Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Skull maceration

Well I did round me up a big mineral tub to rot it in so I guess I’ll go grab a heater and give it a go. Have a buck head from November in the back of my truck I might as well toss in too.

And Tex, thank god no, we don’t have fire ants around here. Just regular old red ants.

TheKid,

RED ANTS will do the job too but MUCH slower.

yours, tex

Jud... looks good!

Not doubting that this works but it sure made me laugh a little. Sounds like a prank on the new guy.

Been cleaning a few heads again this fall for friends and some clients. No changes to the process. This is a bull that sat in the warm water for 5.5 days. Totally clean. Now degreasing and then peroxide on next sunny warmer day.



And here was one that was completed recently.



And a few antelope.



If you're along the Colorado Front Range and need one done, shoot me a pm. Had a guy drop off an elk yesterday and walked him through the whole process on how it is done. He should be able to do his in the future now.

Some guy dropped one off? I kinda liked the way you done me. Lunch, shooting and free pickup and delivery...... They turned out great, as usual. Thanks......

Thanks Don. Any excuse to drive out there works for me. And one more to deliver so can recheck zeros after lining up reticles.

What's your degrease procedure? Was just talking to a guy that was soaking in acetone, which seems ideal, but maybe over the top?

Also, while we are on the topic, how do you mix peroxide when you "bleach"?

I rinse out the rot tanks, add clean hot water and a lot of Dawn dish soap. They sit in that with tank heaters until I deem them good enough. Typically elk are going faster than deer for some reason. Then I hit them with a garden hose that is hooked up to hot water.

Next up, I buy the 1 gallon jugs of 40 volume cream peroxide and then paint it on. Typically 2 days of that sitting in bright sun and the bones are quite white. I don't mix anything in them.

Thanks... sorry if you had already posted that.

The kid I usually have do my european mounts was booked up this year, and I might have to actually do something myself.

I want to try the method with the aquarium heater. There are tons of options for purchasing those things on Amazon; can someone post a link to the heater(s) they bought from Amazon and have had good performance/luck with? I'd appreciate it.

Also, just so I'm clear, the first step is to remove the hide from the skull as well as the lower jaw, correct? Then into the bucket to soak in warm water?

Thanks!

Yep skin er out, remove jaw as much meat as possible and eyeballs

Those look damn good Kurt, love antelope euros!!

Those are my hunters lopers. I'd rather they support my buddy, than the other skull guys I used to take them to. That way he has some mad money for scopes and such.....

Nice goats Don, and ya, gotta take care of your pard!! You a guide?

not commercially any more. Just guide the guys that hunt the ranch. Had 7 goat hunters and 3 rifle deer guys this year. The boss, his wife, and me all drew plains late season deer this year. I prolly won't get to hunt till they fill....

I do an acetone soak before the 40 volume peroxide. Don't glue any teeth in until after the acetone because it will dissolve the glue.

I find that acetone really draws out and dissolves any remaining fat and grease that may be hiding in small spots like the sinus area. It really gets the bone degreased on bears. I reuse the acetone

Love it. I never shot an antelope but think the skull mounts for them go together like peas and carrots.

Get you a 5 gallon bucket heater for maceration....

Ya I gotta order one Greg