Griz Skull

[Wild Images]

Here is a Grizzly skull that came out of the beetles this morning after being in there for 6 days.
Still needs to be degreased and whitened.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/42352.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/20402.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/31302.jpg

[BiG Boar]

Where can I buy or find these bettles? Do they keep year round. Do you have to keep feeding them?

[6 K]

Six days? wow, What kind of beetles? Do you have a before picture?

[jml11]

Dermisted Beetles are commonly used for this, you can buy colonies online, Ebay has some for 30 bucks, come from a taxidermy shop in Alaska. I believe maintaining the colony is an issue though..

[Wild Images]

Info at www.bugsandbones.com (http://www.bugsandbones.com)
Yes they take some care and feeding, by the time you are set up it would be too much hassle for a couple skulls. Better to bring them to someone with a colony. As a taxidermist it is worth it to me and anouther service to offer.
Didn't take any pics before the skull went in but I cut off as much meat as I could, took the brains out and dried it in front of a fan overnite.

[Summit 512]

Good information....thanks

[kennyj]

Wow ! Thats amazing.Nice big old skull too.
kenny

[bruin]

So will you now bleach the skull and put a clear coat or something on it? Here's another helpful site. http://www.skulltaxidermy.com/kits.html. Looks pretty cool WI. Where do you keep them? How many skulls do you do per year roughly? Anyone come in just for their skulls to be cleaned? How well do they clean out the nasal cavity?

[6 K]

Didn't take any pics before the skull went in but I cut off as much meat as I could, took the brains out and dried it in front of a fan overnite.

I see, I was thinking only the skin was removed, eyes brains and all still attached. Yet they seem to have done a good job though.

[Mtnhunter]

Those little suckers did a good job Ken! What was the green score on that skull?

[Wild Images]

Rough green score is over 25"
I just started playing with the bugs as I hate boiling skulls, they do an amazing job and leave all the little nasal bones and clean everywhere.
It will be degreased whitened and sealed then I will post anouther pic
Bugs are hungry little devils got out a bear to get ready for them for tomorrow.

[358mag]

So will you now bleach the skull and put a clear coat or something on it? Here's another helpful site. http://www.skulltaxidermy.com/kits.html. Looks pretty cool WI. Where do you keep them? How many skulls do you do per year roughly? Anyone come in just for their skulls to be cleaned? How well do they clean out the nasal cavity?
dont bleach the skull !!!!!!!!!!!! just degrease it in soap and water for a few days then put it in some hydroginperioxide <get it at WalMart> for a week then put it out in the so that the sun can get to it and it will come out nice and white and I repete dont put it in bleach !!!!

[sawmill]

Goddamn,I`id hate to get drunk and pass out any where near those bad buggers!

[hunter1947]

Man O man them beetles sure are hungry little insects ,they sure do clean up the skull.

[6616]

dont bleach the skull !!!!!!!!!!!! just degrease it in soap and water for a few days then put it in some hydroginperioxide <get it at WalMart> for a week then put it out in the so that the sun can get to it and it will come out nice and white and I repete dont put it in bleach !!!!

Confusing, bleach is a common term and includes many different chemical compounds which incidentially includes hydrogen preoxide. I take it that in this case what you mean is not to use household bleach (chlorine bleach) or any bleach whose active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite. It is advisable to be careful to rinse all chemical residue away after using any kind of bleach, these are all very active oxidizing chemical compounds.

Nice skull. Interesting about the beetles, yah Sawmill, don't lay down with those little suckers....!

[Wild Images]

Peroxide is the product to use for whitening, if you use a household bleach the skull will eventually fall apart. You notice that I don't say bleaching the skull as this is very missleading and can ruin a trophy.

Sawmill I told my girlfriend that she has to be good as my little buddys could help in her disapperance :biggrin:

[c.r.hunter]

Peroxide is the product to use for whitening, if you use a household bleach the skull will eventually fall apart. You notice that I don't say bleaching the skull as this is very missleading and can ruin a trophy.

Sawmill I told my girlfriend that she has to be good as my little buddys could help in her disapperance :biggrin:

Yikes! I think I saw that on CSI!!!

[Brambles]

Hey Ken, do you have to always keep a skull in there for food or ??? What do they eat in the off season, just toss in a steak.

Is there any worries about them getting loose and running a muck, or don't they climb very well?

Cranker skull, they do a nice job on the cleaning.

[Tikka270wsm]

I've heard that with the beetle method there is far less skull shrinkage than with the boiling method. Is this true?

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I heard there's a guy in Penticton "running dermastids" these days.

Sure beats boiling....especially if you've got a skull that you want measured.


SSS

[Wild Images]

Way less shrinkage than boiling, they can't climb up glass or smooth metal. I have them in an aquarium right now but am setting up a 16' freezer for them with controled heat.
They can go a while without food but they love wieners if you haven't got anything else for them.

[2x4x16]

Try to place the skull in your compost pile. I did mine last year, I had it in for about one week. make sure the pile is not where the critters can get at it. A quick plywood box to keep the critters and you are set. After the bugs have done their work take it out place in chlorine bleach over night or desired effect. monitor the bleach is that it does not eat to much skull surface. Take it out and soak in Simple Green it smells good and stops the chalkiness of the bleach.

[Goliath]

Beetles are awesome, but ANTS do an excellent job too. Their saliva is mildly acidic and "bleaches" the bone super white.

If you've got an ant hill in your backyard, burry the head on top of the pile and watch the little *******s go balistic. Depending on the size of the colony, it'll be done in a couple weeks.

[The Hermit]

Got any pictures of the beetles?

[Wild Images]

Here are the beetles at work, most of these are the larve.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/bearbig1.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=14550&size=big&cat=500)

[hairy spotter]

Holy sh!t, that's gross.

"Beware of any man who keeps a pig farm." - or these damn beetles!