Velvet freeze dry help

[ElkSniper]

I recently just harvest my first archery muley last wednesday and wanted to do a velvet euro on him. Not my biggest muley or my smallest but a good basket buck. I want to do a DIY euro on him and I've done many euros in the past but i don't really know how to preserve the velvet.

I heard the best way to do a DIY velvet euro is to freeze dry the antlers.

Do I cut each antler off or do i just skull cap? How long do i leave the antlers in the freezer? How do I reattach the antlers to the skull?

So if anyone out there can can kinda give me advice on how to do this that would be greatly appreciated

Thank You

 

[FullCryHounds]

Freeze drying is not something you can do in your freezer. It requires a 'freeze drying' machine. Finding one large enough to handle a large rack can be a challenge. One that large will cost between 6-10K. If you want a professional looking job, take the skull/rack to a good taxidermist that has beetles. He can preserve the velvet and then clean and whiten the skull. Preserving the velvet is also something you probably don't want to attempt if you've never done it. It can be tricky depending on how the rack was handled after it was killed.

 

[muledeer30]

I have saved the velvet on 10 deer by putting them in the feezer for at least 3 months i have also had sucess with isopropl alchohol, drench the velvet with it. Cut the antlers off at the base(first put some holes in a piece of cardboard where the points are to help in repositioning the antlers later). Boil or have someone with beetles clean the skull. Drill into the skull and antler, bondo a 1/4 inch keyway into the skull then bondo the antlers to the skull.

 

[muledeer30]

 

[muledeer30]

 

[muledeer30]

The skull and the antlers in those pictures were banged around on the shop bench for 3 years before i got around to finishing it. Thats why the velvet looks roughed up.

 

[RioHuntNutt!]

Elksniper , did you ever get your euro done?