Re-conditioning Horns

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

What a perfect time to bring this post to forefront. Recently received my crate from SA. I am impressed with quality of all D&P except the gemsbok horns are very bad, some parts of horns have large cracks and pieces missing. Never seen before, not sure if it boiled while workers were on lunch, or if horns just fell apart? My other horns from same company and trip all look good. Also gemsbok from previous safaris never looked like this.

Not sure if @buck wild wax repair will be OK alone? I will make some rubber texture moulds then may have to use some two part epoxy to rebuild before wax technique.

Last pic is of horns from some of the other antelope from same trip, not the same, these look good.

MB

Do you have a trophy photo of the Gemsbuck that you could post?

 

[MarkB]

Good information. The horns on my animals also arrived quite dried-out and blackened; not sure why they do this other than laziness. Unfortunately mine is on "finished" taxidermy, so applying the melted beeswax will be a bit more of a challenge to contain the mess. Plan to find some natural beeswax on my next trip into the city and give it a go.

That "blackening" discusses me. It seams like the "norm" yet antelope horns from any wild one I shot never looked like that. I always state in large print writing do NOT do that to my trophies, same as drilling holes in horn TIPs for wire tags.

Cannot imagine "painting" a customers, sheep, goat, moose or deer horns here at home. But then again never have I boiled a skull so horns look like most do after leaving Africa.

Bison and sheep take some boiling to remove from sheaths but not "cooked to hell" length of time, pay attention, watch and keep water at proper level at ALL times. Also wrap horns to protect from heat.

Color and finish is customers choice, we do as they state.

MB

 

[MarkB]

Do you have a trophy photo of the Gemsbuck that you could post?

This is one I completed during my "training' many years ago from a 2005 safari in Namibia. Horns look darker in pic, horn finish was almost the same as wax mentioned here.

No idea why this pic rotated?

MB

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

This is one I completed during my "training' many years ago from a 2005 safari in Namibia. Horns look darker in pic, horn finish was almost the same as wax mentioned here.

No idea why this pic rotated?

MB

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. Do you by any chance have a photo of the animal from the field?

 

[buck wild]

Good information. The horns on my animals also arrived quite dried-out and blackened; not sure why they do this other than laziness. Unfortunately mine is on "finished" taxidermy, so applying the melted beeswax will be a bit more of a challenge to contain the mess. Plan to find some natural beeswax on my next trip into the city and give it a go.

Use a plastic wrap around the bottom of the horns to keep off the hair.

 

[buck wild]

What a perfect time to bring this post to forefront. Recently received my crate from SA. I am impressed with quality of all D&P except the gemsbok horns are very bad, some parts of horns have large cracks and pieces missing. Never seen before, not sure if it boiled while workers were on lunch, or if horns just fell apart? My other horns from same company and trip all look good. Also gemsbok from previous safaris never looked like this.

Not sure if @buck wild wax repair will be OK alone? I will make some rubber texture moulds then may have to use some two part epoxy to rebuild before wax technique.

Last pic is of horns from some of the other antelope from same trip, not the same, these look good.

MB

Yes, get a taxidermy two part epoxy to fill the big cracks then finish out as covered.

 

[MarkB]

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. Do you by any chance have a photo of the animal from the field?

Here it is, looks like some chipping and missing outer horn "sheath" was damaged when shot. I guess between, skinning shed, salt, then months of who knows where or what happened then finally D&P lots more came of. It has been more than 2 years since his death.

Not sure if this is normal for Kalahari gemsbok, age, aggressive fighting, or other reason. You have any knowledge of this? Ideas?

I do like the taxidermy Aves epoxy sculpt, can do wonders with that stuff. When done nobody horns will be back to original as shot state.

Please ignore that ugly part of pic. Me.


MB

 

[ArmyAV8tor]

Just tried the beeswax treatment on waterbuck horns. Amazing result. Thanks for the tip.

 

[buck wild]

Just tried the beeswax treatment on waterbuck horns. Amazing result. Thanks for the tip.

I'm glad to see it worked well for you.

 

[MarkB]

As a follow up for my Dec posts. Thanks to all SA outfitters who PM'd me with explanation. Seams my gemsbuck was most likely young and its outer horns were not as hard as they should have been. Makes sense as on whole hunt I never heard don't shoot we can do better? Only shoot.

The heat from boiling made outer horn fall apart. I just sent whole shipment to Canadian tannery, first time using this new highly recommended company so will see how all comes back in fall.

Yes I will use @buck wild's horn fixing process, works best.

MB