How to stope rotting velvet ?

[Elite]

I found a dead mule deer head that still had the velvet on the antlers but it had been laying there for awhile so the velvet is rotting and smells terrible. I know deer that I have killed the taxidermist just injects formaldehyde but these horns seem to hard to inject with a needle? Just wondering what my options are

 

[huntsman22]

scrape it all off and let it air out for a year.....

 

[Muley Buck]

I have left them in a freezer for months and then when dry are good to go.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I think once it’s rotting already like you found it’s likely a lost cause, the velvet tissue structure is damaged, it smells, etc. Most of the methods are either replacing the blood in that tissue with embalming fluid or basically drying the tissue in a controlled way (IE freeze drying). Just scrape it and keep the hard horns would be my thought, if you really want it in velvet look into the artificial stuff?

 

[Dukslayer26]

I agree with Pods!! You can try putting it in the freezer but I think even if the remaining velvet dries, it will still smell rotten. You would prolly be better off stripping the velvet. If it’s a monster have fake velvet sprayed on, or you can always stain the horns and keep it hard horned which can look pretty good too!

 

[archer wapiti]

Is the velvet slipping (hair coming off in chunks?) If not, I'd think you're fine if you want to keep it on. Freeze dry (or dry in the sun/drying oven) as others have said. getting the smell out is going to be a problem though.