Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Skull maceration

Yep my for skull mount for sure

I've been watching threads on maceration over the last few years thinking I'd try, but haven't given it a shot yet. I have a deer from a month ago that I'd like to do, but the weather turned cold. How cold can it get and the 2 or 3 aquariums heaters still maintain 85 or 90 degrees?

I never have been able too, matter of fact checked on 3 I got going now, they’re blocks of ice!! 😂😂

Got 2 mule deer skulls going in the barn now. 2 days in and they are stinking pretty good. So 3 tank heaters in a cooler is enough for 48 degree highs and 28 degree lows in an unheated barn. If it gets too cold, process is delayed but starts up again quickly.

Wrapping the container in fiberglass insulation will allow it to work down to pretty low temps.

What about a pressure washer? Last year I dug out an old set of elk antlers that I'd like to put up somewhere and I soaked them for weeks with Dawn and water, changed the water a bunch of times and any time I wanted to spend an hour and not accomplish much, I could keep pulling off bits of what seemed to be layers of skin. Elk skin sure seems to be attached stronger than deer skin. Sweetness made me buy a pressure washer this summer to squirt stuff and naturally I thought about antler skull plates in the rotation.

By just letting the rot happen, all the details remain. Folks like different stuff though. I would say soaking in dawn water killed off any chance you had of maceration cleaning it off. Embrace the stench and use only water, no additives. After the rot happens and skull is clean without having to pick a single thing off, then use a garden hose and rinse off. Then soak in warm dawn soap and degrease that way.

Assuming the elk head was skinned prior to attempting to rot? I find elk meat rots faster and cleaner than deer do.

+1 except I use acetone for the degreaser then the 40 volume peroxide

Thanks for the guidance. I was considering just waiting till summer. Sounds like I should give it a shot with some heaters and insulation.

Finished these up for a friend. Tank heaters, uninsulated barn and a cooler. Currently have mountain lion skull rotting. Of the many heads I have done, the mountain lion had the most wretched smell of any of them.

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My old man decided to borrow my tank and heater to do an elk he killed last month. I gave him the rundown and told him to get the longest cord he could find to get it way away from the house.

He filled it up and tossed a couple road apples in, covered it up with a blanket and plugged it in. About 20 feet from his back door off the edge of the patio! It got epically ripe quick, mom was calling while we were in KS bird hunting wanting to know what in the heck had the whole compound smelling like a dead animal.

It’s been steeping for about two weeks and I suspect it’s done. Might have to go rinse it off this evening and see how it turned out.

Even if not done, pour out the rot somewhere safe and the odor will drop a bunch. Has to be about done though.

They look good, 30338

I dunno wtf I do wrong, just pulled a bear skull that’s been sitting in water in a covered bucket since September, been in a bucket with a tank heater for 2 weeks, still got a long ways to go. It is worth it though, no better way to do it if you like detail

Ones that sit in cold water for a few weeks or months, have proven to be far more difficult for me to get done vs ones that either sit outside or are in a freezer. The cold water does something odd to the meat. Fresh head and 90 degree water, you're looking at 7-10 days pretty consistently.

Toss another heater on that bear. I've been running 2-4 these days with colder weather.

Jud, the water is not warm enough.

This mtn lion has been in 90 degree water for 3 full days. It had eyes and brains still intact when dunked. Just flushed water, collected teeth and here is how it looks in the water again. Probably leaving it another week as I have heard these have a bit of grease in them. But it gives you an idea of 90 degree water and rot speed.

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I’ll pull it out tonight and snap a pic. Got a big whitetail and antelope soaking in the green house too. Thanks Kurt

Ya I need to get that bucket heater like you got lil buddy

Think I should change the water Kurt or keep letting it stew??