Antlers

[duckey]

Kind of an odd request I have. Allow me to retort.

I shot a small 4 point VA buck this past Fall with my TC Percussion 50 cal. I brought it home to show by 2 boys and my oldest (Now 7) asked if he could have the antlers, sure I said. Well I drop the deer off at the butcher and had a friend pick up the finished product for me a few days later as I was away on vacation. Come to find out he did not include the antlers with the meat! Didn't think I needed ask for those to be returned. I never called the butcher back to see if he still had them as he was kinda an **** to deal with. So......is there anyone out there that has some antlers hanging around from a 4 point? Ill try and post a pic, the main spikes were about 7" with 2"-3" points. My son keeps asking me if I have the antlers and I hate to say that I don't, thought it would be neat to sap rise him. I can return the favor, brass, Paying it forward etc. Many thanks! Not the best view but only picture I took.
136320

[Beerd]

PM sent.
..

[Mgderf]

I would find a new processor.
I shot a very small 6 pointer this year that looks a lot like your 4 pointer, but it is the first deer I've harvested with a "palmated" antler. It's unique enough that I don't want to give it up.
Sorry.
Good luck.

[gtgeorge]

Got quite a few tossed in a box and may could "match" them up to a picture for you. Son always wanted me to save them and the collections got to be a little out of hand.

[True.grit]

If he is taken your antlers you know he is eating your meat as well. Process them critters your self and you will get more meat. Take your son out to look for sheds. I am sure you can find something bigger. Good luck TG

[waarp8nt]

I agree with True.grit, what else is he doing or taking that doesn't belong to him.

My lab brought a shed up to me the other day. I don't have anything to fit your description, but if I find sheds to match while mushroom hunting...they are yours.

BTW I like the Grey hawk! Front heavy, but good shooters.

[hoosierlogger]

I'm pretty sure I have a set in the garage. I'll look tomorrow.

[winelover]

Next time remove them yourself or ask the processor to do it when you drop it off. Most of the time they just assume you don't want the antlers on the non trophy bucks. Yes, it would be nice if the ask you but most are very busy that time of year. One processor that I use, requires the deer to be field dressed, skinned and have the feet and head removed.....problem solved.

Winelover

[duckey]

Thanks for all the responses!

[johnson1942]

the problem with processers in this area is you give them your deer and he process all the deer together and you dont get your deer meat back, just deer meat. i stopped eatingour deer meat and we got three good ones this year and we give it to poor native americans in the area and they love it and eat every square inch of it. they slice it thin in strips and dry it then use it diff ways. we fed a lot of hungry natives this year. not a ounce was wasted. i wish i had deer horns to send you but my son has all of ours on his wall. he has 9x6s 5x6/s and many more,all good ones. he is only 15 and has taken 9 good deer in his life. we cant afford to mount the heads but we mount the horns. this year we also found a huge dead antelope buch, how he died we dont know. the state ranger was near by so we asked him if we could take the head for the horns and he said yes. im going to make some powder horns out of the two large antelope horns next winter. he may have been shot by a rncher as it was new alfalfa and the antelope are hard on the new alfalfa. we have seen as many as 100 mule deer and 100 antelope on that peice of ground. i know how that rancher feels as i lost a lot of young trees to rabbits and mice and deer this winter. critters are nice but they can be a pain also. sorry i cant help you with the horns as my son wont let any go.

[Hanshi]

The processor I use to use was reliable and returned horns and anything else one asked for. Later, I began sawing off the skull cap/antlers prior to processing since I started mounting my own racks. If any deer happened to be a spike or minor fork horn, I didn't worry about it. I'm a firm believer in cutting off anything you want to take home.

[hoosierlogger]

Will these work? If so they are yours, just PM me an address.

[duckey]

Thanks for the offers! Hoosirlogger I sent you a PM. Beerd hooked me up with a set of antlers.
Mi bought that Grey Hawk in mid 90's and is my favorite gun to shoot and accurate! As for processing my own deer....I simply don't have the set up where I am living. Next year I may make it happen regardless.

[starmac]

I processed several deer while we were living in a 35 foot travel trailer. It may not have been the best setup, but we got it done.

[DougGuy]

You don't need a "setup" at all. All you need is a table or the top of a jobsite toolbox, which is what I use mostly. Tailgate of a truck will work too. I don't even hang the deer anymore, I don't gut them, there's nothing in the abdominal cavity to eat save for two very small very tender strips in front of the hams, you can reach in and take those out with your fingers once you debone the hams. Anyway..

Lay the deer on the table/gangbox/whatever, split the hide down the back and peel it back on the one side you can get to, just roll it on back down towards the belly. Take the backstrap off, split the hide down the hindquarter to the tarsal area, you can see where the muscle groups part, just cut in the white line right there and put your fingers in there, pull it apart and keep cutting til you get to the bone. Work your way around the bone, leave the bone attached at the hip. Split the hide down the front leg, take the shoulder off the ribs and saw the leg off. If there is enough neck meat, take it off now too.

Turn the deer over and do the same thing again. Takes all of 15mins and the last one I did, the meat was in ziploc bags going into the freezer and it was still warm from the deer.

[OverMax]

Suggestion: Next time borrow saw-all and make one long cut clear across the skull cap about a 1"-1-1/2 deep to remove your antlers or cut the animals head off altogether. Processors (do not like to do it.) As it is probably against your State's Health Department Rules to save anything but the animals butchered meat in his freezers. As far as the processors attitude. We all have our bad/off days.
So that is what a East coast fork looks like. Should be a tasty eater. No doubt about that.