Fixing broken Antlers
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Coyote 65
26-Sep-17
Just got off the phone with Steven Ward. Wards Outfitters. He is scouting for my upcoming elk hunt and says he is seeing lots of good bulls but also lots with broken antlers. One he saw this AM he said would go 365 if the sword point hadn't been broken.
The question is has anyone had your taxidermist fix a broken point? I wouldn't care, but my wife would.
Terry
From: LKH
26-Sep-17
Never wanted to, but I don't think it's a big deal for the better taxidermists. When done, you can't tell.
From: HDE
26-Sep-17
Yep, pretty easy actually.
From: manitou1
26-Sep-17
When I did taxidermy, I would repair broken tines at the customer's request. They couldn't I.D. the repair without an old pic many times. It can be done by most proficient taxis.
From: Surfbow
26-Sep-17
Why fix it? Bragging rights for a bigger score? I'd fix it if it were somehow broken on accident after I killed it, but putting a fake tine on seems silly...
From: HDE
26-Sep-17
I suppose it only matters to who wants it fixed and why...
If the horns/tines are symmetrical, it's easy to match and understandable. If non-typical, it would be a little more "silly".
From: Ben
26-Sep-17
There is a product called Apoxy (available online) that is very easy to work with that will fix any antler break . I few years ago I shot a buck and hung him in the barn, that night it got very cold. I let him hang there for several days waiting for it to get above 25* to skin and quarter him (big mistake). He broke loose and when he fell to the ground it broke a couple of tines off. I had never repaired a rack , but had done body work on a cars. It was easy to repair with this product.
From: Franklin
27-Sep-17
Quality taxidermist will have no problem with the repair....many use actual tines with the bondo/epoxy. Others will "cast" a tine with a mould. The Elk HAD the tine and the mount is a tribute to the animal and your prowness as a hunter. Show him off in all his glory.
From: Grubby
27-Sep-17
My cousin shot a buck about 10 years ago, he had a drop that was busted off, he had it repaired. I would have never guessed that drop was a foot long!
From: moch
27-Sep-17
Very easy to fix. Ask Steven to find you a 400 to make up the difference! LOL
From: gobbler
27-Sep-17
The only animal I had fixed was my mountain goat. It had good tips when I shot it and broke both when he fell. The rest of my trophies that had broken antlers or horns I did not have fixed because that's the way they were when I shot them.
To me, and it's just my opinion that works for me. If I don't like an animal because of something broken I just don't shoot it. If someone wants a "perfect" set of horns or antlers they can just have them made.
From: Glunt@work
27-Sep-17
I like to keep them as they were when taken, but I did have a caribou fixed. After we got home they were in a friend garage and is Golden retriever chewed a few inches off mine :^)
From: HDE
27-Sep-17
An oryx I shot on the Armendaris Ranch in NM (broke horn hunt) I am fixing for a shoulder mount.
From: AZ~Rich
27-Sep-17
Tine in center was a replacement
Tine in center was a replacement
Steel threaded rod expoxied into main beam for strong support.
Steel threaded rod expoxied into main beam for strong support.
They are fixable but most taxidermists are going to charge you plenty to do it right. there is a fair amount of detailed work and painting involved to match existing tines, especially when on elk or red stag where you have pearled texturing to replicate below the smoothed tine tips. On the average you will likely find they charge at minimum $10/inch for such work. Here is a red stag I fixed for a client.
From: Pete In Fairbanks
27-Sep-17
As I counseled a grieving client one time after a grizzly came into camp one night and chewed off most of the points of a nice bull caribou still in velvet... "Don't worry. A good taxidermist can make those points as long as you want them...!"
Pete
From: Adventurewriter
27-Sep-17
Why not fix it not yours or the animals fault it was broken the rack is a natural artistic wonder let it be what it was...let it grace your house in its full splendor....if you are adding points or something that is silly but just getting it back to where it was...I find it silly not to...
From: wkochevar
27-Sep-17
Recently had a porcupine (little Ba$#!!) chew off 2 of the brow tines from a moose I shot in BC that we left laying next to the meat pole for pickup...absolutely going to have those repaired...to each his own. Good Luck, hopefully it becomes a problem to solve for you!
From: Rickm
28-Sep-17
Pete, My thoughts exactly! If I just replace the broken tine and a few tips I'll have a 350 bull.
I say leave it alone and show the battle scars or don't shoot it. If you were happy when you dropped the string you should be happy with the mount.
From: Charlie Rehor
29-Sep-17
Personal choice of course. Some great reasons to and not to repair listed.
Dennis Razza does an amazing job as he does on all his work.
From: Buck Watcher
29-Sep-17
Mice chewed a little on an old mounted big (170+") buck the neighbor had in his garage. They had a remount done. Taxi fixed chewed area. You can't tell unless you look very close.
From: Shawn
29-Sep-17
I did over 30 years ago. I was 18 or so and shot a 100" 8pt. As a young hunter it was my best so I had it mounted it was missing about 4"s of a G2. I found a dead 4pt twisted it's head off and bought it to my taxidermist. He used part of one on the antlers and it came out great. Still have that mount!! Now with that said, today I mount them as they are and today most I just do a European mount anyway. Shawn
From: Coyote 65
29-Sep-17
Mute question now, got one that didn't have any broken tines. Don't have enough time in my lifetime to get another tag.
Terry
From: jims
30-Sep-17
Franklin's comments above nailed it. A quality taxidermist will have no problem. They can use the actual tines, drill a post, and patch the intersection at the break point. The more spendy method would be to cast a tine with a mould to match the other side.
The critter originally had all tines/horns intact. It would be a tribute to the animal having a mount with broken parts fixed. If you want the mount to tribute the animal as a "warrior" it may be worth leaving "as is". Personally I would have the broken tines/horns fixed!
Glad to hear you harvested a bull without having to deal with broken tines!
From: AZ~Rich
30-Sep-17
True, most taxidermists will have no problem but it does take time. Casting is not always possible as there is always that opposing geometry of the tine you are molding. However, there are specific two part expoxie products for taxidermists that allow them to build a new tine formed in layers over a heavy threaded steel rod bonded deep into the main beam. This allows for exact shaping to match the opposing tine or create whatever is desired. Getting that rich texture back on elk or stag antlers can be time consuming. Some try to build this by adding it onto the sculpted tine surface, others use a dremel with dentist bits to grind a texture into the tine. If done this way one should bulk out the tine slightly when forming it to accommodate for loss of surface material when dremeling in the texture.
From: HDE
30-Sep-17
Casting a tine/horn first you make a negative out of an existing, then pour the resin into it. Pretty easy.
