I just got my trophies back and all the horns have small holes drilled through them! About and inch and a half down from all the tips are small 1/16" or so holes drilled through each horn.

I've never had this done to any trophies from Namibia or Zim, is this normal for South Africa?

How do I fill these holes in and hide them?

Frank

Regular deal -- Apoxy clay in right color smoothed with water is what taxi's use. (It's an epoxy slow cure clay mixture that comes in white on up to black.) Part of the magic performed between when the stuff arrives states side and when our talented artists present you with something ready to hang in your den. Dip & pak does it to tag for i.d. to make sure you get your own stuff.

Cheers!

Barry

Those 1/16 holes may be bug holes ? Have a GOOD taxidermist check them out.

BNagel has it right. Standard procedure. Consider yourself lucky they used a small bit instead of the big spade bits they sometimes use.

They hang tags from these holes and also the holes are drilled to get insecticide/dip into the horn cores of skulls when the horn sheaths can not be removed

Easy repair with two part epoxy clay or other epoxy putty available from taxidermy supply companies. Mix in dry tempera paints to match the horn color and fill the holes then texture the repair with a small pin or other tool to match the surrounding horn texture.

You can also use wood putty/wood filler available at the hardware store. Paint the finished repair to blend in with the horn or better yet tint the repair material to match the horn color.

What Grafton said, easy fix with epoxy puddy. We have to do it all the time.

Thanks guys. I've never seen this before so I was a little freaked when I saw it.

I'll try the wood filler route and have Wifezilla paint them, she's good at that sort of stuff.

After you fill the holes you can lightly sand the wood filler to blend it in. they should disappear