Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Skull maceration

Haven't taken any pics but have been working on my first maceration job. Put son's bear skull into a home depot bucket full of water and put it out back about 200 yards from house. Wrapped bucket in black plastic to help build up heat and left it for 3 weeks.

Popped lid off the bucket and the stench was quite amazing. Next time, note made to remove all the brains before doing this. Thinking they were a big part of the odor. But after 3 weeks almost all the flesh was liquified. Power hosed it with hot water and skull was ready for degreasing. Now it is resting in dawn dish soap and fresh water every few days. All the nasal cavity bones are intact and it is looking really nice.

One other note. I'll put skull in mesh bag with small holes next time. Had a few teeth disappear in the liquid flesh pile and wasn't digging for them. Other than that, I am really liking this more than boiling. Total time spent on it is around 15 minutes so far. Way better in my mind than boiling. I'll put up a pic or two once I am done.

Needing to figure out a method for antlered game and if anyone has done it, let me know. Wondering about antler bases.

I simmer, not boil, with borax and dawn. Remove as much meat as possible along with the brains and it's much less stinky. Done in a few hours then bleach, done.

I've boiled quite a few too. Boiling is fine but some of the small bones will be lost. It is also better I think if you don't have some acreage to deal with the odor. Like I said though, this was my first time macerating one. A few minutes trimming, toss it in water, let it rot 3-4 weeks, power hose it off, and then degrease. Its actually less time total I think. But the odor is really something and without acreage, I couldn't recommend it.

Anyone else done it and have more tips, I would love to hear them. Only things I can think of is better trimming and brain removal, mesh sack to put skull in and don't leave the leftovers where your dog can eat them and smell like death. Trust me on that last one.

Don't leave any part of it where dogs (or wild animals) can get at it if you haven't had it sealed or whatever meets your state's legality requirements. (How are you supposed to make your trophy legal if both hide and skull must be presented simultaneously for sealing if dogs have run off with the skull? )

I have done a few bears the same way with good results. Use commercial hydrogen peroxide and the whitening paste to finish it. I use plastic wrap after I use the paste and peroxide and leave it outside in the heat. Before whitening, I soak my skulls in acetone. I think it's better than dawn. I did a write up not too long ago. Of course all the photo bucket pictures are gone.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12065481/bear-skulls#Post12065481

I've used the water rot off method on several deer.

Every time I do it I swear it will be the last

BTW.....don't bleach.....peroxide soak

I had decent luck with the last one by burying it up to the antlers in the garden and then covering with a box. The underground bugs cleaned it up pretty good without damaging the small bones. I put in in a wooden box in the ground to catch any teeth that might fall out. Make sure you put a box over the top to keep mice and squirrels from chewing on the antlers.

Be sure and take mesures to prevent dogs from digging it up too

I don't use a household bleach, it's a hair salon product that forms a paste. I'll dig it out and get the name.

The peroxide soak desolves bits and pieces of yuk and grunge plus it knocks down the bacteria count to help with the smell.

Drill holes in jawbones to get the rotten marrow out.

I've done about 10 deer with maceration, no problem. Place a board accross the top of the bucket to rest the horns.

Use a fish tank heater to speed up the process, both the maceration and the degreasing in dawn. I consider warm water a necessity in the degreasing process. Ambient temp just doesn't get the job done.

THE KEY: Complete degreasing is an excercise in patience. I've had a deer skull soaking since February. Grease will float on the top. As long as there's grease being removed I keep soaking. Its really no big deal. Set it up somewhere that is very convenient to maintain. Mine sits in a corner of the garage. I change the water every two weeks. It also requires topping off about every 5 days due to evaporation of the warm water. I've literally got less than 30 minutes total hands on time in the seven months that its been soaking so its no big deal, you just have to wait it out. A completely degreased skull is TOTALLY worth it. You will be amazed. Proper degreasing makes all the difference. Hang in there.

When totally degreased whitening is an option. You may not see the need to do it, but if whitened, it will be so clean you'll be occused of painting it. 40 Volume Developer with Simple White mixed in.

Regarding odor, all of mine are completely oderless. The key is in the degreasing soak time.

Here's a pic from this morning before topping off, after seven months of soaking. Notice the fish tank heater at 2 oclock.

CTsmith, those are beautiful and nice bucks too. Have to order a fish tank heater now. That is what I am looking for in the end and thinking this is the right process for me.

The bear skull, hide and meat were presented to the DOW here and they sealed the hide. After that process is complete, you can do as you wish with the parts. The leftover scraps I mentioned were rotten brains and flesh that were hosed off in the yard. Nothing was wasted on this bear.

Appreciate the insights and going back to look at the older thread link now. Here's to more punched tags and more skulls to work on.

No need to wait that long using acetone. A few days will dissolve ALL grease, oil and fat. The skull will remain white and never yellow. It is a little tricky to seal off the acetone when dealing with antlers and prevent evaporation. Just be creative since the acetone will not harm the antlers. For a bear skull, just cover the skull with acetone and put a bucket lid on. You can keep reusing the acetone. It is pretty cheap at big box stores in gallon cans.

Send me an acetone skull, I'll soak it a week, and I guarantee the water will look like the above pic. Been there done that. My acetone skulls look no where close to the extended dawn soaked. I've found there's no replacement for time.

Top pic; acetone and beetles. Bottom pic; maceration, Dawn and time.

Beetles for me. Then soak in borax and washing soda. I need to try the acetone as a final step. The peroxide might be better for preserving the small bones I will try that too.

It is also one of the few good things about fire ants those guys work fast and usually a wash tub with big rocks on it will keep the coyotes away.

Beetles are great too, but I don't have a spot to house them. My buddy does great work with beetles but logistically he is far from my place and his beetle colony has been having issues. Freezer has emptied out nicely so deer and antelope skulls will fit till spring warm up. If I get a large bull then I guess it's time to see how the fish tank heater I just bought works.

Good reminder. My garden is fenced.

Where do you come up with commercial quantities of peroxide? No big box stores within 3 hours of here.

Looked on amazon and tons of options for peroxide there. If UPS can get to you, that might work.

amazon is anti gun