Firstblood
11-13-2014, 05:43 PM
Hey y'all, I posted my story about my biggest muley buck yet last week and just finished my european skull mount. I tried a different method that I usually see with bleach or hydrogen peroxide so I thought I'd share my experience. Its not my method just one I found on youtube.
All in all it took about 6 hours from skinning the head out to putting it on the wall and I'm not kidding.
Step one was to skin the head out and remove the bottom jaw to make it fit in the pot.http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo_zps29c59d1a.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo_zps29c59d1a.jpg.html)
Step two was getting a pot up to a good simmer and putting the head into the pot. (I used a 13 quart stew pot)http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo13_zpsc1598fe3.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo13_zpsc1598fe3.jpg.html)
step three. I found this stuff on youtube and though I'd try it out and man Oh man did it work well. Its called SO CLEAN! super washing soda from A&H, says right on the box its great for blood and grease and I would have to agree. 7 bucks for a 3kg box of which I used less than 3 cups. Home hardware was the only place I could find it in the loops. I added about a cup at the same time I put the head in to begin my head stew then simmered for 2 hours. Its not bad for your skin or clothes and it didn't discolour the antlers one bit, just whitened the skull pretty darn well.
http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo1_zps7a181a36.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo1_zps7a181a36.jpg.html)
step four. after 2 hours of simmering it I got to work scrapping off all the meat and grime and it basically fell off, I used a spoon to get the hard stuff but it wasn't too hard. I gave the brain a good mix with the spoon handle and got ready to keep simmering.
step five. I changed the water and added another cup or so of SO CLEAN and simmered it for another 2 hours after which I removed it form the water and rinsed it with boiling water and pretty much every crap of meat fell off including the whole brain after a good mixing and washing the brain cavity with hot water. The nasal cavity and bones were all intact the teeth still intact and almost no meat left
step six. I took a cloth and warm water and wiped the skull and the antlers to clean off whatever was left and let it dry. 6 hours after I began it was ready to hang on the wall, its nice and white, doesn't smell and its bone dry. I bought a little hooker skull hook at wholesale sports (30% off for three more days) and here it is hanging on my wall.
http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo32_zpse76ccfc6.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo32_zpse76ccfc6.jpg.html)http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo24_zps0713f547.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo24_zps0713f547.jpg.html)
Ive done the boiling method with a bit of dish soap but it does not compare, and I couldn't find anywhere that sold either volume 40 of the white base powder that I've seen used many times in many different videos. this stuff just plain works and now i have enough for multiple more skull mounts, just need to find a few whitetails with some good bone or anything really, its just that easy.
Cheers to the Hunt, the Hunters and the Hunted, hope everyone else has a great hunting season.
All in all it took about 6 hours from skinning the head out to putting it on the wall and I'm not kidding.
Step one was to skin the head out and remove the bottom jaw to make it fit in the pot.http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo_zps29c59d1a.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo_zps29c59d1a.jpg.html)
Step two was getting a pot up to a good simmer and putting the head into the pot. (I used a 13 quart stew pot)http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo13_zpsc1598fe3.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo13_zpsc1598fe3.jpg.html)
step three. I found this stuff on youtube and though I'd try it out and man Oh man did it work well. Its called SO CLEAN! super washing soda from A&H, says right on the box its great for blood and grease and I would have to agree. 7 bucks for a 3kg box of which I used less than 3 cups. Home hardware was the only place I could find it in the loops. I added about a cup at the same time I put the head in to begin my head stew then simmered for 2 hours. Its not bad for your skin or clothes and it didn't discolour the antlers one bit, just whitened the skull pretty darn well.
http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo1_zps7a181a36.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo1_zps7a181a36.jpg.html)
step four. after 2 hours of simmering it I got to work scrapping off all the meat and grime and it basically fell off, I used a spoon to get the hard stuff but it wasn't too hard. I gave the brain a good mix with the spoon handle and got ready to keep simmering.
step five. I changed the water and added another cup or so of SO CLEAN and simmered it for another 2 hours after which I removed it form the water and rinsed it with boiling water and pretty much every crap of meat fell off including the whole brain after a good mixing and washing the brain cavity with hot water. The nasal cavity and bones were all intact the teeth still intact and almost no meat left
step six. I took a cloth and warm water and wiped the skull and the antlers to clean off whatever was left and let it dry. 6 hours after I began it was ready to hang on the wall, its nice and white, doesn't smell and its bone dry. I bought a little hooker skull hook at wholesale sports (30% off for three more days) and here it is hanging on my wall.
http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo32_zpse76ccfc6.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo32_zpse76ccfc6.jpg.html)http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/firstblood69/photo24_zps0713f547.jpg (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/firstblood69/media/photo24_zps0713f547.jpg.html)
Ive done the boiling method with a bit of dish soap but it does not compare, and I couldn't find anywhere that sold either volume 40 of the white base powder that I've seen used many times in many different videos. this stuff just plain works and now i have enough for multiple more skull mounts, just need to find a few whitetails with some good bone or anything really, its just that easy.
Cheers to the Hunt, the Hunters and the Hunted, hope everyone else has a great hunting season.