How to remove "pulp" from Cow Horn

Vizzy

Here's one for the stickmakers out there.

I've been making a few sticks for the last while and I have been given about 20 cow horns that I will use as heads etc. I reckon that they were removed fairly recently, maybe a month or so and they stink.

How do ye remove the "pulp" from the inside of the horn ?

Boil them ?, leave them out to rot ?

Any advise appreciated.

Grizzly 45

Cattle horns,like goats horns are live horns,that grow every year that the animal lives.So yes ,you are dealing with rotting blood vessels surrounded by a keratin mass. If the weather gets better,I'd advise just laeaving them outside somewhere downwind of you,and let the flies nd other insects take of it for you. Boiling them.I hope you have a very strong stomach and no sense of smell.Did a goats head in that condition...Once...
Proably your best option would be to bury them someplace,and let the worms take care of it for you within a few months,as we dont have any large forest ant species here,who would strip them out within a week.

Vizzy

Thanks Grizz.

I knew that the smell would be offputting, to say the least.

Was thinking of putting them into some sort of "cage" ( metal shopping basket for instance) and putting them on the roof of the shed but I'm not sure if I would draw in every fly,rat, magpie and grey crow from miles around.

Also heard that meal worms might be the way to go ?

J.R.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15226.0

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The first horn that I made was with a raw cow horn. I just boiled it in a can of water OUTSIDE and before long the core started coming loose (smelled like roast beef). I grabbed it with a cloth pad buy the tip end and whacked it against a convenient tree and the core came flying out.

Try soaking them in the watter for several days then boiling again. Immediately after boiling take something (I used a fine rasp) and scrape the horn to remove the rough stuff on the outside. If it needs it you can also scrape the inside while soft.

Grizzly 45

J.R. wrote: »

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15226.0

THIS SITE SUGGESTS:

The first horn that I made was with a raw cow horn. I just boiled it in a can of water OUTSIDE and before long the core started coming loose (smelled like roast beef). I grabbed it with a cloth pad buy the tip end and whacked it against a convenient tree and the core came flying out.

Try soaking them in the watter for several days then boiling again. Immediately after boiling take something (I used a fine rasp) and scrape the horn to remove the rough stuff on the outside. If it needs it you can also scrape the inside while soft.

Word is "Fresh"...:pac: If they are already smelling they are in decomposition already,and boiling something decomposing is..well..You'll never forget that smell again. You could try that method Viz with the cage ,if it is weighed down well. The horn will proably be weatherd due to the time required,but you do want flies in them to lay eggs and produce maggots which will devour the decomposing flesh in no time. Another trick to get rid of any residual smell once you have got them clean,is to fill them with the cheapest mouth wash going and let them atand for 14 days with this in them.The alcohol will kill off any bacteria causing the smells,if cleaned out properly and the flavour,IE mint will disguise any remaining ouder.

Vizzy

So I have use my shopping basket with a mesh top and hung it in the middle of a wooded area about 3ft off the ground.

My little flying and crawling friends were already working their magic when I opened the bag, so the smell was "bracing" to say the least.

I'll leave it there for as long as it takes but I reckon that in this weather the innards will be cleaned fairly quickly.

J.R.

it could be a good spot to lie in wait, from a distance, for a fox to investigate.
i'd say the hum off that would attract vermin from near and afar....miles around.

Vizzy

Unfortunately, where I have them it would not be possible to shoot anything, but it is something I will bear in mind if I get some more.

Vizzy

Just an update on this.

I retreived the horns yesterday and the innards just fell out of them. No smell, no residue.
Brought them home and washed them with soapy water to remove any muck and debris from the outside.
They need to be dried out thoroughly as they had gone soft, having been out in the weather for nearly 8 months. I'll leave them in my boilerhouse for a week or so and they should be ready to work on then.

clivej

I put a Deer head in a tree, to keep off the ground, for about 9 months and all the insides were gone.But the skin was hard as nails. I had to soak it in water for 3/4 days to soften up.

I read to put it in a compost heap and let the bugs clean it out. So maybe that would work with you Horns as well.

Grizzly 45

Pity we dont have red or black forest ants here.Just bury it on their ant hill and within 12 weeks they will have it cleaned to white bone.What the Austrians do to clean their trophies.

smallfry

Out of interest, has anyone along the coast ever tried leaving a head in the sea for a few days to see what kind of job the crabs etc. would do to it?
I might try this in September with a poor head to see how it goes. Only problem might be damage to the antlers?