# European mount



## fasthunter (Sep 15, 2006)

I want to do a European mount myself for cheap. I understand what to do, I'm just curious how much peroxide do I use. Also, do I mix it with something. That's the part I'm unsure of. :help:


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## Frantz (Dec 9, 2003)

Don't you have to shoot a deer first?

HAHAHA, I kill me. Hey, if you are planning on doing this with this years buck, I might be game to go in half to do mine as well. Would be an interesting learning experience.


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## fasthunter (Sep 15, 2006)

Frantz said:


> Don't you have to shoot a deer first?
> 
> HAHAHA, I kill me. Hey, if you are planning on doing this with this years buck, I might be game to go in half to do mine as well. Would be an interesting learning experience.


 HA, HA..... I let the bugs eat the stuff off of last years buck from down at my friends house naturally. I just have to clean it up and whiten it. Here's the buck though from last year.


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## fasthunter (Sep 15, 2006)

I did almost get a doe this year though........maybe I'll fill a tag tomorrow though.


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## Frantz (Dec 9, 2003)

Whoa there junior, slow down..... Hate to have you have to sit in the truck when we head up at the end of the month 

I tied mine out to a tree out back a few years ago and everything and its brother had a feast, cleaned it right up.


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## ArrowHawk (Apr 1, 2003)

They are very easy to do. I can knock one out a night and I have done 3 in one day.

Don't leave them sit outside for the Bugs to take care of.

Spend the $100 and have someone do it if your not sure.


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## rancid (Jul 22, 2002)

www.barebones-trophymounts.com


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## TrekJeff (Sep 7, 2007)

Don't go jumping into the whitening stage before you ensure all the bits and pieces are out. It's a minimum three step process to skull out an animal. 

To ensure the meat and matter is gone you can use bugs, maceration or simmering. Never boil a skull, never boil a skull, have I mentioned NEVER BOIL A SKULL. Sure, this will get all the stuff off the bones, BUT the excess heating causes the calcium in the bones to expand and then when they cool little fractures will develop. Over time you will see cracks, especially in the teeth. So, don't boil. If you elect to use heat, just simmer. Simmering cooks the meat off just like a roast in the crockpot...don't use the crockpot, I'll explain why in the next paragraph concerning wives.

Another method is maceration. Rotting the matter off the skull. In this method you remove as much matter as possible, actually, you want to do that with any method. Then submerge the skull in a bucket of water. This bucket needs to be maintained at a temp warm enough to allow for bacterial growth. This bacteria is what eats the meat/grease from the bones. This is the easiest way and cheapest way to go about skulling. As the skull i soaking, keep a lid on the bucket/plastic bin you are using. Just keep it warm so the micro bugs can do their work. This will take a while to do...I'm talking at least a couple weeks. When it's done it will smell like pure death, this method is recommended for those looking for a divorce as wives will surely leave you.

The third method is using big bugs, Dirmeside beetles. Very effective, but an initial investment is required and the colony needs to be maintained/established. These critters can bone out a skull in days, depending on how hungry and how warm they are. They thrive at temps between 75-85 F.

OK, so now, depending on which ever method you used, you now have a meatless skull. Pretty tasty looking. When looking at it you'll see discolorations. This color is grease. You want to get this out!!!

Soak it in Warm water Dawn dish soap, use the clear bleach alternative, the blue can leave a blue tint. This may take more than a couple days depending on the speicies. ***** are greasy critters, they'll take a while, same with bear and hogs. When you think you have the grease out let it dry. Once it's dry take another look for discoloration. If you see any, soak again. Once it's gone, you are off to whitening.

To whiten use good old fashion peroxide you can get at the drug store. Some use a 50/50 of water, all depends on you. I use 100% peroxide. If you use water, use distilled/soft water, you don't want rust stains on your skull.
Be careful not to bleach out your antlers. Peroxide will whiten, bone whiten your antlers. To prevent this you can also elect to make a past of baby powder and peroxide and cover your skull with this paste, avoiding the base of your antlers. Another method is to glob on a huge amount of Vaseline onto the antlers and wrap them in saran wrap. You can also take gauze and drape it over the top of the skull and around the base. The cotton gauze will wick the peroxide up and around. Do not throw out this peroxide until you are done with everything mentioned below

After you skull soaks for a day take it out and let it air dry. Is it white enough? If not, repeat above.

Now seal it. 
In a bucket of 50/50 mixture of old school White Elmers Glue and water, dip the skull, let the air bubbles rise up. This will give a nice seal on the bone surfaces with still leave a bone texture.

Now just put the lid on the bucket of water/glue until you fill that other tag. This can be done for any skull, times for soaking will be different

All this info came from a taxidermy website. Really good stuff, the only obstacle I see for some of these methods is the convience of warm days are starting to go away...good stuff!

So if you have any other questions, just ask, or refer to the link.


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## fasthunter (Sep 15, 2006)

Thank you very much you guys. Will do. This will be a fun learning experience. I'll post pics when it's done. 

Oh, and Frantz. Don't sweat it I didn't get one this Friday either. I didn't get to hunt much this weekend. Now I am going to my FAVORITE spot on State land this weekend. I haven't even hunted it yet, this year. To busy trying to discover new spots.


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## mipete (Mar 26, 2002)

I have been doing these for the past few years. Got the directions from a web site but here is what I do and they have all turned out great.

1. wrap antlers in aluminum foil so they do not discolor
2. boil head. fill water up to base of antlers. this usually takes about 3-4 hrs. about every hour pull head out and scrape all meat from head. refill water to base of antlers due to evaporation. last hour or so get the brains out with long phillips screwdriver/coat hanger bent in to fit in small hole of brain cavity. must get all meat off head, after head is scraped/brushed/picked clean dump old water out 
3. fill pot with clean water to base of antlers. bring to boil. put head back in when back to boiling then I put in 1 bottle of peroxide to pot. boil head 5-10 minutes.
you do have to be careful not to boil head to long as some people will say teeth will fall out, can be super glued back in. I do not coat my heads with anything. look great on dark stained piece of wood. give it a try. lots of work but only costs time


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