Doing a Bear skull and european mount muley

[TravisC]

Just wondering what to use other then just straight boiling the skulls for mounts. The bear is going to be the hardest i think due to disolving the brain matter. Any sugestions or web links that I might find info.

[Will]

Despite what alot will say........it's inevitable :lol:
Please don't use Bleach...diluted or otherwise:wink:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

It's best to break up and get out as much brain matter as possible BEFORE you boil it.....otherwise it will be like trying to remove a roast from the brain cavity. Use a wire coat hanger to break up the brain or something similar.

SSS

[mainland hunter]

its best not to boil it. beetles or maceration are far better options but alot more invloved as well. i'll send you a pm

[trapperdan2061]

how about using a ant hill I have 3 huge red ant hills here on a farm I have used them for deer why not bear.....

[jimh]

Done before you boil it a garden hose is the easiest way I've found to remove the brain. It will take a minute to get the hang of it but insert the nozzle bring the pressure up gently and try to keep it pointed away from yourself. I do this in my front yard and the crows clean it right up. Jim

[Brambles]

The brain is the easy one, just keep pullin and diggin, it will come out.

I then cut as much of the meat off as humanly possible, after your done this it will only take a very short boiling to turn the leftover danglies into something that you can scrape off

[TravisC]

well we must of boiled too long cause all the teeth and must of the skull joints fell off or are very loose. oh well learning curve and lots of crazy glue. we'll fix it

[pupper]

here is an Article explaining the process step by step, There is a video of it as well:
http://www.huntingtipsandtricks.com/a/How_to_Clean_a_Bear_Skull_and_Make_a_European_Moun t_In_5_Easy_Steps

[Roughneck Country]

I found Maceration is the best way to do it at home with excellent results, boiling can discolor the skull. It is natural for the teeth to come loose especially on bears so dont worry about having to glue them in. I have done several deer skulls now with both boiling (actually simmering) as well as burrying it in the yard with garbage bags over the antlers. Simmering gave ok results but was not as white as I would have liked it to be as well the nasal bones broke. Burrying the skull in the yard worked excellent and it cleaned up great only problem was that the dirt discolored the skull a little bit. I think It would have been fine if it was burried in damp sand instead but black dirt discolored it a bit. Also I found both of these methods did not give the super bleached white skull look I was going for even after the peroxide.

Also as a side note i learned a little more about degreasing as this is an esential step. Either dawn and water and a soak for a couple weeks changing the water out every few days or if you have the place to do it and are brave white gas over 24-48 hrs will drive the grease out of the bone. I never have tried the white gas as I am scared of a fire but I know a lot of people swear by it.

[Mikey Rafiki]

Don't want to over boil it forsure, you can always put it back in if you have to. I've used a bit of dish soap and an old screwdriver to get the brain out, just work it in there for a while a give it a few shakes and if your lucky it will all come out at once. You can also take it to the car wash/pressure washer for the final rinse, just don't let the owner see you! And if your doin antlered game the pressure washer can take the color off the antlers, so be careful.

[sherpa-Al]

Here's some basic steps to follow:

Remove as much tissue from the skulls

Remove the brains with a garden hose as previously discussed, watch out though they can really fly outta there.

Beetle clean, macerate (I do mine in warm water), Simmer in Sal soda (Arm and Hammer) or ant hills work but your skulls may get packed away by other critters. If simmering keep the water temp below a rolling boil as this temp will set the grease into the skull and be next to impossible to remove.

Degrease, the most important step. A properly degreased skull will remain bone white forever. Immerse the skull in dawn/hot water (125F) changing the water frequently at first then less when the grease stops showing. The teeth may/should fall out in this step, don't lose them. My bears used to take 4-6 months to degrease properly, older the bear, longer to degrease.

Whiten with peroxide. Stronger the better 3% will do it though if you,ve properly degreased. Skull will need to be immersed to properly whiten.

Hope this helps, Al.

[smoothbor]

I have boiled bear and deer skulls for euro mounts, the best way is to not boil but simmer for a long period of time and add a box of baking soda to the water it helps alot, then remove the skull and soak in cold water with DAWN GREEN dish washing soap for 5-6 days for de greasing. after that it should be almost white with a few yellowish stains. Then go down to the drug store or hair salon and buy the bleaching agent that hair dressers use to bleach womens hair it is a powder and you mix it with water till it is like oatmeal, paint it all over the skull, be generous let sit for 2 days then wash off and it will be WHITE, got this recipe from my taxidermist told me why pay me to do all these skulls when you can do it yourself, have done many skulls for friends and myself and they look great. oh ya when the bleaching is done buy a can of matte finish clear lacquer and giver a couple of coats to finish it off, good luck

[nolan-sawka]

boil the shit out of it and use a high pressure air blower and blow that brain out

[Husq]

[/quote] Then go down to the drug store or hair salon and buy the bleaching agent that hair dressers use to bleach womens hair it is a powder and you mix it with water till it is like oatmeal, paint it all over the skull, be generous let sit for 2 days then wash off and it will be WHITE, got this recipe from my taxidermist told me why pay me to do all these skulls when you can do it yourself, have done many skulls for friends and myself and they look great.[/quote]

I'm doing a european mount also and was thinking about this. It makes sense.

Was the 2 day thing appropriate?

Thanks for the insight.

[smoothbor]

I dont know if it is an actual time frame i just left it for 2 days and washed it off, maybe you dont need that long, also dont get that stuff on the antlers it will stain them, maybe 1 day is enough i dont know for sure

[mrc]

Hey guys,

im currently de-greasing a deer skull....in water and dawn dish soap. How often should the water be changed? and how long for a deer? should I notice it whitening up as the process continues? I have had it in the first bath for 2 hours. Any help would be great.

[Skull Hunter]

I have done a few skulls now (lynx, wolf) and am working on my black bear... This is the document that I have followed and I've always done the cold maceration method, but if gives you several options and the benefits and disadvantages of each... I really like how this document also points out the reassembly and finishing stages of the job. One note, if you use superglue and cotton to hold the teeth in, make sure it is well dried before you coat the skull with any sort of sealant or it may dissolve. I just use white glue/water to glaze the skulls and even this will dissolve the super glue it seems, if it is not really set.

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/natresources/az1144.pdf

[Tikka270wsm]

Get as much meat off the skull as you can as well as the brain. Find an ants nest and put the skull on it for a few weeks. Make sure to pile a bunch of rocks on it or a dog will make off with it. Works really well. Lots of good info on this thread as there are numerous ways to get the job done.

[realneil]

i take as much meat off as possible, stir the brain up a bit with a big screwdriver and then boil for a couple of hours (on the bbq element). clean the rest of the meat and spray out the inside with the garden hose. i then boil once more and that usually does it. i have found that on the last couple of them i have done, that there is a small bone at the back of the bottom side of the skull which i pop off and then the rest of brain comes out alot easier. i then finish it off with about 4 or 5 liters of peroxide topped off with water to cover the skull, let it sit overnight. seems to do a nice job. dont boil too long on the first boil. i usually dont wind up with teeth falling out.

[taylor1]

i did a moose mount last year and it turned out awesome. i used boiling water but not just water i put some borax cleaner that acts as a degreaser as the same time it turns the water white which in turns helps the skull turn white. you just need to keep changing the water so it doesnt turn into a really really bad stew. for the brain i used coat hangers and stuff of the like. i have also heard of a guy using brake cleaner and it pretty much dissolved the brain. sketchy business though i think.

[mrc]

Thanks for all the replies ....things seem to be going well with my project and ill post a pic when complete...should be this weekend...anyone know where to find wood backing/plaques? maybe a local taxidermist.

[Ghillie]

One word: Maceration LOL
Maceration and beetles are the only two safe ways IMO
Im in the middle of degreasing my muley mount right now, pics in my gallery :)

[BigfishCanada]

Guys I boil my deer head and have had great success. I know that some people may not like the way i do it but whatever it works real well for me so I made a video on the process

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGBTz8qx14A

[bighornbob]

For the brain. Take a coat hanger and and cut it so you have a a 6 inch piece. Now bend one end about an inch so you have a 90 degree bend. Now place the other end into a cordless drill.

Insert the bent end into the brain cavity and give it a good blend for about a minite, moving the end around the brain cavity. After this the brain will pretty much be liquified and will basically pour out in a slow ooze. easiest and cleanest method I have found.

BHB