European Mount

[Huey]

Ok I'm getting a little frustrated as I'm working on my first European mount. I've boiled it a few times, and most of the meat is off except some of the hard to reach areas inside the skull and around the ears. I broke off the ear canal and that gave me a bunch of room to work, but I feel like I could pick his brain for a week!
At what point do I just move on to the de-greasing stage and forget some of the small meat chunks? And does anyone have any tips for the de-greasing and or whiting stage?
For now I threw him in the composter, hopefully someone will make dinner out of the hard to reach areas...

Thanks for any help!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Ok I'm getting a little frustrated as I'm working on my first European mount. I've boiled it a few times, and most of the meat is off except some of the hard to reach areas inside the skull and around the ears. I broke off the ear canal and that gave me a bunch of room to work, but I feel like I could pick his brain for a week!
At what point do I just move on to the de-greasing stage and forget some of the small meat chunks? And does anyone have any tips for the de-greasing and or whiting stage?
For now I threw him in the composter, hopefully someone will make dinner out of the hard to reach areas...

Thanks for any help!

Should have removed as much brain material as possible before boiling....either by using a wire such as a coat hanger os something similar.
Boil it with the brains in and it will be like trying to rermove a roast.

Next step would be a pressure washer. Just make sure you remove any loose teeth ahead of time or they might get lost. You can glue them back in when you're done.

Boil it long enough to get out the greasy spots...maybe add some laundry detergent to the water.

Don't ask me about the peroxide process....... as I have yet to do it.
I did get pretty good results from oxyclean on a bear skull.....not quite as white as peroxide but not too bad.

SSS

[ratherbefishin]

I've done a few of them,its pretty easy-I skin them,cut off the lower jaw,remove as much meat as possable before boiling, then boil it in a pot big enough to submerge the skull but not the antlers.I take it out ,get as much brain tissue out,eye sockets ,clean out the nasal passages , then boil it some more and repeat the process as often as I need .I use a variety of tools, screwdriver, pick, knife-whatever.It takes a few hours[do it outside if you want to save your marriage,a coleman stove works fine].

When it's clean, I let it dry and swab on peroxide-its that easy.The skull is bleached white,and ready for mounting

[Philcott]

Thanks for the tips. I have a 4x4 mule buck boiling as I type. I already had most of the brains out and have it on the coleman.

[blaker_99]

Lots of great help from both of you. I have done lots and the best results i have found are by doing as follows:

I start by getting as much flesh and muscle off the skull, remove eyeballs, and with a coat hanger stir up the brains. I then boil in a large pot water with 1cup of liquid laundry soap. I usually let the head boil for an hour or so before i take it out and start removing all the cooked matter. I repeat this until all the flesh is cooked and just keep picking at it all the pieces will eventually come out with the use of different shaped tools. You need to make sure you do not boil the skull too long or let it sit in water overnight as the skulls seams/bonds will start to come apart and wreck the entire mount. Once all meat and brains are out let dry for a few days. Once dry apply 40 proof peroxide, it is very strong so do not get any on the antlers. If you know anyone who has a membership at your local beauty supply store they can get this, otherwise London Drugs has it as well just not quite as potent. Repeat every couple hours until your skull is white as white can be. Hope this helps Cheers

[Sitkaspruce]

I am in this stage as well, however I let mother nature clean most of my skull. In a month and a half of using the bag method, the brains, eyeballs and most of the meat is gone, it becomes liquid....and very smelly:shock::smile:. A quick blast with the power washer and the brains and most of the other stuff was gone. Boiled it for about 45 min and the rest was removed with a small wire brush and needle nose pliers.

I have been following this link from Ali
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=15331&highlight=Bleach

along with this one
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=5489&highlight=European

Now I need to apply the whitening. SSS did you use the Oxyclean you can buy in the store?? Liquid or powder?? And how did you apply it??

Cheers

SS

[NaStY]

Im doing the easy way. Just pay someone else to do it. Way more rewarding for me and it saves my marriage...:biggrin:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Now I need to apply the whitening. SSS did you use the Oxyclean you can buy in the store?? Liquid or powder?? And how did you apply it??
Cheers

SS

I just used the powder form and threw it in the boling water. Doesn't turn out as white as peroxide, particularily the teeth.

Good enough for nearly free:smile:.

SSS

[ElkMasterC]

I do it the easy(and cheap way).And it's easy as 1, 2 3.

1) Cut the head off at the neck, bury it in the compost heap, with the antlers sticking up.(Like you were planting it to grow a bigger deer) Protect it from animals. I put a cage and tires on top. Dogs especially, will want to chew the nose off. My neighbour's dog likes Elk face for dinner. Don't ask me how I know that ...just suffice to say poking thru piles of dog poo with a pointy stick looking for your Ivories is over-rated.
Leave it for a month or so, checking it now and then (skinning out the head speeds this part up).
When there's nothing left but scraps of shmeg on the head, take a garden hose, and blast off what you can get from the outside, inside etc. A little scraping might be useful at this juncture as well.This step takes as little as 4 weeks in a warm autumn...longer if it's cold. Might be good to cover it with poly or an old tarp, and keep some heat in.

2) Boil it in salted water for 2-3 hours, til it comes clean. Be careful not to over-boil, or you'll have a pot of smelly glue.

Again, don't ask me how I know that.

Take it out, clean what needs to be scraped off, and re-boil if necessary.

3) Get a bucket with HOT water and bleach...about 3 cups per pail, and suspend the head in the fluid.

***>>> Make sure the antlers are out of the water, or they bleach. If they get splashed with bleach solution, rinse with clean water. <<<***
You might have to adjust the angle of the dangle a couple of times, to cover the entire surface of the skull with solution, and yet not bleach the bases. Soak for 4-5 hours. It might also be necessary to use an old pastry or paint brush, and carefully brush on bleach around the bases, and the top of the skull in between. (This is called a Bleach-around ;-) ) Again, don't get bleach on the antlers themselves. It might be possible to use your wife's toothbrush for this. Just make sure she's out when you do this, and rinse it well.
Make sure you compliment her on how white her teeth are.

Inspect, rinse with hot water, and let dry. It will get whiter as it dries.
My Sept Whitetail was done this way in 5 weeks, and looks professionally done. I do all my animals this way that aren't going to Ray's house for awhile. :eek:

Cost? Fiddy Cent. Maybe FiddyFive