Euro Mount

[Airborneguy]

Looking over all the recommendations on how to best clean my deer’s skull. Currently it is the entire head, sitting in a styrofoam cooler in front of my house.

I’m limited in space, no backyard, no garage. So whatever I do has to be done in front of my house. I’m currently leaning towards letting it rot out there for about a month or so and then boiling what’s left. My wife is going to flip either way lol. I don’t want to buy beetles or anything like that.

Any tips or ideas?

 

[GUNSICK]

Take it somewhere out in the woods and let it rot out.

 

[GOYABEAN]

Your neighbors will luv you

 

[Eddie Gunks]

Looking over all the recommendations on how to best clean my deer’s skull. Currently it is the entire head, sitting in a styrofoam cooler in front of my house.

I’m limited in space, no backyard, no garage. So whatever I do has to be done in front of my house. I’m currently leaning towards letting it rot out there for about a month or so and then boiling what’s left. My wife is going to flip either way lol. I don’t want to buy beetles or anything like that.

Any tips or ideas?

Bury it with the other bodies......

 

[Airborneguy]

Take it somewhere out in the woods and let it rot out.

I thought about that, but im afraid of kids taking it. I have woods right next to my house at the back of a cemetery.

 

[Airborneguy]

So I just skinned it, cut off the neck and lower jaw and trimmed most of the remaining face meat. I’ll boil it tomorrow. I think it safe to do it in the house now.

 

[freddy]

Pressure washing a dead creature or any part of a dead creature, will, I can assure you, get guts and brain and eyeball and stank in every nook and cranny of you nose and face and hair, etc. Unless you have a full nuclear level 5 hazmat suit that shit will get everywhere and you will smell and taste it for days. No matter how careful you are, no matter how deftly you aim the nozzle. Ask me how I know.

 

[Airborneguy]

I think I know how you know lol.

 

[MilesTeg]

I went the let it rot route once. It took 2 years on an ant hill. The second one I found someone with beetles. Cost me $20 it was well worth it.

 

[freddy]

I think I know how you know lol.

Now I just pay the ~$100.

 

[Airborneguy]

If I had a shed or backyard I’d order the beetles and start my own colony. I guess you can just toss osme meat in there to keep them going? Would be a nice side business but around here I’d rarely get jobs.

 

[penrod72]

there's a guy in Auburn - advertises on Craigslist for the last couple years. ITs a bout $100 for his beetles, and I bet well worth it.

 

[freddy]

If I had a shed or backyard I’d order the beetles and start my own colony. I guess you can just toss osme meat in there to keep them going? Would be a nice side business but around here I’d rarely get jobs.

We found a dead deer in the backwoods late spring or early summer. A few weeks ago the kids and I checked and all the bones were perfectly clean and white as if they were bleached.

 

[MilesTeg]

The problem with the beetles is you have to keep them who've freezing. My mount took forever because he had to rebuild his colony because his original froze. I would hesitate going to boiling route. It's very doable and straight forward but it makes a mess and isn't for the weak stomach. I've helped a few friends do theirs, it turns out well if you take your time. Saddle up for a whole day event. Also if you want it white you should peroxide it. You can get the supplies from a beauty salon store. Be careful not to get it on the horns or the can become spotty white and looks bad.

 

[GOYABEAN]

If I had a shed or backyard I’d order the beetles and start my own colony. I guess you can just toss osme meat in there to keep them going? Would be a nice side business but around here I’d rarely get jobs.

Do you have a flat roof or a deck on your house put it in a old large cooler fill it with beetles science experiment for the kids

 

[Airborneguy]

The problem with the beetles is you have to keep them who've freezing. My mount took forever because he had to rebuild his colony because his original froze. I would hesitate going to boiling route. It's very doable and straight forward but it makes a mess and isn't for the weak stomach. I've helped a few friends do theirs, it turns out well if you take your time. Saddle up for a whole day event. Also if you want it white you should peroxide it. You can get the supplies from a beauty salon store. Be careful not to get it on the horns or the can become spotty white and looks bad.

I already cut most of the meat off and all of the hair except for around the antlers. I’m not squeamish at all. Been dealing with dead bodies in movie-like condition for a long time. I can eat lunch while sitting next to a two-week old dead guy every day if I had to. Lord knows I’ve done that enough times.

I hate to admit it, but blood and guts can be sort of fascinating at times, especially when the person is still alive and you are trying to figure out how that’s possible.

 

[FrankenCub]

I've got a 6pt skull that I left for nature's bugs, been 2 years and it still hasn't been stripped clean. Last year I boiled my 8pt and that worked well. Other than my grill just doesn't put out enough heat to get a good rolling boil. I need to get something that will produce more heat.
Best thing to do is boil it for 2 or 3 hours before you even bother to check it out, then start scraping away everything that loosens up. Then boil some more. You'll want to change the water a couple times, you'll see why lol. The brains are kinda easy,, they'll come out in a thick soup

 

[Acer-m14]

my buck in my Avi is still outback under a old sheet from 2014 ... i may peek at it this winter .. i did nothing to it .. full head and all .. i know the flys were on it the following summer .. peeewww LOL ..

 

[Robin]

A friend of mine boiled them in peroxide. Does a heck of a nice job, bone is spotless.
Robin

 

[2WheelGnnr]

I just boiled mine and picked at it with a knife and that when I did it. went pretty good for my first time and first deer (hehe) doing a european mount.

 

[whauburger]

Only recommendation I can give is a propane Turkey fryer style burner with a lot large enough to cover skull and keep antler out. Simmer, do not boil. Boiling will degrade and separate the bone to much. Maintain a light simmer. Pick meat and crud away as it loosens. For the very white effect "paint" the beauty supply peroxide on skull after, do not get it on antlers.