Cleaning mud, dirt, and blood off antlers

[HighUintas]

I have some elk antlers from a recent kill that ended up with some blood and a lot of dirt and mud on them from the transport out of the woods and home.

What's the best way to clean the antlers without removing the natural dirt and tree debris from the elk rubbing and wallowing?

 

[taxidermybycam]

Tooth brush and Windex. I personally would remove it all. There's no miracle liquid or technique
Youre saying you want some of the dirt on it but also not some of the other dirt ? Just clean the entire thing. When the elk is alive the next time it thunder storms that all would come off anyways .

 

[philos]

Try dry brushing first just to remove the loose debris. Then see how you like it and go more aggressive with cleaning if need be.

 

[HighUintas]

Tooth brush and Windex. I personally would remove it all. There's no miracle liquid or technique
Youre saying you want some of the dirt on it but also not some of the other dirt ? Just clean the entire thing. When the elk is alive the next time it thunder storms that all would come off anyways .

Yes, sorry I wasn't specific enough. This is what I want to leave behind. Probably mostly tree scrapings

 

[KyleR1985]

Similar topic - how do you preserve the “wet” look of that pine sap on chocolate antlers?

I was thinking butcher block oil (wax and oil mix). It just preserves moisture and doesn’t really add color or sheen.

Wish I had one to try on first

 

[HighUintas]

Similar topic - how do you preserve the “wet” look of that pine sap on chocolate antlers?

I was thinking butcher block oil (wax and oil mix). It just preserves moisture and doesn’t really add color or sheen.

Wish I had one to try on first

Yes, these are nice chocolate brown antlers, but after hauling them out and getting them covered with mud and dust, they are more of a gray.

Do they need to be protected with anything after they are cleaned? I figure if they're just in my house on the wall, they wouldn't really need any kind of protective coating

 

[taxidermybycam]

Similar topic - how do you preserve the “wet” look of that pine sap on chocolate antlers?

I was thinking butcher block oil (wax and oil mix). It just preserves moisture and doesn’t really add color or sheen.

Wish I had one to try on first

A satin clear coat and a duster

 

[taxidermybycam]

Yes, sorry I wasn't specific enough. This is what I want to leave behind. Probably mostly tree scrapings

View attachment 945357View attachment 945361

You can apply a thinned down coat of Modge podge or golden isolation coat or Elmer's glue ,I'd try midge podge matte or golden isolation coat . Thin it with isopropyl alcohol for an ultra thin coat

 

[highcountrymuley]

Rub antlers on some bushy trees.

 

[HighUintas]

When I went to pressure wash the skull after simmering, I just decided to step back a bit and spray the antlers too. It did a nice job. It removed all the dust and mud chunks and left them looking pretty good with most of the tree and dirt detritus intact on the bases

 

[Eagle]

Tooth brush and Windex. I personally would remove it all. There's no miracle liquid or technique
Youre saying you want some of the dirt on it but also not some of the other dirt ? Just clean the entire thing. When the elk is alive the next time it thunder storms that all would come off anyways .

bulls that rub on a ton of pine can end up with large amounts of sap in the crevices, which is what I think he’s wanting to save. I plan to clean mine and then spray with a clear coat to seal all the sap in. Hopefully it works ok.