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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: RGK on November 08, 2010, 07:51:00 AM
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A few folks have asked about the European skull cleaning I did on my buck. I didn't take any pics of mine but my Brother-in-law shot a buck and wanted me to clean his deer skull so I will use his for this pictorial.
*****CAUTION********
Before I go any further, I want to mention 2 things.
1. His shot was deflected by an unseen twig. He did not and does not aim where his arrow hit. This deer died when it hit the ground. No additional shots were required to finish it off. While disturbing to see, the deer expired almost instantly.
2. For those viewing these pics. know that this is a messy and rather graphic pictorial of the process. Some of the pics are going to be gross. you have been cautioned.
OK, as I said, this shot is what it is. This skull will be near impossible to get white for two reasons. My brother-in-law skinned the head and did nothing with the head for nearly a week so I can expect some staining of the skull. Secondly, being shot in the brain means the bones of the skull will have been saturated in blood due to the brain hit. This will certainly stain the skull as well. I was able to remove the arrow shaft but the broadhead is captured in the brain.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave2.jpg)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave3.jpg)
I put the skull in the pot at 1:30 pm. I never bring the water to a boil. Its just a simmer with no rolling or bubbling.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave4.jpg)
2 hours later, the water is very dark with a skim of fat floating on the top of the water.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave5.jpg)
The meat is already softening and falling from the skull. So much so that I can pull the bottom jaw off.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave6.jpg)
Then I changed the water and added Dawn dish soap.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave7.jpg)
After 2 more hours, this is what it looks like.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave8.jpg)
The meat can be easily removed at this point.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave9.jpg)
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I change the water again and again add Dawn dish soap and let it simmer for two more hours.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave91.jpg)
After two hours, I use a small knife and cut and scrape away any remaining meat. Then I use a stiff scrub brush and soapy water to scrub the skull. I use a needle nose pliers to pull out sinus' and spray water in the back of the skull to flush out the brains. Then I use Oxi Clean and a toothbrush to scrub the skull. Then I rinse it well and let it air dry.
The squiggly expansion joints in the skull are normally white but the blood seems to have stain them. Also, it seems like the blood stains the skull with a greenish color. My buck is on the right.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave94.jpg)
The entrance hole
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave92.jpg)
The Bear razorhead is forever captured in the void where the brain was. I coaxed it out a bit with a needle nose pliers for this picture.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/dave93.jpg)
The whole process can be accomplished in an afternoon.
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Good job! Your skull looks pretty white. No bleach or anything like that? Saw a fella use peroxide from a women's hair dye kit once. Just curious, what happened with the shot? I understand if ya don't wanna go there.
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nice pictorial. I too love cleaning up skulls. Less than ideal or not that broadhead in the braincase makes for an interesting piece. Thanks for sharing.
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Nice tutorial. In the side by side pic, what did you do different to your skull to get more of the lower nose bone(very scientific term) to remain intact.
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I just have not glued the nose pieces back onto his skull yet. I sometines leave them off and sometimes I glue them back on.
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Originally posted by Matt Fowler:
Good job! Your skull looks pretty white. No bleach or anything like that? Saw a fella use peroxide from a women's hair dye kit once. Just curious, what happened with the shot? I understand if ya don't wanna go there.
He hit an unseen branch that deflected his shot.
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That is cool at my job I have used peroxide and borax. it works well also.Nice work
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I'm lazy. I suspend mine from a tree branch with cord, where squirrels can't get at it, for a few months. I have one hanging now that's been there for two years, but I didn't skin that one first. I've left it just to see how long it takes for the mummified skin to come off. Still a few scraps on it. Caution- wasps like to nest in the brain cavity.
I've also heard that fire ants do a good job of cleaning one up quickly, but I haven't personally tested that.
When I was in college, the biology department kept a box of carrion beetles for cleaning skulls and skeletons. They only eat the soft parts, and the bone comes out perfectly clean.
Just curious- how is the odor in the house after a day of boiling a skull? I suspect this is better done outside.
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Nice job. But I'm lazy too. I just bury mine in the backyard leaving the antlers exposed. Cover it with a big flower pot and leave it for 6 months or so.
I have one there now that's almost clean and it has only been buried about 3 weeks.
Rinse it off, let it sit in the sun for a couple of days and it's done.
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I do all my work in the man cave. I have a full kitchen so I dont do it in the house but the smell is not at all bad. Its really just cooking meat.
2 year???? 6 months???? Folks that bring me skulls would never stand for that. Normally I can turn around a skull in one day.
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Ron
Thanks for the pictorial. How much work was done to the head prior to the first dunk?
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Ron, That is cool. Thanks for sharing those photos and tutorial.
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Wow that is interesting. I assume the deer went straight down as a spine shot deer does?
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If your not in a real hurry, you can just submerge it in a bucket of water and let it soak for a few weeks. The stuff just falls off, leaving the finest details in tact. As with any method, the more meat you can remove from the skull prior will speed up the process.
Eric
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Originally posted by Bel007:
Ron
Thanks for the pictorial. How much work was done to the head prior to the first dunk?
Only the skin is removed.
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I have a head sitting out right now that spent 6 months in a freezer. It has been sitting at the base of a tree in thewoods behind my yard for almost 5 months. The dried skin is still hanging on. I am considering burying it to keep the antlers in tact.
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Question;
Do you skin it yourself first & then go through the process like you have therer or is there something else you do?
Oops, I see you answered it for me.
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Thanks, thats helpful. I like the broadhead.
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Good thing he went down that fast..
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Awesome pictorial, thanks for sharing!! Only thing I added that might help is two years ago I read about arm and hammer soda wash. Emulsifies fat real fast!! Cuts the whole process time in half for me. Just be careful that you dont use it for more than half an hour. Supposedly leaches calcium form the bone as well. I've used it for 45mins with no problems.
My uncles '09 buck that I did for him. Didnt seem to have any ill affect on him.
(http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo260/nathan835/July2010155.jpg)
(http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo260/nathan835/July2010162.jpg)
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Cool post! A buddy is going to try this tommorrow!! Thanks guys!
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I like the look of the European skull mounts, and I never knew it could be accomplished in one day. Thanks for a showing us how its done.
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It will come completely white with concentrated hydrogen peroxide. You'll need the 30% solution, not the 3% sold for health use. Try hydroponic garden shops.
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awsome! i got a skull just like that. same thing happened to me, but i had to shoot the deer again to finish it. the thunderhead is lodged in its skull.
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Excellent!
Thanks...ALOT :thumbsup:
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I clean LOTS of skulls also.bears,wolves,have a pretty large skull collection.your deer look good.I add the dawn detergent and borax right from the beginning to help with the smell and meat removal process.and i also soak them in a peroxide solution afterwards to whiten them more.but most skulls take me more than a day to finish because they need to be degreased after the meat is removed.especially bears,coons,etc.
even if they look white now,if theyre not degreased,then they'll begin to yellow as the grease and oils seep out over time.anyway,nice job,gonna look cool up on the wall.Ross
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Nice job, turned out well.
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I live in the south and am also lazy, great combination. I put my heads on a fire-ant hill and let the ants clean it up. Works great
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I had the exact thing happen with a woodsman elite. Hit a branch on a quartering away shot and hit him right behind the ear. He ran in a circle and stopped and a double lung shot finished him.
I always boil mine and then take the pressure washer to it. Works great.
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Ross, How do you degrease them? I have done a few, and the nose area is sensitive to the boiling. If one of the bones falls off, just pay attention that you don't throw it out, and you can just glue it back on with super glue. I know a hairdresser, and she got me some of the 30% peroxide. Mix it with some chaulk powder to form a thick paste and brush it all over the skull and let sit for couple days. Then just wash off.
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Nice job !!! :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing
BIll
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I shot a spike buck some years back that had a perfect "x" in one ear and at the base of his skull from a broadhead, but the head didn't penetrate enough to kill the deer. It was healed, so he must have been shot the year before.
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If you have a little time and don't wantto boil the skull in the house this is what I do. I put the skinned skull in a small plastic garbage bag and tie it off. Then i poke two holes in the bag with my finger and leave the bag in my backyard. Flies will find the skull and go through the holes and lay eggs which in turn become maggots and they will eat the skull clean in about two weeks. The bag keepseverything moist. Works like a charm and comes out sparkling clean after you hit it with a hose.
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I have taken mine after boiling to a high pressure care was. You get wet but can clean that head up pretty quick. Also if you use peroxide,,,keep it off of the rack as it will dry it out and leave it chalky . Good job.
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Looks awesome. But I did this once, and looking at the pictures brings back memories of the smell. lol
I never want to smell that again.
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I normally clean mine as well as possible, boil it for about 2 hours and then use a small pressure washer on low psi. Cleans it up perfect. I than sit it in peroxide for 24 hours. I wrap the antler bases because the peroxide will bleach the bases. Ill try to post a pic.
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Very cool. Thanks for the pictorial.
Just curious, why didn't you leave the arrow in it or put it back in after cleaning? Seems like part of the mount on this one.
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BTW,to degrease the skulls i have a big crock pot.i set the skulls in the pot and add dawn detergent and some ammonia.then set it on low heat.iv left skulls in there up to two weeks before,especially for black bears because theyre so oily.after a while in the pot you'll start to see the skim on top of the water.i'll change the water a couple times during the process until it doesnt cloud and skim up.of all the skulls iv done,iv yet to do a deer skull.im about to do one for my cousin that he just killed.im definitely not a professional,just some things iv learned by trial and error and off taxidermy sites.i get my 30% peroxide from Sallys beauty supply.good idea on mixing it with chalk,never tried that.sometimes i just brush it on and other times iv mixed it with some water and soaked the skulls in it for a day or so.and regular peroxide is plenty strong enough for whitening small skulls like fox,yotes,coon,etc.
Really nice job on the deer,im looking forward to trying a deer skull also.Ross
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Skull cleaning revisited
Not satisfied with the blood staining in the bone of the buck my brother-in-law shot in the brain, I decided to try something different . It cost me a whopping $4. I went to wally world and bought some Oxi clean powder and a quart of 3% peroxide.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/skullsidebyside3.jpg)
I covered the antler bases with Saran wrap and tape in case this mixture would lighten the bases.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/skullsidebyside4.jpg)
I mixed 8 scoops of the Oxi clean with the quart of peroxide in my skull cleaning pot. I used a tooth brush to spread and coat the skull. I spent about 10 minutes on it. As you can see, It only covers the bottom of the kettle. This is not important now but will be later.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/skullsidebyside5.jpg)
Then I rinsed the skull and used a blow dryer. The results were very good. I wonder what would have happened if I left it in there longer? The skull is much whiter and many of the stains were removed. The teeth seemed to be most affected. The skull on the right is after the oxi clean.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/skullsidebyside.jpg)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/skullsidebyside2.jpg)
While I was rinsing and drying and uploading the photos, I placed another skull in the mixture. This is a skull I found in the woods while bowhunting/scouting a few weeks ago. I paid no attention and perhaps an hour had elapsed until I noticed the pot. The other skull was much dirtier having been rotting in the woods where the animal died. It seems the oxi clean and peroxide really went to work on all the gunk and stains from that skull. It did a hell of a job getting it clean too. I think this $4 investment was worth it.
Until I I.D. this skull, I won't show it just yet. I think I know what it is but I am not certain.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/2010%20archery%20season/skullsidebyside6.jpg)
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What weight bow was he shooting to get that much penetration.Some info on bow and arrow weight please.
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excellent tutorial.. the last one I did involved a car wash. I should send them an apology letter but I don't want them to know IT WAS ME..
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Awesome how to. I will more than likely do that if I ever connect. I love the tomb for the razorhead.
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awsome tatoral. i like the idea of the head in a trash bag. wont stink up my house so bad
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Like Eric, I just stick mine in a bucket of water. Let them sit for a few weeks, changing water every few days, and they come out clean and white... even if they've been sitting unskinned for months, first. The only down side is the smell... not great!
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Well, I am giving this simmer a long a try today! It's been in for two hours and I just changed the water so far so good.
It has been a little tricky keeping the tempature right as I am doing it over a camp fire and there is a pretty good wind today.
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Hey Dennis, camp fire? We are under a "no burn" ban over here! :bigsmyl:
Good luck with it, I have done about 1/2 dozen skulls that way! All turned out good!
Yes, it takes a little time, but so does building our bows, arrows, and other equipment!
All fun stuff :thumbsup:
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Yeah the burn orders everywhere here to! But it's inside an old metal cabinet sitting on a 20 by 20 foot concret slab with me babysitting it.
It will be fine, this is my first attempt at doing it if it works well I may do do both my bucks from this year.
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Originally posted by Mr.Magoo:
Nice job. But I'm lazy too. I just bury mine in the backyard leaving the antlers exposed. Cover it with a big flower pot and leave it for 6 months or so.
I have one there now that's almost clean and it has only been buried about 3 weeks.
Rinse it off, let it sit in the sun for a couple of days and it's done.
im lazy too. Thats the method I use, substitute an upside down wheelbarrow for the flower pot
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I followed your directions yesterday and got great results ! Thanks for the information!
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/adeeden/eropeanmount2010004.jpg)
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this is a very good read,thanks for all the info and i look forward to giving this a try.
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I use the 3% HP and cotton balls. Place the skull in a roaster, pour the HP into a bowl and with tweezers soak each ball and put on the skull. Makes a "cotton ball quilt"! over night the HP drips off and then "baste" the skull a few more times. 24 hours or so and all shiny white. I like the tape the bases idea. I do my boiling/simmering outside. Maybe just cooking meat, but I don't find the smell appetizing.