2009 Mule and whitetail Euro mounts

Rack · #1 01-21-2010, 09:18 PM

Had a buddy help me with these and I think they turned out pretty good for a couple of amateurs. I cant figure out why the peroxide wont whiten the foreheads though. Anyway thought I would share the pics and any advice or tips for next time would be great.

Rack

BrownBear416 · #2 01-21-2010, 09:25 PM

I dont have any advice but congrats on two fine animals..

They look very good imo..

James M · #3 01-21-2010, 09:28 PM

I've noticed on a lot of European mounts that for some reason the forehead appeared to be damp and discolored. I'd be interested in hearing why that is also.

Springer · #4 01-21-2010, 09:48 PM

Well done for amateurs. I used the store bought 3% peroxide but i will buy the 30% for next falls Critters. I like to keep an eye out for old pieces of barnboard for my euro's when i hunt through the year.

Looks like your on the right track Rack.

ForestDweller · #5 01-21-2010, 10:12 PM

the discoloring is from the natural oils in the bone. You need the proper chemicals when boiling them to remove it

marlin4570 · #6 01-21-2010, 10:17 PM

I have heard of people bleaching the skulls!

flyguyd · #7 01-21-2010, 10:19 PM

When you boil them throw some washing soda into the water. It will aid in jellying the flesh and will also help whiten the skull . Doesnt hurt to degrease before you apply peroxide either . Great job otherwise

crawfy · #8 01-21-2010, 11:54 PM

I have been told that if you do not get the hide and flesh off asap that the blood stains the bone,

bonedogg · #9 01-22-2010, 12:01 AM

its usually from not getting all the brain matter out. First drill or cut a hole underneath into the brain cavity to provide an exit for spraying with a pressure washer or compressed air to purge out that area well while boiling. A jig saw works well. Use the shemicals available from AAA taxidermy supplies here in Calgary.

ishootbambi · #10 01-22-2010, 12:17 AM

ive done a dozen or so and following my taxidermists advice have had good success. first, a litle borax in the boil emulsifies the fat which may be the forehead discoloring. of course you want to clean as much tissue as possible before boiling. dont know if its the magic number, but i was told boil them 3 hours at rapid boil, and that seems to work good for me. i went 4 on one once and the sutures where the individual bones join loosened a little. the pressure washer works great to blast off the tissues after boiling and i dont know how to clear out the sinus cavities otherwise. the brain cavity will spray everywhere so be sure to wear a rainsuit. good lord dont use bleach. it attacks the sutures and you will end up with gaps and cracks. and as for the peroxide, most taxidermists use the 30% stuff which usually has to be special ordered from the drugstore. 24 hour soak says the taxidermist, but in my opinion it creates unnatural whiteness. it makes the bone gleam and for me its just wierd looking. if you like that go ahead. my preference is to use the 3% stuff, mixed 5 litres in my 30 litre pot, then filled with water. ill boil that (the day after cleaning boil) for half an hour. if i can figure out how ill post some pics. it looks like you did a pretty nice job, especially for the first time. i just got hold of a good load of solid 1 inch oak panels today from my cabinet maker friend, but i like the old barnboard idea. i have made a whack of picture frames with barnwood for wildlife prints and they look great. ill be trying that for sure.

timba · #11 01-22-2010, 08:00 AM

good job,that looks like greese in the bone.I would let it sit in dawn and water for a couple weeks to degrease it.I do that with my bear skulls and they turn out nice.

timba

-CLM- · #12 01-22-2010, 08:52 AM

Hey Rack, the discoloration you see on the skull is caused by the greasy chemicals produced by the bucks preorbital and forhead glands. Also the skull will start to stain very quickly so for best results it is important that you skin it and remove all the flesh (eyeballs, brain matter, roof of mouth) the same day that you kill the animal which is understandably not always possible.

Great job on your skulls!

binderbuck · #13 01-22-2010, 08:53 AM

Use a little bit of soda ash in your water when you boil. The discoloration is just grease, best way to get rid of it ive found is more and more boiling.

matathonman · #14 01-22-2010, 09:09 AM

x2 I use a couple cups soda ash in stainless steel turkey pot. Boil for 30 min and then pressure wash everything off. When your blowing all the brains out that little hole it gets pretty messy though, you can't stay clean

All my heads seem to come out bone color with no discoloration. Your euro mounts look very nice.

gramps73 · #15 01-22-2010, 09:14 AM

I think they look good, congrats on 2 nice animals
g

rmk800 · #16 01-22-2010, 10:46 AM

Add some "Comet". Dust the skull with comet after most of the meat is boiled off, and it will help to degrease the bone while you boil it some more.
You can even find comet with bleach and kill 2 birds with 1 stone...however peroxide might still be needed to get it a bit whiter.

gonefishin · #17 01-22-2010, 10:56 AM

Once your skulls are totally clean and meat free... put them in a bucket with clean water and a couple splashes of clear Dawn (dish soap)... let them soak for a few days and change the water as necessary because the Dawn will degrease the bone for you.

Congrats on the nice animals... love the mass on the mulie.

Rack · #18 01-23-2010, 10:02 AM

Thanks ishoot for all the advise. I will try the Dawn dish soap trick as it seems to be the easiest fix for now. I'll boil them once more but heck I'm just happy everything for the most part stayed together. We did use the 30% peroxide and once the grease is all out of the bone I'm hoping it will take. If not, I'm pretty happy with how they look!

Thanks all!

elkhunter1234 · #19 01-23-2010, 02:26 PM

Great job Rack.... I finally got off my butt and got some of mine, my sons and daughter inlaws heads from the last few years whitened up, i sure like the looks of deer displayed this way, wish i started doing them years ago, I just need to start making some plaques to put them on now, does anyone have any plans on how to make them??? love to see some....

BeerSlayer1 · #20 01-23-2010, 05:18 PM

There's some good advice and some HORRIBLE advice (e.g. i was told boil them 3 hours at rapid boil) in this thread.

MY ADVICE is to go taxidermy.net and read everything in SKULLS AND BONES

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index...oard,17.0.html

and search the tutorials

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index...oard,27.0.html

for more info on skull preparation. This is the definitive reference location for taxidermy work. After a few hours of reading you'll start to figure out what the good advice is and who's just full of s***.

After doing all of the research, here's my first two attempts at skull cleaning.

Good luck, I'm no expert but if you have any questions just pm me.

Cheers!

Family Hunter · #21 01-23-2010, 09:01 PM

Congrats to all of you on some great mounts.FH

Cowboy Al · #22 01-23-2010, 09:47 PM

Nice work fellas, I like Rack, have issues with my deer and the yellow forehead discoloration. I noticed on the antelope I did it wasn't as bad and I did the same procedure on each. Maybe there's something in the tissue on the deer (fat content maybe) that causes that yellow tinge?

Rack · #23 01-23-2010, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter1234

Great job Rack.... I finally got off my butt and got some of mine, my sons and daughter inlaws heads from the last few years whitened up, i sure like the looks of deer displayed this way, wish i started doing them years ago, I just need to start making some plaques to put them on now, does anyone have any plans on how to make them??? love to see some....

Wow some nice animals elkhunter. I sure hope that knarly whitetail gets shoulder mounted though.

Nice pics!