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Cleaning dear antlers

Bernieb

New Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2023
Messages
5
Hi all and thank you letting me join. I have a question I am restoring my fathers dear mount that is 50ish years old and I am wanting to clean the years of dirt I tried baking soda and vinegar did not work. Tried soap and water with a toothbrush did not work. Just wondering if anybody has a home remedy that can clean the antlers. Thank you in advance.
 
Hi all and thank you letting me join. I have a question I am restoring my fathers dear mount that is 50ish years old and I am wanting to clean the years of dirt I tried baking soda and vinegar did not work. Tried soap and water with a toothbrush did not work. Just wondering if anybody has a home remedy that can clean the antlers. Thank you in advance.
You say deer mount, but is it a euro mount or a full mount? If it is a euro mount you can find a large pot for it to fit in and boil them in water for 15-30 minutes then wipe them off. Then wash them easily again with some Dawn soap and water. After that step, people do different things. Beeswax on them, some people paint them white, etc.
 
I don't have an answer for cleaning the antlers but will offer a Welcome from northern Michigan!

I’m with boyne, I have No real world experiences to share but gladly welcome you to the forum!

I’m sure there are some folks around that know a thing or Two about taxidermy restoration who can guide you.
 
You say deer mount, but is it a euro mount or a full mount? If it is a euro mount you can find a large pot for it to fit in and boil them in water for 15-30 minutes then wipe them off. Then wash them easily again with some Dawn soap and water. After that step, people do different things. Beeswax on them, some people paint them white, etc.
It is a full mount I guess,it goes down to the neck. My next question is what should I use to keep the hair nice it is nice now even though it is over 50 years old. Thanks for the advice
 
I’m with boyne, I have No real world experiences to share but gladly welcome you to the forum!

I’m sure there are some folks around that know a thing or Two about taxidermy restoration who can guide you.
Thank you for the welcome
 
Bernie, find a local taxidermist if possible and give them a call. Or for that matter find one anywhere. Most will be happy to give you some pointers over the phone. The only reason I would try to stay local is product availability tends be different regionally. Plus climate can play a bit of a factor(high humidity, zero humidity, etc...)
 
Welcome from WNY. My taxidermists have always told me to use nothing but clean water on the mount and just lightly dampen a paper towel or three and go with the grain getting the dust off. If it was stored where it was exposed to a lot of sunlight there could be some fading which may not be something you can clean. Also a light duster with NO chemicals or anything on the dusting cloth can be used for the eyes and nostril pits and whiskers but again my mounts look the best after a light “go over” with dampened paper towels.
 
windex, if that doesnt cut the crud. you may need to use something stronger and a fine scrubby pad. wrap a towel around the bases to catch the exess crap. you can use widex on the whole mount, use q tips on the eyes. then use a soft brush to groom.
 
windex, if that doesnt cut the crud. you may need to use something stronger and a fine scrubby pad. wrap a towel around the bases to catch the exess crap. you can use widex on the whole mount, use q tips on the eyes. then use a soft brush to groom.
Thank you
 
Bernie, find a local taxidermist if possible and give them a call. Or for that matter find one anywhere. Most will be happy to give you some pointers over the phone. The only reason I would try to stay local is product availability tends be different regionally. Plus climate can play a bit of a factor(high humidity, zero humidity, etc...)
Thank you
 
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