350 class Arizona bull antler fix

[bucklucky]

Here is a bull I did a repair job on for a customer, it was a late season tag and the bulls were all busted up. Anyway, I made a mold of the good side and after 9 layer's of latex I cut the mold off the antler . I then repositioned the mold to somewhat match what the side that was broke to what it should have looked like , wired it together and poored a "new " horn. Then I reattached the plastic horn to the broken beam. I then started the coloring process once the new horn was blended to the old. I used many washes of color with oil paints to get the color pretty dang close.

[bucklucky]

Here is before and after pics.

[littlebuf]

every time i looked at that if it were my bull i would feel like a liar, i could never add antlers to my animal. did this guy have some insecurity issues? not knocking your work they look like they grew there and hey if someones gonna pay then why not. but if your mind set is such that they need to be "fixed" why not just buy a rack off e bay

[Michelle_Nelson]

I don't see a problem with it.  If they want to have their rack fixed than it's not anyone elses place to tell them they can't or cut them down for it.  To each his own.  They killed the bull so the rack is theirs to do with what they please.  It's not like they are doing it so they can have a higher score and entered into the books.  Now that would be cheating.  Taxidermy is an art and some guys put more value into a good looking mount than they do the horns. 

[Little John]

Looks great Charlie, If I shot a broke up bull I'd have it fixed for sure.

[bucklucky]

every time i looked at that if it were my bull i would feel like a liar, i could never add antlers to my animal. did this guy have some insecurity issues? not knocking your work they look like they grew there and hey if someones gonna pay then why not. but if your mind set is such that they need to be "fixed" why not just buy a rack off e bay

I wouldnt go to the extrent that you are . Geeez 

[WDFW-SUX]

Nice job.

That said I agree about people buying antlers off ebay and claiming them as there own...seems to be the new fad.

[BC CHASER]

   Great work BL!  How do you attach it?  I imagine epoxy and maybe a dowel?

[bucklucky]

I have 2 all thread stainless rods I put in the mold before I poured it that are about a foot - a foot and a half long. I then hogged out the origional antler about 6 or so inches and poored more plastic in it and around the new horn. That plastic is super strong and bonds real well.

I agree about buying horns and claiming them as yours, but fixing a horn and saying you might as well buy a set off ebay and claim them as yours is not the same thing. Thats a little harsh I would say 

[littlebuf]

yeah it might be a little harsh but if he didnt want that bull why did he pull the trigger? personally i like it better broken, looks neat and shows he took a fighter. after the fix it just takes a unite bull and makes it look like every other 350 bull you've ever seen    i just think guys get caught up in score and antler size to much, dont get me wrong i like the big racks but the trophy is the whole hunt not just making sure that right side is just as big as the left, and you know he's not gonna tell anyone he had it fixed 

[bucklucky]

He looked over alot of bulls and most of the big ones were broke. It was a last day kill I believe or right down to the end. They had video of the bull before he was broke too.

[bucklucky]

Fixing antlers would be a tough decision, I will sway people away from doing it that want broken tines fixed on stuff usually. Personal preferance though.

[Pathfinder101]

I don't see a problem with it, as long as he isn't trying to score it for the books.  Particularly if he has video of the bull before it broke.  Great work Bucklucky!

[Michelle_Nelson]

yeah it might be a little harsh but if he didnt want that bull why did he pull the trigger? personally i like it better broken, looks neat and shows he took a fighter. after the fix it just takes a unite bull and makes it look like every other 350 bull you've ever seen    i just think guys get caught up in score and antler size to much, dont get me wrong i like the big racks but the trophy is the whole hunt not just making sure that right side is just as big as the left, and you know he's not gonna tell anyone he had it fixed 

I don't see why it matters what bull he pulled the trigger on.  He may had already decided that he wanted that bull befor he was broke and when he saw it broke he knew it could be fixed.  You really don't know the story behind the hunt so why be so hard on the guy?  Not sure if this was a guide hunt or not but if it was a DIY hunt maybe he's been hunting this bull a few years and they have been eye to eye a few times and never could get a shot til now.  Who knows maybe it means more to the guy to have the bull look like it did when he remembers it on previous hunts.  Different people want to remember an animal in different ways.  Why get a a Floor Ped or mount a deer with an open mount?  Might as well mount the deer looking dead because that how you last saw the deer befor it came out of the woods.

I don't think it is cheating or in bad taste at all.  As long as they don;t try and get the thing scored and put in the books after the fix.

[alecvg]

Awsome job, but I can't help but notice the velvot bull in the background, that looks awsome!