Question for the pros about removable kudu antlers

[Chago]

Hello everyone, I finally received all my mounts from my first trip to Africa. My initial comments will be they are "Not Bad". I mean I am thrilled to have them, they are so different then all the north american species I have now. So they look great from that perspective. But I do have a very different standard of work on my local stuff. And everyone is right, work done in SA is not amazing. But like I said, the work I got done is not bad either. I do see some cut corners, that really no one without any taxidermy knowledge would see. But still it bothers me. So next trip it will be dip and packed for sure.

Another thing I discovered. These animals are bigger then I remember them lol So they are taking a lot of space. I have not hang them up yet, I will be working on that this weekend. That being said I did have a question.

Most of the animals have removable horns. The animal in question is my kudu. So the horns are removable and sit on these "plugs" I believe. Looks like wood or some sort of wood like material. I could be wrong on the material. Either way, is this formed or something to my specific horns? I only ask because I plan on going to Limpopo this May. Of all my trophies, the kudu was the only one that was not a "monster". And I plan on getting a much bigger one in Limpopo. But this kudu was still a great trophy for me so I wanted to mount it. But now that I have all these animals I am afraid I just won't have room for another kudu, as the next trip has Eland and waterbuck which I know need more space. Ultimately the question is. Can I have simply my kudu horns shipped to me, and simply swap them on the existing kudu I have? Are these plugs standard for all or no?

 

[BRICKBURN]

The bases are likely the actual horn cores.
(You providing pictures would help confirm it.)

You can certainly ship cores alone.

Whether they would fit properly on the present cores is another question.

 

[slam8031]

Highly unlikely the new ones fit on another. They typically trim down the core for the horn to fit down on them again--I am currently trimming back a blue wildebeest and a few others that I had as European mounts so that the horns fit on them better. A pedestal mount may be the way to go to get more mounts in a smaller space. If I remember i will post a picture of my kudu, bushbuck and nyala pedestal mount.

 

[mark-hunter]

I mean I am thrilled to have them, they are so different then all the north american species I have now.

There is something that I have noticed.
I did dip and pack for 50% of trophies, to make shoulder mounts, from Namibia.
I used my local taxidermist, one of the best in my country.

He also did taxidermy for my local trophies. Skins I kept in fridge, gave to him frozen.

So I can compare African trophy mounts and local trophy mounts.
Local trophy mounts, hair etc, is better quality then african although, african are also very very good.

My doubts is on dip and pack treatment, does it make degradation of over all fur/skin quality, or african animals have more rough, less quality fur? Or freezing the capes, and skins is better preparation for later taxidermy to be done?
I cannot tell. But this is what I have noticed.

 

[harden]

Thats the core bone for the horns , Will never fit well if swiched all vary in base size and angle , Will change spread of horns and angle and if you do grind to fit they will have to be glued on they will not stay as they are not the original core bone Will slop and sometimes juts fall off.

 

[Chago]

Yes I have confirmed it is the core bone. It fits fairly loosely on all my trophies. So I thought it was something they just made. Oh boy..... Well hunt is in May/June. Delivery to taxi in SA for dip and pack by August. Shipped home in like November. Then a year for local taxidermist. That gives me to Christmas 2021 to build an addition lol

 

[MAdcox]

That gives me to Christmas 2021 to build an addition lol

I like your thinking.

please post pictures of your mounts. Would really enjoy seeing them.

 

[Chago]

I'm gonna get everything up this weekend hopefully.

 

[cls]

+1 on waiting to see them up on the wall.

 

[JimP]

On my kudu I had Hunters and Collectors in Port Elizabeth polish the cores for me.

On the kudu skull there was enough of them left where my taxidermist here in Colorado could epoxy the horns back on.

 

[buck wild]

If you kill another kudu- have the new horns/skull shipped to US and then new horn and new skull cap can be replaced in the current mount. It won't be a perfect fit as to how the hair lines up etc be it is doable and can be made to look good. Just an option. I'd personally have a new mount done with the new kill