Fixing Broken Antlers on Mounts

[Antlers86]

I like to add drop tines and kickers so it looks like a worthy deer and people don’t question why I shot it.

[Drycreek3189]

The only antler repair I ever had done was a handgun killed buck. When he jumped back up after the initial shot I emptied that .44. The first shot killed him, but I didn’t realize that. Second shot hit him in the chest between his shoulders as he faced me, then I lost it. Two shots missed, last one hit him in the antler and knocked him down. While I was reloading, he got up, walked about fifty feet and dropped. Tough old bugger ! The antler only split and didn’t completely break off. You have to know it’s there to see it.

[Antlers86]

In all seriousness I can see both ways. I like remembering the deer how it was when I killed it. Last season I shot a buck that I watched for 3 yrs and hunted many long hours for 2 seasons. He was always a tall narrow buck with good G2s. August 2018 he broke off his right G2. I ended up ending the journey with him December 29th. When I dropped him off at the Taxi I said to fix it but recently decided not to. I’ll get him back soon and can always decide later if I want to fix him or not.

My sister fixes antlers for a Taxi in Breckinridge. She does a great job and you can’t even tell. A lot of time goes into making them look natural and real.

[solocam_aggie]

Absolutely not. To me, you will never know how long that tine actually was. So no matter what length you go with, it will be changing what that buck actually had. The only exception I would make is if I cause the break, such as after shooting him. Keep the buck as he was.

[Raypo]

I’ll fix them if the integrity of the structure is compromised. I have fixed some with a broken brow and others I haven’t. Maybe looks is more of a motivating factor.

[Smart]

I would if I had a TC of him in tact. I’ve never had to do it yet though. I wouldn’t add anything to add any non natural extra length or extra kickers to increase score .

[MisterB]

Granddaughter shot a nice 8 point that had an antler broken off. I euro mounted it for her and used another deer’s antler to repair it. She was excited at how good it looked. You couldn’t tell it was repaired. Hangs on their den wall now and is a great conversation piece.

[150class]

If its broke its broke.
Ill pass on a deer with a completely broke off tine before shooting it and putting back on it.

Can't bang the smoke show from college later on in life when shes gained 75 pounds and show nothing but the old photos to your buddies lol.

[DallasCoon12]

I would if I had a TC of him in tact. I’ve never had to do it yet though. I wouldn’t add anything to add any non natural extra length or extra kickers to increase score .

This is what I do. The deer I have mounted don’t score enough to matter. If I’ve been watching him since August on the hoof or TC and he busts a brow or tine I’ll bring pics into the taxidermist and have him fixed back to his original rack. It doesn’t take away from the trophy for me.

[COOLDAD1]

I would if I had a TC of him in tact. I’ve never had to do it yet though. I wouldn’t add anything to add any non natural extra length or extra kickers to increase score .

This.
If one of my sons kills the double drop at our house and he has broken one off, then I'll fix it for sure.

[gingib]

If it's broke, it's broke. Unless you broke it somehow loading it up or something. I want the deer mounted exactly like he was in the wild. Shows character and that he was a fighter.

x2

[KactusKiller]

I would if I had a TC of him in tact. I’ve never had to do it yet though. I wouldn’t add anything to add any non natural extra length or extra kickers to increase score .

This^
For me if its just a brow or a small portion of antler I let it be unless I have really good pre break pics then I'll have it repaired.
I have only shot one buck I had repaired, I hunted him hard all season and deer in that area aren't sure to return the next season. Seems like he broke something every other week. When I finally caught up to him he was missing a brow, a g2 and a g2 fork on opposite side. I had my heart set on him so I shot him, was my biggest to date, Since I had several good pics of him pre break it was an easy fix. It would take a very good eye to ever tell the difference that he was ever broken. I doubt I will ever shoot another trophy that broke up again but I don't regret that one at all.

[Hoss163]

Just like a gross score he grew it count it . If you have pictures of what he looked like before he broke the taxi can make him look exactly the way he looked. So why not fix it .

[gander]

I never had to deal with this until a deer I shot two years ago. I hunted him hard all bow season and finally shot him towards the end of November. The morning I shot him, he still had a fully intact nontypical base point, that was 9 inches or so. One of his brows broke back in September and the other had broken within 12 hours of shooting him according to my game cam. After the shot he took off busting thru a thick tallow patch. When I got up to him he had broken off about 7 inches of the nontypical point. I decided I would get that point fixed because it broke after the shot on his "death run". Then some of my buddies convinced me that I should fix the brow because it was intact within 12 hours of me killing him. I decided that I could live with myself with that, but in no way would fix his other 6 inch matching brow that had broken before season.

I think it depends how you want to remember the deer.

[hogmess]

I don’t see the point in it. But I repair a lot for customers. Even had a few ask to add points but I turned it down.