Antler repair vote yes or no
Whitetail Deer
Would you repair broken tines?
Depends if its a point yes.If its a main beam no.
I've glued a couple tines back on, but I would never reconstruct one.
I think I would only repair it if it broke after I shot the animal. I personally like to preserve the animal the way it looked when I chose to harvest it.
Naw, it is what it is.
Wouldn't think anything less of someone who did, though. Personal choice.
Not for me. Can totally understand someone that wishes to do so though.
Now...if I shot a buck that busted his horn in a death run, I would probably repair it. The second deer I ever shot w/ a bow was a spike that ran into a tree and knocked both of his horns off. I'd of had a conniption if it happened with larger buck (though less likely).
Nope unless the tine was broken when the deer was running after the shot.
Repaired one that broke last year after the shot with its original. I wouldn't have reconstructed though.
No I did once and taxi did a poor job anyways and it looks bad. Never again. personal choice.
had one fixed once about the last inch of the main beam broke.looks ok from a distance but up close you can tell because the color doesnt match very well.havent had another fixed after that.
repair never..............would i add 100 inches to a basket rack............anyday!!
I guess I will go against the grain here and say yes. I had a third pt fixed on a 6x6 bull that I wanted mounted up. It was broke but had the same diameter and shape as the other side. I figure the pt. was there at one time it just broke off. Just had it repaired to match the other side.
I am in the extreme here, but I wouldn't repair a rack that was broken pre-harvest (post-harvest is a different story), nor would I mount an animal with a different cape or even inentionally strip velvet. Mount what you shot, and if you aren't happy with what you shot, you may as well buy it on Ebay as start swapping out parts after the fact.
I agree with Matt, although I had a set of sheds mounted on head, not an animal I hunted.
Well, I guess I will be cursed by all of you....shot a buck in '07 and couldnt find it. Finally, 5 days later, we found him and he was all chewed up by coyotes.
He was a cool buck because his G2's were forked but one was broken.
Well, I decided to get another cape and had his point reconstructed. It was worth it to me.....can you tell which point was redone?
I think it was the 13th point. From now on you will be known around here as 12 points! JK Nice deer.
Thanks.........actually my handle is for how many elk points i have...hopefully, it will be reduced to 2 points in a couple of weeks......8*)
It depends.. Is a mounted head a trophy of your accomplishments and a memory of the hunt? Probably not.
Is the mount a representation of Mother Nature's art work, such as a pair of sheds, a recovered winter kill etc.. Then probably yes, but never in such a manner as to enhance the score beyond what was originally there.
Yes, I would. Just make sure to find a taxidermist that does a good job. I've seen some fixed tines that looked terrible.
A question to some that wouldn't fix the tines. What if you had trail camera pictures of the buck before his rack was busted up? Would you fix them then?
I had a decision to make after killing what would have been a beautifull 7x7 herd bull.Two broken tines on the right side almost to the main beam.No doubt he was awesome with full head gear,and no doubt he's still an awesome first bull.My decision was to leave him as he was when killed.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE???
I had a buck mounted with 2 broken tines. To me that's just part of the story and shows that he was a fighter. The buck I'm mounting this year has a big gouge out of one ear. Probably got pinched between the antlers while fighting.
My best buck to date is mounted exactly as taken. MO
I do not but to each his own.
I wouldn't fix the tines unless they were somhow broken by something I'd done. IE: broken tine while loading buck in the truck, or took a spill while packing out a set of elk horns and broke a tine, in that case then yes, I'd repair a tine. Otherwise I'd mount the buck/bull as he was when I released the arrow.
I've never considered repairing broken tines. I don't think I would do it, as I think it takes away from the character of the deer as you shot it.
But like almost anything, there is usually an exceptional situation where I might change my mind - but only if I could replicate almost exactly what was there when the animal grew it.
If it's broken in my possession and I have both pieces, sure, I'd repair it. But if I killed an animal with broken antlers, he'd stay just as I killed him.
The Old Sarge
I let a very nice buck walk the last day of Alabama's season this year. He was 3.5 or 4.5 years old and had 4 points still intact on each side. But, he had several broken off including a third of his main beam on the left side. I hope I will be able to catch up with him earlier next year. He should be a toad!
I haven't repaird one yet, but I would if he broke it off after I shot him. Assuming I could find it.
No.
This years buck is at the taxi with a broken (flush with the main beam) & missing G2.
Yes....... I've had a busted-up 10pt repaired by my taxidermist and I did an 8pt with a broken point myself. I had a couple trailcam pics of the 8pt before I shot him, so I had a real good idea how long his point was. He broke off around 7 inches, so I rebuilt the point with a repair kit from VanDikes using another tine from a shed antler I found.
But you know what???????? To each their own. Do what you want and don't worry about what others think. I could care less if someone doesn't like my decision. I'm the one who looks at the mount everyday and no one else. Heck, most people don't even know it was repaired when they see them.
I had one repaired that was busted during the truck ride out. It was a small kicker point and was the first thing I noticed on his rack before I shot him. Luckily we found the point. I think each circumstance is different. I wouldn't add anything that wasn't there when I shot it. I would repair if it was broke during moving or something.
No. Unless broke after i killed him.
Why would you shoot it if you werent happy the way it looked at the time of the shot?
If I broke it, maybe.
Repair-yes, Reconstruct, no.
yes, but only if the broken time is more than 3/8" in length. hey, a guy has to have standards.
Doubt it. Would depend on the situation & the animal.
If it walks in front of me, and I decide to take it, it will get mounted as it was when I shot. Battle scars, broken tines, maybe even one eye!
Also, if the trophy is perfect when harvested, better yet. Don't want make them something they are not.
But, to each his own, just my beliefs.
Just hunt.....
I like them the way they are when killed but caribou are a different animal. I get the velvet off, especially if its close to coming off naturally. To much stink to take the chance.
For any that would repair/reconstruct one, make sure if it is a Pope'r, you get it officially scored prior to the repair.
I would not repair/reconstruct one, but have no problems with those who do.
Tony
I think maybe if I shot a late season buck and the antler popped off when I grabbed him I would attach it to a mount............ maybe if I shot a buck and he fell, busting a tip or two and I found them I would repair it........... or even if I had a mount fall off the wall and busted a tine or horn I would fix it, but I dont think I would repair a trophy if I shot it the way he was. I, as a taxidermist, have rebuilt busted tines and remember one that I actually was asked to "fix" a rack from a guy one time. I "fixed" it by rebuilding about 12 inches of missing main beam and the G4 from it.
This buck has a missing G1 that kept him from making B7C, but .... thats OK with me, I shot him this way and I like him this way.
To each is own.
Wow! Appreciate all the opinions. Well I repaired the rack and have no regrets. They guy that fixed them did a great job. I was nervous but after getting it done I am glad it turned out so well. To each their own. I did not realize he was busted until after I shot him. I had deer cam pics before he broke so I had him restored close to original. Enjoy the pics.
Wow! Appreciate all the opinions. Well I repaired the rack and have no regrets. They guy that fixed them did a great job. I was nervous but after getting it done I am glad it turned out so well. To each their own. I did not realize he was busted until after I shot him. I had deer cam pics before he broke so I had him restored close to original. Enjoy the pics.
I'd leave it, but that's just me. You're the one that get's to enjoy the trophy for the rest of your life, so do whatever makes you happy. BTW, if looks very nice. Great deer!
Antlers, no.
Cape, yes. Most guys wouldn't know theirs from the original in many cases.
I've sold enough caribou capes to know that many are lost due to poor care and other causes. There are more than a few guys who don't know the animal they have on the wall has someone else's cape.
I think some of mine have somebody else's antlers? They seem a lot smaller now, than when I drew down on those beasts!? Just Kidding. Great deer droptine.
Yep - have on a once-in-a-lifetime permit Kansas elk. Two points shot-off, I think, by another hunter. I tell everybody when they see the bull and show them which points.
Since, I've about decided I'm done with mounts other than Europeans or skull caps.
It's personal choice with no wrong answers. Some guys get mounts of deer shot over bait though it's unnatural in the woods. Others wouldn't even shoot such a buck, let alone get it mounted or fix a broken point.
Amazingly respectful thread - cool.
Yes but only if I had the broken off piece then I would reattach it.
Shot a ten pointer with all points and when he ran off somewaere along the way he broke off the G3. I looked everywhere the nxt day and couldn't find it. slso couldn't find the the arrow and he only went about 75-100 yards. I'm thinking about fixing it. I'd say yes if that is how you saw him when you shot him.
Here is another, though rather unique scenario;
I killed a jumbo New Mexico bull a few years ago that I had hunted for 11 days DIY. Sometime between the time I saw him and finally killed him he busted his 5th & 6th (entire whale tail) off at the main beam just above the 4th point. Had he matched, he would have grossed in the low 370's.
Two winters later, an outfitter buddy was lion hunting in a canyon close to where I killed that bull. His hunter picked up a broken piece of antler. My friend immediately recognized it as the missing piece from my bull! He shipped it to me and it fits, right down to the splinters. Other than being a bit sun faded, it has no other wear or bite marks.
What would you do? No theoretical or hypothetical design work needs to be done, I have the antler!
I simply stuck it in place without any permanent attachment. The story is so cool to me that restoring the rack would take something away from the telling.
Otherwise, I don't fix broken antlers.
In alot of customers eyes if you can repair an antler without it being noticable that makes you an excellent taxidermist.If you want it to look nice as it did before the rut ,I say why not.I had a guy bring me a scrub 8pt. one time and every point on it was busted.Because it was the first buck he ever shot he insisted on mounting it and wanted every point reconstructed.I tried talking him onto a horn mount because this was a sad looking deer,but he insisted.You talk about a before and after picture.I would say its about 50-50,some say leave it while others say fix it.
I tell ya what I would do 4406v.I would sit down to a nice elk steak and cold beer and then go to bed and dream about goin back this season to take care of the bad boy who he was fighting with that broke those tines off.Either way thats a fine bull.Was that a rifle kill,I see the date as october 10th?
Why not, as long as you restore it to it's original condition.
Sure why not....to each his own but these amazing animals "Gods expression" in a wild male animal....works of art really in my eye why not bring it back to is finest for viewing. So what if it got busted off,,,,Was watching some hunting show (rare for me) and they were after an amazing Bull....he broke a tine overnight and he instantly became garbage,,now adding extra from what it would have been originally....thats a different story
If it was like that when you shot him, fine, but not adding to what he was when you shot him.
I mean, what's the limit? If you have trail cam pics of a 200" buck, kill him and one side is broken off, do you just replace it because that's what he "was"?
What if you kill him when BOTH sides are broken off, do you "fix" him back to what he used to be?
I couldn't do it, knowing that the deer on the wall was not what I chose to harvest.
Keep him as you shot him....if he ran into a tree or fell off a cliff after the arrow and snapped some stuff off, I would likely fix him.
I don't understand why you would fix an animal that you chose to shoot....if you were unhappy with the broken tines and whatnot when you saw him...don't shoot him IMO.
I leave them as they were when I shot them. My stone sheep had a broken horn when I shot him and I left it that way. My Mt. goat broke his when he fell and I had those repaired.
I say no.
droptine-no offense but the title of your thread is repair. You are not repairing you are adding inches.
I have a half racked 6 on the wall that would meet P&Y minimum with a matching left side. He broke his rack at the base. I left him as he was.
I think it is an ego thing with most who would repair.
Then again I'm agaisnt shooting coyotes.
I shot a beautiful 10 point one year with a rifle.I had two guys move in on me while in a treestand within 40 yds.Just as they realize I'm there here comes the buck up through the valley.I start shooting the buck and they are trying to see it.I knew I had to put him down or they were going to shoot him too.In the process of planting the buck for good I shot the whole right side of his rack off within 1-1/2 inches of the skull.I picked up the shattered pieces and reconstructed the right side although I never tried to paint or match the fixed parts of the rack.The rack is mounted on a plaque and I tell the story when asked "what's up with this rack?"
