How long do I have to wait ?

[gary mok]

I am just wondering if I bury the bear head at my back yard and How long do I have to wait until dig it out and breech ? 6 months or a year ? anyone has an experience like this,pls let me know,thanks a lot !!!

[Alpine Addict]

If you don't mind being splattered with brains, just take a pressure washer to it. Afterwards you feel like you just stepped out of platoon, it only takes about 15 minutes.

[open-sights]

I just dug out a coyote skull i shot about 2 months ago, needs another month or so before i boil to bleach., my bear was about the same amount of time, I don't like loosing teeth from a pressure washer. Works for some others though.

[gary mok]

OH....I don't have power washer:( otherwise I would try it.
If you don't mind being splattered with brains, just take a pressure washer to it. Afterwards you feel like you just stepped out of platoon, it only takes about 15 minutes.

[todbartell]

just take it to the local car wash :mrgreen:

[gary mok]

just take it to the local car wash :mrgreen:
Yeah...you're right but will it scary others,they might thought it were human skull:biggrin:

[Fixit]

ive had my bear skull in a bucket of water for 3 weeks, yesterday i poured the water and crap out and put some fresh water in, also shook out the rotten brains. stunk so bad i nearly puked,(no joke it was horrible). i put it back cuz i dont want to deal with it for a while

[gary mok]

ive had my bear skull in a bucket of water for 3 weeks, yesterday i poured the water and crap out and put some fresh water in, also shook out the rotten brains. stunk so bad i nearly puked,(no joke it was horrible). i put it back cuz i dont want to deal with it for a while
I know it's horrible that's why I would like to bury it and dig it out later and you might not seeing anything just bone left,is it correct ?

[high and to the right]

I've tried different methods. The power wash one did blow many of the teeth out of the skull and now a couple of the bear heads look like hockey players.

The best job I did was to keep the head damp, let it sit out for 2 - 3 days until it was full of fly eggs, then put it in a paper box, dig a hole, bury the box and cover it with the dirt, put a piece of plywood over it to keep the animals away and wait around 2 - 3 months before digging it up. It should be picked clean by the maggots and ready for the peroxide.

[bullmagnum]

i wonder if you put a whole bunch of mealworms in with it, if it would speed up the process. Might be something worth looking into..

[MichelD]

I leave it for a year.

It doesn't come out great, rather brown and I lose quite a few teeth that way too.

[mud-dog27]

Yeah...you're right but will it scary others,they might thought it were human skull:biggrin:


i can just see it on the 6 o'clock news now

"swat called in on man at carwash cleaning a skull"

:)

as for length 6 month to a year depending on how well you clean it before puttin it under and if you have dogs or animals in your area put it a few feet deep my dog was onto that thing still months after it had been buried had to put wire around it to keep him away, fool was down 2feet in a matter of seconds

[gary mok]

What's the best way to do it ? clean/ short time and has full teens on it if possible

[ElkMasterC]

I smell a rat

[Ddog]

QUESTION-------> Why do you want to bury it? if you want your skull clean then just deal with it. clean as much of the skull as possible and then make the hole a bit large where the brain stem is and scramble the brains with a small knife, boil it , get the crap off it and then boil it some more, let it sit in 50% peroxide and water. never bleach, bleach is corrosive and softens bone, sure it works faster than the peroxide but it is corrosive to the bone. I actually use about 90% peroxide in my skull Bath.

[hunter1947]

Go into the woods and hang it from a tree branch about 12 feet up.

Thats what I did with mine years back ,I put the skull in chicken wire mesh then hung it and let nature look after it ,the megits clean all up after a couple months .

Go back and pick it up in two months then do your prepping of the skull.

[kennyj]

How about putting it on an ant hill?
kenny

[7mag700]

^^ That's what I was always told, use an ant hill. My buddy gave me a European mount of a muley buck I took him hunting for a few years ago. He boiled it in his kitchen (wow was his wife pissed :lol:), then spent about 20 hours picking it clean. He later found out he could've had a taxi do it for $50.

7m7

[gary mok]

QUESTION-------> Why do you want to bury it? if you want your skull clean then just deal with it. clean as much of the skull as possible and then make the hole a bit large where the brain stem is and scramble the brains with a small knife, boil it , get the crap off it and then boil it some more, let it sit in 50% peroxide and water. never bleach, bleach is corrosive and softens bone, sure it works faster than the peroxide but it is corrosive to the bone. I actually use about 90% peroxide in my skull Bath.Too lazy ,too smelly,So bury is the best way to deal with it,if you are not in a hurry.

[gitnadoix]

Take a five gallon pail with a tight fitting lid, drill a dozen 1 inch holes in the side. Then take it out where NO one will find it and hang it up where only flying creatures (bugs) can reach it. leave it for the a few months, then retrieve. May help to camo paint the pail first.


Include a few small drain holes as well

[BiG Boar]

just dug up my apr 25th bear skull. It was full of creepy crawlies and still lots of meat. More time needed.

[358win]

QUESTION-------> Why do you want to bury it? if you want your skull clean then just deal with it. clean as much of the skull as possible and then make the hole a bit large where the brain stem is and scramble the brains with a small knife, boil it , get the crap off it and then boil it some more, let it sit in 50% peroxide and water. never bleach, bleach is corrosive and softens bone, sure it works faster than the peroxide but it is corrosive to the bone. I actually use about 90% peroxide in my skull Bath.

This is the way I do it. Once you remove the skin, you can add garlic powder to the bear-scull soup and it doesn't smell.
My daughter came in the room and asked what was I cooking for dinner.

[Downtown]

What's the best way to do it ? clean/ short time and has full teens on it if possible


Put it into a 5 Gallon Metall Bucket, bring to a Boil, Old Adult Males Simmer for 60 Minutes, dump everthing out, watch for small Teeth, clean most of the now boiled meat off the Scull with a hunting knife, The Brain can now be shook out perhaps also use a coat hangar, Refill the Bucked with fresh water, add a teespoon of Dishwashing Detergent, bring to a Boil, simmer for another 30 minutes, finnish clean with Knife or if you have with less then full force of Pressure Washer, dump into Hydrogeen Peroxide for couple one minute, take out and let Dry by the Wind.

Be carefull with Industrial strenght Hydrogeen peroxide, no Fun if you splatter it on your skin.

[Night Hawk 3]

The absolute best way to clean old bones is to get some Dermestid beetles and then put the skull or bones in with the beetles.

These beetles will work quickly and produce ultra-clean bones in no time at all.

Dermestids are used in all kinds of work where bones need to be cleaned - such as forensics and taxidermy.


NH3

[BiG Boar]

Got a hot lead on where I can find some in the lower mainland?

[ElkMasterC]

The absolute best way to clean old bones is to get some Dermestid beetles and then put the skull or bones in with the beetles.

These beetles will work quickly and produce ultra-clean bones in no time at all.

Dermestids are used in all kinds of work where bones need to be cleaned - such as forensics and taxidermy.


NH3


Good luck with that!

Ya gotta mail-order them, and then keep a large population alive for when they're needed, and a 'mother culture" year round. I don't even know any taxidermists that use them. Mine uses the bucket method.

My method:
Leave it in the shade for a week, in a cage, so the critturs won't drag it off. When it's full of maggots, bury it in the compost heap with the horns sticking out. Again, cage it off if there's any chance of a dog or Yote taking off with it.
I lost the ivories from my last bull elk when the neighbour's dog chewed the whole face off my skull.

After a month or two, take it out wash it with the hose, boil it and bleach it. There's lotsa sites on the web that detail this, and I sometimes wonder why I bother.
Do a search first, then post after if you can't find answers online.

[Wild Images]

I got some beetles about a month ago nad set them up with a Wolverine skull to chew on, took a while but they cleaned it right up. aput a large Griz in with them 6 days ago and its almost clean already. Prepping a wolf to go in next.
After they come out they must be degreased then whitened

[CT.45]

Where do you get the beetles?

[dutchie]

I would grab a large bucket of water, put the skull in it and after that is done grab a cheep piece of meat and place it over the bucket... leave it for a few days. The flys will drop thier egs into the water and the Maggots will infest the skull... after that Burry it for a few months... Boil it and one let it dry in the sun...

Or the accelerated method is put it in the oven at about 175 degrees for 24-36 hours instead of in the sun.

I hope it helps

Dutchie

[dutchie]

I just talked to a Lady in my office (She was a Beetle collector??!!) and she has her masters in bug studies or anthromology or somthing... and the Dermestids are scavangers but Taxidermists will most likely not use them because they will eat the hides, but the Beetles to look for are the Carion Beetle.

These can be found on Road Kill, under the carcas and they are flesh eating beetles. They are yellow and black. She said they will most likley have mites on the back of them at this time of the year but not all of them will.

She said that you may want to call SFU, UBC, UVIC and ask to talk to the bug (anthromology??) deptartment. This could be a good Lab study for the students.

Do a google search for images and see what they look like. and go road kill hunting! http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/images/smilies/deadhorse1.gif

I trust what she is saying because she has a HUGE bug collection in her Freezer. (1 stand up full of over 500 species...)I guess that is what a masters degree will do to you.

[boxhitch]

What's the best way to do it ? clean/ short time and has full teens on it if possibleYou obvioudly don't want to deal with it hands on the best way, so take it to a stuffer, they charge about $50.

[Ambush]

Two years ago I buried a grizzly skull for about 4 months and when I took it out of the ground it fell apart. Most of the teeth fell out and I was left prospecting for them. And it was a brown, dirty mess. So much for the easy way.

If you want the best DYI job then just keep at it with a knife until there's no meat left. Do it while it's fresh so it doesn't stink. Hose out the brains. Let the skull dry naturaly and then use a wire brush. No cracking or loose teeth. Then peroxide if you want it real white.

Otherwise follow all the boiling advice in the other posts.

Like most things, more effort means better results.

[johnk]

I just talked to a Lady in my office (She was a Beetle collector??!!) and she has her masters in bug studies or anthromology or somthing... and the Dermestids are scavangers but Taxidermists will most likely not use them because they will eat the hides, but the Beetles to look for are the Carion Beetle.

These can be found on Road Kill, under the carcas and they are flesh eating beetles. They are yellow and black. She said they will most likley have mites on the back of them at this time of the year but not all of them will.

She said that you may want to call SFU, UBC, UVIC and ask to talk to the bug (anthromology??) deptartment. This could be a good Lab study for the students.

Do a google search for images and see what they look like. and go road kill hunting! http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/images/smilies/deadhorse1.gif

I trust what she is saying because she has a HUGE bug collection in her Freezer. (1 stand up full of over 500 species...)I guess that is what a masters degree will do to you.

FYI: ENTOMOLOGY; study of insects.

[Wild Images]

Got the beetles from a guy in Alaska who cleans skulls for a living, have them set up in a chest freezer in a seperate shed. You don't want these guys loose in your house as they love dried meat, mounts and leather anything :eek:

[wolverine]

just take it to the local car wash :mrgreen:


Yeah, your gonna be popular!!:eek:

[mrdoog]

I am just wondering if I bury the bear head at my back yard and How long do I have to wait until dig it out and breech ? 6 months or a year ? anyone has an experience like this,pls let me know,thanks a lot !!!

43,2354,3257,7891 minutes

[dutchie]

FYI: ENTOMOLOGY; study of insects.

Thanks, there are way to many "'ology"'s

[Wild Images]

Check out www.bonesandbugs.com (http://www.bonesandbugs.com)
to see what the bugs are all about

[open-sights]

ive had my bear skull in a bucket of water for 3 weeks, yesterday i poured the water and crap out and put some fresh water in, also shook out the rotten brains. stunk so bad i nearly puked,(no joke it was horrible). i put it back cuz i dont want to deal with it for a while
LOL, been there, I feel your pain. Makes a guy think twice about things. Great post, made me laugh for real.

[Fixit]

LOL, been there, I feel your pain. Makes a guy think twice about things. Great post, made me laugh for real.

well im glad someone else was able to enjoy my moment too... FYI its still sitting in that bucket...


I wonder if putting the skull in a weighted bucket with holes in it, and tossing it in the ocean for a while would work. id imagine the sea lice and fish /prawns would make a meal out of it.????

[870]

ive had my bear skull in a bucket of water for 3 weeks, yesterday i poured the water and crap out and put some fresh water in, also shook out the rotten brains. stunk so bad i nearly puked,(no joke it was horrible). i put it back cuz i dont want to deal with it for a while


been there before.
this time I spent the 100$ and got the taxidermist to do it.

[city hunter]

well im glad someone else was able to enjoy my moment too... FYI its still sitting in that bucket...


I wonder if putting the skull in a weighted bucket with holes in it, and tossing it in the ocean for a while would work. id imagine the sea lice and fish /prawns would make a meal out of it.????Souds like a good idea,I might try it next time

[hunter1947]

Souds like a good idea,I might try it next time


Thats one good idea and at the same time you might get a few crabs :idea:.

[hunter1947]

well im glad someone else was able to enjoy my moment too... FYI its still sitting in that bucket...


I wonder if putting the skull in a weighted bucket with holes in it, and tossing it in the ocean for a while would work. id imagine the sea lice and fish /prawns would make a meal out of it.????


Thats a good idea ,but why not put the skull in a crab trap then you might get a feed of crabs as well :idea:.

[Canadian Dad]

Thats a good idea ,but why not put the skull in a crab trap then you might get a feed of crabs as well
It takes a little while ie a few soakings. But it works really well! Until some ass pulls YOUR trap and freaks out, then steals the skull and the crabs.
:mad:

[trapperdan2061]

I have 3 large ant hills I use it takes a week or 2

[cndnmike]

If you are going to burry it - burry it deep....

This was just a couple blocks from my place, and no it was not me - possibly someone taunting me as a have nothing but an un-cut tag for this season.

http://www.coastreporter.net/article/20090616/SECHELT0101/306169836/bear-head-found

[Phil]

I tryed something different this year. I took two skulls and placed them on the dirt and put a garbage can over them. Each time I check them they are covered in maggots. It has been 7 weeks and they are looking fairly clean. There are a few spots with dried on flesh that I will soak off but all in all it has been painless and a hell of a lot better than the mess and stink I had to endure last year with the soaking method.

[thetackdriver]

Unfortunately my bear skull got dug up and hauled off by some coyotes just this week. Had it burried in an ant hill with logs piled on top and the damn things still got to it. Needless to say im a bit pissed off

[mud-dog27]

Unfortunately my bear skull got dug up and hauled off by some coyotes just this week. Had it burried in an ant hill with logs piled on top and the damn things still got to it. Needless to say im a bit pissed off


shitty deal

i had to put a steel plate over mine in the back garden to stop the dogs from gettin at my deer