Free: Contests & Raffles.
Two ways to do this remove antlers, clean skull, freeze dry antlers, reattach or strip velvet, clean, and have them artificially re- velveted. I myself like the artificial velvet look. This is a picture of the artificial velvet. Keep in mind that both processes are a lot of work and will cost a lot more to do professionally.
Sirmissalot your right if you are holding them in your hands they do look artificial but when they are high up on the wall I would bet my pay check that 9 out of 10 guys could not tell you the difference between fake and real.
You get the color variation from the drying of the velvet which is actually skin. You look at a deer on the hoof ( alive ) and compare it to a artificially revelveted buck an they will look a lot more similar that a preserved set of velvet antlers. As a taxidermist you are looking to recreate a live animal and that is what the artificial velvet recreates. Not Dried up scabby velvet antlers. Live deer velvet antlers are very uniform, and have very little color variation until the blood under the velvet is cut off, and begins its process of drying and shedding.
I always think the artificial velvet looks too fake. I've never had to deal with it and most likely won't with the seasons we have but I would have them freeze dried if I killed a buck worthy of saving the velvet on.
I agree with most of that, you have some good points. I guess i'm just thinking of most deer that are killed with our seasons, in which the velvet is very close to shedding. To each their own!