option for European cleaning?

[Meat-Run]

I was told to submerge my deer head in a shallow mucky lake and the "bugs" will clean the skull clean like what beetles do has anybody heard of this or done it before?

Yesterday I left two buck heads in my parents harbor to see what happens.

thx

mr

[jay83196]

I haven't I left mine outside for year in woods was nasty next year I had to boil in chemicals and that worked well. I would just buy the stuff to boil it etc or send it somewhere to do it its about 100$ to send it.

[schmoe147]

I was once told sticking them in an ANT pile works awesome. I have not done this myself but cant wait to try it to see if it actually works.

[LindellProStaf]

I have put bear skulls in ant piles. Worked good. Left them all winter long. Put them there in the fall with a wire fence around it so my dogs didn't get them. Dermastid beetles appeared also. That is what the pros use, I think. I guess they just appear when there is meat to consume.

[Boar]

Average about 70 bucks for beettle cleaning, i know a gal in ely thats doing a bear skull for me right now, an have had two other bear skulls beetled, its the only way to go, ship it off an its all good. They turn out great. boar

[LipRipper!!]

boar what is the turn around time? I have a deer head I would like done!!

[Boar]

That really depends on how busy a taxidermist is, The first two took about nine months cause he was backed up with mounts an skulls, but this new gal thats doing my recent skull is new at the game an im here first custmer with beetling so i think she said 3 months. i know skulls dont take as long as mounts, but I think if a taxidermist has beetles ready to go its about 3 months. Ya want her number, Muthagoose recomends her, shes one of his students an says shes a perfectionist wen it comes to taxidermy. i donate a large head for her shop display wen its done im gona post the pic here to round up busness for her. later baor

[Meat-Run]

Hey Boar yeah if possible send me a pm with her info i might take her up on another skull from previous years.

thx

mr

[mudslinger64]

I have beetles and will clean and whiten skulls send me a PM for details

[jentz]

I have a skull collection 12-15 different animals,A month ago I picked up a red fox on the road.Like all the other skulls, I put them in the woods marked spot.Next spring, May or so I will look at it if it has been cleaned and the brain gone I then boil them with a touch of bleach (to whiten)Dry and spray 3-4 coats of clear enamel,The first two 3 coats get absorbed.Then as they dry the teeth will fall out before they all fall out I glue them back in place,If you wait for all to fall out depending in the animal it gets hard knowing where each tooth goes!! I have a possum sitting here I waited to long and all the teeth fell out,Winter project lots of tiny teeth!!

One thing come spring you have to keep a close eye on the skulls in the woods.Rodents love chewing on them for the calicum and to keep their tooth growth in check.

[hockeybc69]

For $60 I wont ever spend the time and effort to do it myself.

Turn around time was about 3 months.

My guy is in Howard Lake.

[Wanderer]

I've been going to Rory at Beetle My Bones in Waite Park. Beetle cleaning is the only way to go in my opinion and for $75 I'll gladly let someone else deal with it and get back a perfect mount. I do skin my own heads though before taking them in. I've left a few out for a year and the end result makes me say "Meh".

[Musky hunter 82]

boar can you PM me that ladies number from ELy that uses beetles? My brothers shot 3 bull caribou in Alaska this week and want euro mounts done to them. Would she do a Caribou head?

Thanks

[Boar]

pm sent with number boy thats a tall order, shes jsut starting up, but giver her call tho. ya never know. I know mudslinger on the forum has beetles to.

[eyeguy 54]

I boil the snot out of them and add a package of lipton onion soup to the kettle so I can stay married. Then it takes a couple hours of cleaning. Then I drip bleach on the skull. Something to do. :>

[B-man715]

I like the onion soup idea

Done a few heads myself. If I were to pay myself $20 an hour, I would be a lot of money ahead sending it out.............

But, I get the gratification of a DIY euro

I like to use a turkey cooker to slow boil the head. Every 15 minutes or so I dunk the skull in a tub of cool water, then pick off what I can. A coat hanger works great to pull the brains out.

Once it's pretty clean, I use an air compressor to blow all of the gunk out of the nasal and ear cavities.

To get that perfect white, I replace the water with normal peroxide (from the grocery store), and boil it in that until it turns pure white.

Finish by super gluing the teeth back in, and hot gluing the jaw back on the skull