Hunting & Fishing Tried my hand at a European Mount

Stag556

Stag556

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Feb 10, 2017
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#1
It wasn't the biggest rack but not bad for my area in NJ and I figured I'd try my hand at a European mount. After skinning the head, I boiled with dish detergent for a few hours then pressure washed it. I ended up having to do that process a few times. The end result wasn't too bad but I don't know if all the work was worth it vs paying someone to do it. Anyone have tricks to make it easier? I had a hard time with the smaller crevices which made it quite annoying.
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#2
I can't remember exactly which kind, but there are beetles you can put in an aquarium type enclosure, and they will do all the cleaning work for you
 
#3
Blwxxzy said:
I can't remember exactly which kind, but there are beetles you can put in an aquarium type enclosure, and they will do all the cleaning work for you
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I've watched some videos on them but I'd be nervous to have them around the house without a proper enclosure. The videos I've seen use an old open top freezer.


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#5
Blwxxzy said:
Yeah, it's more for taxidermists that do a bunch of them. Yours looks great.
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Thanks a lot. It's definitely nice having done it myself. Maybe by next season I'll forget the hassle it was and do it again. As I finished this one, I kept telling myself never again, I'll pay someone.


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#6
Last one I did, I buried it up to the antlers, then covered the antlers with plastic bags so the sun wouldn't fade them, and let nature take care of the messy part. Works great if you're not in a hurry
 
#7
Blwxxzy said:
Last one I did, I buried it up to the antlers, then covered the antlers with plastic bags so the sun wouldn't fade them, and let nature take care of the messy part. Works great if you're not in a hurry
Click to expand...

How long did that process take?


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#9
Patton63 said:
Nicely done. I keep telling myself that I'll do that as well, but then checked out and simply saw off the skull cap and antlers. It is a lot easier to clean.
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Thanks. The skull caps are definitely easier. No brains to pick out, which was by far the hardest and most tedious part of the whole process.


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#11
Dermastid Beetles are what you are looking for , if you don't have an enclosure big enough you can use a heavy duty canvas bag with a coffee can & lid with air holes securely attached to the bag opening so you can check progress without removing the head and disturbing the process !
 
#12
I use the bacterial masseration process whereby you place a skinned out skull in a 5 gal bucket and put an aquarium heater in to warm the water and get it into the 90'sF. I always place a brick in bottom of bucket to prop nasal bones on so that the pitch of the skull in bucket allows me to fill with water over the skull but not above antler burrs. This is a smelly process so do it down wind of your house. I live on a ranch out in the middle of no where so no neighbors to worry about. After about 2 weeks the head will be clean as a whistle. Flesh eating bacteria do the work for you. You will need to check water level every couple of days due to evaporation. I put a large black trash bag over my antlers, and the entire bucket. Be very careful with the water when pouring out when done. This stuff is funky! I wear thick rubber gloves when taking head out and when washing off. After I spray the skull off, I'll put it in a clean bucket with clean water with antibacterial soap and heat water back up with aquarium heater. Leave it in for a few days, rine and sit in the sun to dry. When all finished i hit the skull with coat of clear flat rattle can juice to seal skull and make it easier to wipe dust off of when wife cleans. This is a kind of set it and forget it method. Maybe not for everyone, but perfect for me. I do about a dozen a year for myself and friends.
 
#15
Crowe284 said:
I use the bacterial masseration process whereby you place a skinned out skull in a 5 gal bucket and put an aquarium heater in to warm the water and get it into the 90'sF. I always place a brick in bottom of bucket to prop nasal bones on so that the pitch of the skull in bucket allows me to fill with water over the skull but not above antler burrs. This is a smelly process so do it down wind of your house. I live on a ranch out in the middle of no where so no neighbors to worry about. After about 2 weeks the head will be clean as a whistle. Flesh eating bacteria do the work for you. You will need to check water level every couple of days due to evaporation. I put a large black trash bag over my antlers, and the entire bucket. Be very careful with the water when pouring out when done. This stuff is funky! I wear thick rubber gloves when taking head out and when washing off. After I spray the skull off, I'll put it in a clean bucket with clean water with antibacterial soap and heat water back up with aquarium heater. Leave it in for a few days, rine and sit in the sun to dry. When all finished i hit the skull with coat of clear flat rattle can juice to seal skull and make it easier to wipe dust off of when wife cleans. This is a kind of set it and forget it method. Maybe not for everyone, but perfect for me. I do about a dozen a year for myself and friends.
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That's an interesting method. I have never heard of that before but where I live, I wouldn't be able to get away with that process. Neighbors are way too close for that. The result looks great though!


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#17
Tucker301 said:
I've had this one buried in the garden pen since before Christmas (antlers wrapped above ground). I guess I should check on him.
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Nice! I may try that method next. Not the fastest but I'm not in a rush. It really beats the hell out of pressure washing and using a pic nonstop. Just got messy and frustrating.


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#20
Nice work! I'm not sure what they charge over by you but the going rate is 40-50 in my area. For 40 bucks I'll let the taxidermist do the work, but of course, to each their own. Something to keep in mind, he told me if the meat starts getting rank that beatles won't touch it, in which case your stuck boiling it anyway.
 
#21
K-tech said:
Nice work! I'm not sure what they charge over by you but the going rate is 40-50 in my area. For 40 bucks I'll let the taxidermist do the work, but of course, to each their own. Something to keep in mind, he told me if the meat starts getting rank that beatles won't touch it, in which case your stuck boiling it anyway.
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That's a great price and for $40, I agree, let them do it. Around me, I was quoted between $100 and $125.

I have heard that about the beetles also. I'm gonna try to bury it next time. That way it gives me an idea of what works best with the least amount of hassle.


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#22
The fire-ant bed method works great. They're picked clean in about 10-15 days. Unfortunately, I no longer live in the south and there are no red ants in Ohio. So I now use the 5 gal bucket method. No heater required. Just wait until hot summer weather and pull the skull out of the freezer. 1/8" of Dawn in a bucket and cover with water. Set it in the sun. Replace water as needed. It will stink to high heaven in less than a week. Don't let your dogs near it or they'll stink too! Wear gloves, don't touch anything. The nasty dead smell won't wash off. Dump out the slag in a safe place and repeat. May need to do this 2-3 times before everything is removed. No scrubbing required. That said, there is a local guy who cleans them here for $45 and it's probably worth it.
 
#23
I had one done for $65 at a local taxidermist and to me it was worth the $65. I have also borrowed a buck boiler that essentially heated the water up and boiled everything off which worked but messy. To me if you can get it done for under $100 it is worth it but over that I will do it myself.
 
#25
Found a dead Muley and got a tag from Wyo Game & Fish to keep the head. Then I bought a pan and struck out on my first boil, in sub zero temps using a hot plate. I used regular household peroxide and heat for the final bleaching. I didn't go super white. I wanted a more natural patina. I then bought a Herron Outdoors Next Generation Skull Mount which is the bomb! The process was easy and I won't hesitate to do it again. My antelope buck head has been at my buddy's beetle place for months(since oct)......fingers crossed on that.
 

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#27
Stag556 said:
Nice Max, that came out looking great.


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Click to expand...

Thanks! I was nervous going in, but after some YouTube videos, I dove in. I was lucky it had been cold, so there was no stench at all. And I can smell a mouse fart at 1000 paces.

I learned a lot. Late in the evening when the boiling was done, and I had picked most the meat off, I left it soaking in a strong solution of Dawn. I was a amazed at how must work that did by morning. The peroxide also ate away some left over organic material. the one thing I learned is that most folks on the net don't really understand how peroxide works. rather than kicking up the strength, and the time, heat is key. Household peroxide will do the job unless you want super white. You just need some heat to kick it.Its a heell of a lot safer to work with. I've date my share of hair salon workers......:cool:

The antlers were a tad grimy but I did not want to mess with them much so I used some microcrystalline Renaissance Museum wax If you don't have that stuff around for guns, Milt Sparks holsters and other projects, you need some: http://shop.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...nmwaApfS8P8HAQ

Wyoming is dusty so this summer I may seal it but we'll see.
 
#28
Max said:
Thanks! I was nervous going in, but after some YouTube videos, I dove in. I was lucky it had been cold, so there was no stench at all. And I can smell a mouse fart at 1000 paces.

I learned a lot. Late in the evening when the boiling was done, and I had picked most the meat off, I left it soaking in a strong solution of Dawn. I was a amazed at how must work that did by morning. The peroxide also ate away some left over organic material. the one thing I learned is that most folks on the net don't really understand how peroxide works. rather than kicking up the strength, and the time, heat is key. Household peroxide will do the job unless you want super white. You just need some heat to kick it.Its a heell of a lot safer to work with. I've date my share of hair salon workers......:cool:

The antlers were a tad grimy but I did not want to mess with them much so I used some microcrystalline Renaissance Museum wax If you don't have that stuff around for guns, Milt Sparks holsters and other projects, you need some: http://shop.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...nmwaApfS8P8HAQ

Wyoming is dusty so this summer I may seal it but we'll see.
Click to expand...

Cool man. Definitely means more doing it yourself, which is why I wanted to do it. Just wish I had more room around the house to mess with it.

As an aside... where in Wyoming are you? The wife and I were looking to possibly buy some land out there and build a house sometime in the future and eventually retire out there. Any advice for location would be great. I've been out there but only on motorcycle trips from sturgis.


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#29
Stag556 said:
Cool man. Definitely means more doing it yourself, which is why I wanted to do it. Just wish I had more room around the house to mess with it.

As an aside... where in Wyoming are you? The wife and I were looking to possibly buy some land out there and build a house sometime in the future and eventually retire out there. Any advice for location would be great. I've been out there but only on motorcycle trips from sturgis.


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Click to expand...

I'm in Laramie I'm fairly new in Wyoming.Moved here to escape north Denver. We have an awesome Range 6 miles down the road. Goes out to 1160 yards with steel. $75 a year and you get a code to gate and main building. Often I'm there alone.
 
#30
Max said:
I'm in Laramie I'm fairly new in Wyoming.Moved here to escape north Denver. We have an awesome Range 6 miles down the road. Goes out to 1160 yards with steel. $75 a year and you get a code to gate and main building. Often I'm there alone.
Click to expand...

Very nice. I'll look into the area. Thanks for the info.


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#31
The cleaner one of the left I boiled and scraped clean. Get's the job done but is smelly work. The one on the right I buried in the ground for a year. I plan on bleaching it at some point. Buddy of mine used 40 dye creme developer (hair dye from a beauty store or amazon...), so I picked up a bottle. I'll share the results when I test it out.
 

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#34
wahootwo said:
The cleaner one of the left I boiled and scraped clean. Get's the job done but is smelly work. The one on the right I buried in the ground for a year. I plan on bleaching it at some point. Buddy of mine used 40 dye creme developer (hair dye from a beauty store or amazon...), so I picked up a bottle. I'll share the results when I test it out.
Click to expand...

Love the natural patina of the one on the right......
 
#36
I have one done with beetles and two done from boiling. I will definitely never go the boiling route ever again. The beetles leave a nice white finish and the skull is in perfect shape. The two I had boiled seem to be very slightly separating at the joints. It took some time and cost me if I remember correctly around $175. But I think it's well worth not having the mess or smell.
 
#37
Max said:
Love the natural patina of the one on the right......
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I also love the natural patina look. Looks great in the picture, but it doens't look as good in person. Very dark on top, and it looks...well like a dirt stain. I was going to touch up those areas with the dye using a sponge to blot it and try to keep it natural. If I screw it up, I'll just whiten the whole thing and try again on the next one.
 
#38
Here are some more pictures, taken outside in natural light. Left is the one buried for a year in the ground. Center is one I boiled. Right is one I brought to the taxidermist and is bleached.

 

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#39
I did one a couple years ago with a kit from Cabela's like this one.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/The-T...skull%2Bbleach

It was a STINKY deal and took the good part of a day. Boiling the water, picking away at it, boiling some more, picking some more, repeat.... Very tedious. And smelly.
Then applying the bleach paste and removing all that was another slow process. After getting it to my liking I used a clear lacquer type spray on the skull too.

I just got the one on the right back I shot this last fall I had brought to a guy that uses the beetles, and his shop was odorific too.They look about equal. His came with a plaque though. I think his nosebones and nasal cavity is a smidge better.


http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/...pssgeq9yvq.jpg

bleached%20skulls_zpssgeq9yvq.jpg
 
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#40
I done 100s of them, if done right it the best method, I use a turkey fryer, aluminum pot filled up with dish soap, the key is to not skin the head till your ready to boil, this eliminates any need for harsh whiterns, it will be completely white, freeze the skull till ur ready, skin the head out and boil for 10 mins, pressure wash it, repeat this it will come clean, you can overboil it and it will fall apart, less boil more pressure wash, I can do a deer in 1.5 hours start to finish.
 
#42
As for whiteners I think I mentioned before that I used regular household peroxide and heat. The heat can be sunlight on a warm day. This is much safer and milder. Now if you need ultra-white , you'll need the harsher stuff. I wanted a more subdued white .
 
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