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Last week I received my trophies from my April trip to RSA, which I've been anxiously awaiting. There are 13 animals total, and I had everything done as European mounts (except for a Zebra rug). Everything was packaged nicely, and all the mounts are in good condition. Each mount was bubble-wrapped individually (some with horns on, some removed). Each packaged skull also contained quite a few mothballs....and since they were shipped via sea freight, they had a solid 6-8 weeks worth of "marinating" with said mothballs. Now, I feel like everything is impregnated with the mothball/chemical odor, which is quite overpowering. After unpacking everything, I let it sit in my garage for a few days. I was anxious to hang a few in my home office, and did, but now my office wreaks of mothballs as well. It has been nearly a week and I don't think the smell has reduced much, if at all. My wife was out of town when I hung the skulls in my office, and was not happy when she got home (she also happens to be pregnant, so she has the nose of a bloodhound). I'm sure someone here has dealt with similar odor issues from trophies, so I figured I would ask......Can any of you suggest a remedy to help accelerate the process of getting rid of the mothball smell? Or is it simply going to take time and more airing out? I put a half-pound of coffee grounds in a bowl in my office, which seems to help a little...but I think I need something more powerful. Any advice would be much appreciated. _______________________________________________________ Hunt Report - South Africa 2022 Wade Abadie - Wild Shot Photography Website | Facebook | Instagram | ||
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Just takes time. A fan / moving air helps. Perhaps an air purifier would speed up the process? Will J. Parks, III | |||
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Yep.. what Will said... Time.... "At least once every human being should have to run for his life - to teach him that milk does not come from the supermarket, that safety does not come from policemen, and that news is not something that happens to other people." - Robert Heinlein | |||
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After 13 years my trophy room still smells like shit. I poured hydrogen peroxide in my kudu horns and it seemed to help. Smell inside your horns to see if it is coming from inside. Mine smelled like rotten flesh. I have to use a lot of plug in scent things. Good thing it’s the boys room DRSS Searcy 470 NE | |||
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I'm not having any issues with rotting flesh smell.....just the strong chemical odor from the mothballs. _______________________________________________________ Hunt Report - South Africa 2022 Wade Abadie - Wild Shot Photography Website | Facebook | Instagram | |||
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It’s an organic solvent that is now in a higher concentration in the trophies than in the air. Eventually it will get in equilibrium with the air, but it will take time. Anything that you could use to get it out of the trophies would have it’s own issues. Essentially an organic solvent will either have its own strong odor, a chemical hazard, or damage the trophies. Good circulation of fresh air is the best you can do…. It’s just time, like your clothes that have been packed away with mothballs to protect them. | |||
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Seems like fresh air circulation is the key. Are we talking weeks?....months?....generations? _______________________________________________________ Hunt Report - South Africa 2022 Wade Abadie - Wild Shot Photography Website | Facebook | Instagram | |||
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Weeks at the very least, probably months.The good news is you will probably become nose blind before the odor dissipates. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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I threw a bunch of mothballs under a shed attached to my office. Smelled the whole place up. Lasted weeks but finally did go away. Leave them out where there is plenty of fresh air and they will be fine. | |||
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Never had such a problem with any of my trophy mounts that were done by a professional taxidermist. However, had mixed results which resulted in the disposal of three trophies for work done by an amateur. Mmm? NRA Life Benefactor Member, DRSS, DWWC, Whittington Center,Android Reloading Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/ | |||
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It wasn’t the taxidermist- they were skull mounts. It’s the mothballs used in sea shipping. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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You gotta have air movement. Ceiling fan, pedestal fan, air purifier fan. Open windows. I wonder about but don't recommend a bleach/ water solution spray? Discreet salt? | |||
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I wonder if an ozone generator would speed up the process. The ozone oxidizes organic compounds, so if the smell is an organic solvent I believe that ozone would work. I once used one to eliminate the smoke smell left behind from a kitchen fire. The results were impressive. Tool rental places will often rent ozone generators for $20 a day. Jason "You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core." _______________________ Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt. Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure. -Jason Brown | |||
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Try to find just where the smell is strongest. Then if you can insert some Baking Soda. And/or set several open containers around the area. It's dry and can be vacuumed up later. It's a good oder absorbent. Sam's Club sells 13 pound bags of it for about $7. Works good on stink too. Good luck, George "Gun Control is NOT about Guns' "It's about Control!!" Join the NRA today!" LM: NRA, DAV, George L. Dwight | |||
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. Reminds me of that old joke - Q: why do moths fly with their legs apart ? A: Have you seen the size of moths' balls ! Sorry, couldn't resist ! On a serious note, time will cure the smell - fresh air, open windows and time! Congrats on getting your trophies home so quick! . "Up the ladders and down the snakes!" | |||
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Other option which should rid you of the mothball effect would be to purchase a couple of gallons of the same household disinfectant used at home and immerse the skulls into a 1:3 solution for a couple of days and allow to dry. The lady of the manor would never notice.  | |||
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I appreciate the responses gentlemen....thank you. _______________________________________________________ Hunt Report - South Africa 2022 Wade Abadie - Wild Shot Photography Website | Facebook | Instagram | |||
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Hope you report back on what y0u tried and how it turned out. Might be others in the same fix. Best wishes, George "Gun Control is NOT about Guns' "It's about Control!!" Join the NRA today!" LM: NRA, DAV, George L. Dwight | |||
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I have never had mothballs placed in any of my many ocean freight shipments of trophies. And I am talking about every kind of mount, including full body mounts. Makes no sense to me. Good luck with this. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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I have used Ozone to get rid of certain chemical and lingering smoke odors on hard surfaces like walls, wood floors and inside ducts but the best results are from a product called "ODORMUTE". Its just a powder that is added to warm water and applied with a spray bottle. I use it in all my rental properties - on appliances, floors, areas with cat urine, human feces, and even spray it on my dogs' coats when they get hit by skunks. I have found it safe on everything including very fragile fabric. I emersed my buffalo skull (horns teeth and all)in a large tub of this solution and warm water because it still had odors - problem solved. I suggested another member use this on cat urine soaked animal skins. I get mine at a local Pet Store and I know its available online. Friends use it in their horse stables, and I even heard a story from a Biologist in Idaho that used it to "cleanse" orphaned bear cubs so they could be introduced to adoptive mothers in dens. I swear by this stuff and I don't think there's any way it can hurt your trophies. I also have tablets I add to my evaporative coolers in the summer to take away the mildew odors - this stuff is the bomb! The KEY TO GETTING IT TO WORK is to get this enzyme to touch all areas effected by the mothballs - spray it on in several coats and it works in 10 -15 minutes. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Need help with smelly trophies (mothball odor)
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