What a spring it was! We had some amazing hunts and fishing trips. It started back in March with some combo fishing/Turkey trips. Opener of turkey season I got to hunt with my good friend and watch him arrow a nice Jake in Placer County. The highlight was hunting turkeys in 25 degree weather with snow on the ground in Northeastern California. We located a group of 5 toms and 6 hens. One 35 yard shot from Emily and she had a gorgeous Merriam Tom!
I didn't get my chance until a few weeks later when I called in a nice Jake to 30 yards.
The next trips were targeted for Fish. Emily and I have a small john boat that we use the most. It is perfect for what we do and we were able to land numerous nice trout and kokanee. Our big acquisition for the boat this year was a new Fish Finder. The Hawkeye FishTax 1C. We were so impressed with it that I completed a video review on the product. Check it out below:
We also had some time to fit in a coast trip to chase Rio Grande Turkeys and pigs. Well both cooperated nicely and we came home with two hogs and two nice toms!
The end of the spring was rounded out with some more fishing on a Wilderness Unlimited hunting and fishing club property (www.wildernessunlimited.com), Lake Margaret. What a time! Lots of nice trout and great company! Now onto Big Game Season!
Ill start this post by saying that I am not a Taxidermist or expert nor do I guarantee results. I am just sharing what I do when I take buck in velvet. I am sure there are better methods out there but this is what's worked for me in the past.
Early season
archery hunting in the west takes place early enough to give most
archers the chance to take a buck in full velvet. If your lucky,
you are faced with the decision, to strip or not to strip the velvet.
The first velvet
rack I placed my hands on was back in the 2003. It was later in
August and the velvet was already starting to peel. I really wanted
to keep the trophy the way it was so I immediately took it to a
taxidermist and paid to have the velvet preserved. I really enjoy
viewing that trophy on my wall today but have learned that you don't
need to rush to a taxidermist to preserve velvet.
Not to Strip- Preserving
Velvet Antlers
Velvet antlers
provide a great trophy and if preserved correctly can look identical
to the day you took the animal. You have a couple options that I
recommend for preserving your antlers. The Do-it-yourself chemical
option and the freeze and wait option.
Freeze and Wait
option: So I have used this option the most. Its simple and fool
proof. Velvet antlers are just like meat, you must cool them down
and freeze them in order to stop them from spoiling. With that being
said, if you have room in the freezer put the entire rack and kill
plate in. If you don't have much room but still want to freeze them
another option is to cut the skull plate directly down the middle.
This is very tough to do since they are your trophy but its very
simple to reattach and mask the cut behind a plaque or shoulder mount.
*FYI - if your
trying to enter your trophy into a book like SCI, Pope and Young etc
splitting the skull plate will void the score.
Once they are in
the freezer you should leave them in place for 8-12 months and they
will come out dried and perfect. All the antlers I have done using this method look the same as the day I took the animal. If you don't want
to wait then you can go ahead and get the chemicals and DIY or take
them to a taxidermist but at least the antlers are frozen and
preserved till they can be treated.
To preserve the
antlers the DIY chemical way you will first need to purchase some
formaldehyde or comparable preservative. I purchased some online and
most are available through taxidermy websites. Next with protective
clothing on (gloves, goggles, etc) make small cuts/slits around the
tines of the antlers and on the antler tips then hang them upside
down. This will allow the blood to drain. Next you will need to
inject the bases with the preserving solution until the solutions
start to drip out the cuts. You can purchase syringes at any feed
store that will work great. Let them hang overnight and then take the remainder of the
watered down solution and spray it on using a spray bottle. Remember
to wear gloves and eye protection especially when spraying.
To Strip!
Stripping the Antlers
This past season I
was asked how and why I stripped the velvet from some of the bucks
had taken during the early season.
Why to strip your
antlers:
Well this is
something that depends on the antlers. I have taken numerous velvet
bucks and I would have loved to save all the velvet but sometimes the
velvet was at a stage was too far gone to save. One buck I took a few
years back, his antlers completely stripped in my hand when I started
to drag him.
Another reason
I'll strip the velvet is if I cannot get the antlers cooled down in
time. I was on a week long trip last year in July and killed a buck
on day two. I had no way of cooling the antlers let alone freezing
them. Instead of dealing with a rotten mess at the end of the trip I
opted to strip them in camp.
How to:
If
you want to strip the velvet from your antlers the process is very
simple. Use a sharp knife and make long cuts
up and down the antlers tines leaving you with 1/2" strips. I like to use my Havalon razor knife.
Use your fingers to peel away the velvet at the antler tips until you
have a ½ inch exposed. Then use a set of pliers and start to strip
down toward the base. The velvet strips come off in the large
sections and follow the lines you cut along the tines. Once you’re
done set them out to dry in the sun. After 2-4 hours you will be able
to get all the small pieces and veins off with ease. Once this is done you will be left with a pearly white set of antlers ready to be sanded and stained or taken to a taxidermist to be flocked with faux velvet. I will post another segment on finishing your antlers later this summer. Kerwin at Mounts Unlimited http://mountsunlimited.com/museum-quality/ is currently finishing the faux velvet on Emily's Sitka Blacktail and will keep you all posted when we get them back. Click below for a short video of me stripping a set of early season antlers.
Well that's it! I hope you all have a successful early season and send me photos of your early season velvet racks! Dan
