In line with all the other threads......... If you shot a buck that had broken off a tine or two, would you have it repaired? This is assuming that the antlers would be plaque or shoulder mounted. Personally, I would not. I leave the antlers just the way they were when I killed the buck. What would you do?
Well back when we lived in Alaska my father shot a really nice blacktail buck (assuming it had all it's tines, without that it was still a big deer, but nothing really special.) He replaced the tines as he was planning on mounting it but never got around to it as of yet. I don't think I'd do this i'd rather keep it natural and personally i think broken tines tell the story of the deer and make it a more original mount/rack.
It depends for me, especially if its a buck i have gotten to know well, watch him grow up, have a lot of pix of and memories of while hunting him. It just depends, I had a shed fixed once that I just wanted to have it fixed, I also have a few bucks with broken tines that I've never done a thing with while I have one being done now thats I wanted a tine fixed because of its unique character.
I'd leave it as well unless it broke after the shot or doing the recovery...then I'd have it fixed. Other words, I'd mount him the way he was prior to me releasing my arrow.
Ive seen deer that had their antlers fixed and a good taxidermist can make it to where you would never know if you didn't know. BUT i would still have to leave it the way it was when i shot it.
My first thought is to leave it, but shed's post made me think... I guess I would just have to be in that situation. If it was a deer I had hunted for years, and he had a unique tine/characteristic broke off, I might want it fixed so I could have the mount "in all his glory". A buck I had no history with, I would leave. Interesting question as I was thinking about this last night and this morning. A good friend of mine shot a nice buck in Ohio last night. He saw it last week, rack intact. When he saw him last night, he knew it was him because unique split G2s. He shot him from the ground with a muzzleloader at 90 yards. Found him with the right side broken just after the G2, and the G3, G4 broke off the left side. Was probably a 160" buck intact. The remaining left beam is 24 7/8". He's a little bummed, but has no plans of getting it repaired. He's hoping to get a trail cam pic from a neighbor to frame next to the antlers.
Funny.... I shot 2 bucks in 2008. The first is the one I recovered late. He had a broken G2. I did have a euro done, and I didn't fix it. Never thought about it. My 2nd 2008 buck was a nice 6 pointer (almost 100"). If you guys remember, one of the guys who also hunts the farm I shot him on was driving my ATV out of the field, and almost flipped my ATV. In the process, he broke the G1 off my buck. Luckily, I found it. And, I had my taxidermist repair it. If I didn't tell you which one, you couldn't either. Matter of fact, I've forgotten which one.
I am blessed with broken tined whitetail. They flock to me in droves. Would I ever have one fixed? Na... Once I shoot it I'm to lazy to care anymore. On to the next deer!
I really don't think so. I can recall at least three bucks that I passed shots on that had broken tines / main beams that I would have not passed on had they not been broke up.
I would leave it but I have seen some amazing work when they have broken tines or even just one side missing
With the buck in my thread I'll pass on him until next year just because he should be bigger next year. I would like to have him clean. I have shot bucks with broken tines in the past and have them mounted but not fixed. It adds some charater knowing he was a fighter.
Mount it how it was pre-release. How can you be sure they fix it to look like what it actually looked like before it broke of in the wild. To me thats part of the experience, and a conversation starter.
