastic and tin foil around the rack as you can see all went well ready for the plaque. I can never seem to get top of skull pure white the bleach starts to disintegrate all thin bone.
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I can't see taking a velvet buck and not having the real velvet.
This was my first euro mount. Hunting/ deer are purely amazing. Got this one on a1 1/2 acre lot. I only had a8 and 10 point on camera all year not even a doe. I shot 10 point first morning of bow in September at 5 yards walking to me I knew where he was going it would've been over if I didn't take shot, shot over his head my arrow deflected off his rack being so tall and quick moving(even with a bow shooting 356fps). He was fighting the 8 punt hard that morning, in late September!! Well they only came back twice that season on camera on the last day of deer season I figured I go sit there walking to my stand with rifle I seen him in front of my stand very thick cedars I seen rack and shoot with my .270 he dropped. I got to him only 20 yards away and it was this 4 point I that had never been on camera once only the 8 and 10 point for a year. Was low light and thick. But to me meat is meat I would rather shoot small bucks than does everytime you shoot a doe your taking at last 2 deer out that's only for that year not counting all the other years she'll have little ones
This was my first euro mount. Hunting/ deer are purely amazing. Got this one on a1 1/2 acre lot. I only had a8 and 10 point on camera all year not even a doe. I shot 10 point first morning of bow in September at 5 yards walking to me I knew where he was going it would've been over if I didn't take shot, shot over his head my arrow deflected off his rack being so tall and quick moving(even with a bow shooting 356fps). He was fighting the 8 punt hard that morning, in late September!! Well they only came back twice that season on camera on the last day of deer season I figured I go sit there walking to my stand with rifle I seen him in front of my stand very thick cedars I seen rack and shoot with my .270 he dropped. I got to him only 20 yards away and it was this 4 point I that had never been on camera once only the 8 and 10 point for a year. Was low light and thick. But to me meat is meat I would rather shoot small bucks than does everytime you shoot a doe your taking at last 2 deer out that's only for that year not counting all the other years she'll have little ones
