deer hoof project

[JFK52]

I saved all four hooves from the large doe I shot this year. I would like to make something out of it for deer camp. Two things come to mind immediately. A coat rack or a gun rack. I have both cherry and oak 5/4 finished boards for the backing board. The hooves are straight just like when I took them of the doe. How do I get them to have a 90 degree bend for this project? Has anyone made anything like this that they would care to show. Any tips or other suggestions? At this point in time I have no project under construction. I am just in the planning stages and would like to gather ideas at this time.
Thanks for any help.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Pretty sure you are going to have to have them freeze dried.

 

[Livesintrees]

A taxidermist is going to have to do the work on it. And you would provide him with the board. Doesn’t take much to ruin something like this real fast.

 

[Northbound]

I saved a set of white hooves (ivory kinda looking). My taxidermist said to bend them in a 90 degree and tie to hold position. Place in fridge until bone marrow starts to rot. Then pick it out with detail pick and fill with bondo or epoxy to have something to screw into. He wasn't interested in doing this for me, said anyone can do it.

In reality, mine got tied into the 90 degree position, placed in freezer and are still there. Let me know if you need another set to work on!

 

[Bill]

Check out Mckenzie taxidermy supply. They sell foot forms. Just skin out the leg and remove all the flesh and bone.

McKenzie bought out Rhinehart but they still sell Rhinehart tanning cream and hide paste. Once the hide is fleshed out apply the cream and let it soak in for 24 hour, wipe off cream that doesn't soak in. Add hide paste Then mount it to the form and sew it back up. Or freeze it until you can. Once the hide drys out it will be hard and impossible to work with.

Hint:
hides always seem loose when their wet and have the cream on them. Position it where you want it with pins. As it drys it shrinks into place. I bet YouTube has something on doing feet.

Buy a taxidermy needle and thread (bow string serving works well) may not have to sew it if you can skin it like a sock. I've never done feet.

They also have leg/foot forms with the hoof on them. Much easier to paint a fake hoof than work with the real deal. But not as accurate.

Most of all have fun with it. Worst case you screw it up and toss it and try again at another time. It's not like your trying to mount the buck of a lifetime by yourself.

While your ordering stuff get a cheap pair of medium deer eyes. Pop them in the next deer you kill before taking pictures and the dead sunken eye look goes away...


Edit: just checked no sewing needed. Skin it like a sock and slide it on.

 

[buckdeer1]

We used to cut them off and then get the tendon and pull tight and then secure it bent then dig out the marrow and stick all thread in and fill with epoxy but would do this after being in freezer sever months.This isn't the best way by far but they never did stink to bad or rot off the wall

 

[H20fwler]

I made a couple gun racks out of feet from my first deer with my Granfathers help when I was about ten years old.
We took the feet and tied them back the way we wanted and put them in garage attic in borax for about year to really dry out and cure.
Then we cut them to length and attached to board with big lag screws into center of bone. They turned out great one was a cherry plank we stained and finished up nice with beveled edges and the other was a weathered oak board cut down from an old gate at the farm.
I had one in my bedroom over my bed at Dads house for probably twenty years, one of them is up in my attic I think.

 

[Northbound]

I made a couple gun racks out of feet from my first deer with my Granfathers help when I was about ten years old.
We took the feet and tied them back the way we wanted and put them in garage attic in borax for about year to really dry out and cure.
Then we cut them to length and attached to board with big lag screws into center of bone. They turned out great one was a cherry plank we stained and finished up nice with beveled edges and the other was a weathered oak board cut down from an old gate at the farm.
I had one in my bedroom over my bed at Dads house for probably twenty years, one of them is up in my attic I think.

Did you just bury them in straight borax or was it a mixture of some sort?

 

[H20fwler]

Did you just bury them in straight borax or was it a mixture of some sort?

Straight Borax in a plastic bag.