Do your Aoudad Horns Stink?

13 October 2011, 21:35

I shot an Auadad Sheep two springs ago. We didnt find it untill two days later, and the birds got to it. The outfitter boiled the head (told him not too) and he took it to my taxidermest where he put it in the Beatle box for the required time, and did a euromount. it came back to me, and it started to smell. It smells exactly like a horn that people use as a horn to blow.
I sent it back to the taxidermest, and he said he took of the horns and put it back in the bug box, but he really didnt smell it, and said it smells like an audoad. It is smelling up half of my trophy room. its a 33 inch gold metal ram, so I dont want to just get rid of it. Any ideas on the smell or what I can to to it.
THanks,
W.

14 October 2011, 00:21

505 gibbs

not to state the obvious, but apparently there is still some tissue either up in the horns or somewhere else in the skull. I would push it back on your taxidermist as much as possible. I had a similar situation with my eland, the smell dissipated and passed after 4-6 months, I guess what I am saying is worse case scenario, hang it up in the shed and come back and get it later. Good luck.

14 October 2011, 21:50

L. David Keith

Aoudad stink? That's something I've yet to experience. Of all the ones I've seen shot and/or mounted, none of them "smelled like Aoudad." Billy goats stink; Sheep stink; Pronghorns smell like the sage they thrash during rut, but I haven't smelled any bad odor coming from an Aoudad. If your horns are smelling, it's bacteria. You will need to remove the horns from the skull and remove the remaining tissue to stop that smell. Boil just the horn cores and not the entire skull. Pour boiling water inside the horns and let it cool. Then scrub the interior using borax/water to make a paste. Rinse out a couple of times then repeat and fill the horn up with dry borax and allow to dry a couple of days. After boiling the horn cores for 30 minutes, scrub them with the borax paste, then rinse; then paste again and rub dry borax into the pores. Allow several days to dry. That should remove the smell. LDK

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15 October 2011, 05:56

Hughiam

Aoudad have a unique "Aoudad smell" to them. No other animal smells like it. I received several skins from the tannery today and the Aoudad in there even after tanning retained the smell. Its not offensive or rancid, just "Aoudaddy".

I have a hard time believing after boiling, beetles, return to the beetles it would have any smell left at all. If the horns were removed from the core the meat in there was likely removed and two beetle dousings should suffice.

It could be your highly sensitive to that particular smell. I have a client that claims his waterbuck smells although Ive been right next to it and can't smell a thing. Course Ive been sniffing bondo for so many years, my sense of smell could be compromised.

I would take it to a third party taxidermist and ask for their opinion. Take it to one with experience mounting Aoudad. They may give you a better idea.

Hugh