Velvet bucks question

[Tbob]

If I'm lucky enough to score a velvet Mule deer this year, is there anything special I need to do with the antlers to keep the Velvet looking good until I can get it to the taxi? Thanks!

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

Get em' to your taxi ASAP!
Here's the deal, the velvet, especially if its still fully intact, has its own blood supply and is like a mini version of a hide over the antlers/bone. Therefore it spoils JUST like a cape/hide. As a taxi, even the process to keep the original velvet on the antlers is a lengthy and detailed chore. If its going to be a day or two before you can get it into the taxi the best way to is keep it cold (do not get wet), and position the horns so they are pointed tines down (hang upside down).....the blood supply of the velvet will run to the tips and keep it from pooling in the bases which really makes the decomp process much quicker. Be very careful with the velvet as well, if it gets rubbed/torn off its extremely hard to repair. Hope this helps and best of luck!!
Joel-BRT

[Tbob]

Hey that's awesome man! Thanks so much.. So what do the antlers look like if I was to just take all the Velvet off? Like are they more white than a hard horned buck?

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

yes, they are completely white. That's why a large majority of the coloration of the horns is dictated by what brush/trees/etc is available to rub on...it takes on the color of the natural vegetation. I mounted up a mulie buck this year that was rubbing in a wildfire-ridden area of eastern Washington and the horns are damn near black.

[h20hunter]

Heres a lil fella just to perk you up. He walked past the bro in law about an hour ago. Thevare camping over in the dry side.

[BULLBLASTER]

 
I have a white tail that I had shoulder mounted and got into the freezer within 3 hours of kill and velvet was tanned up. I also have a mule deer that I shot in velvet and hung out in the sun tines down and let dry for a week or so and the velvet looks just the same as the tanned one. I figure I got lucky on that one. It really needs tanned,freeze dried, or stripped. 

[BULLBLASTER]

The hard horned buck in my pic rubbed out the day before. The mount is the original tanned velvet.

[Tbob]

Love those velvet bucks man! I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I'll be in hot AZ and prob take me a day to pack up and get to the taxi if I get lucky and score. Guess I'll just try to find a shady cooler spot and hang it upside down and hope for the best! Thanks again for all the info !

[Tbob]

Heres a lil fella just to perk you up. He walked past the bro in law about an hour ago. Thevare camping over in the dry side.

Nice buck!! I'm chomping at the bit!

[huntnnw]

I have 2 spike elk and 2 4pt whietails in velvet that I did nothing with other than added them to the pile and the velvet on all of them look the same today as they did when killed. Some are almost 20 yrs old