How to get skin/fur off skull plates for mounting antlers?

[Mark Christianson]

I'm not talking about deer that were shot within a few days and then trying to remove the skin. I mean antlers that were sawed off months/years ago, that still have that skin and fur on them. Its like trying to remove rawhide.

Whats the most effective way to get that skin off for mounting antlers on a plaque with the felt covering?

[fireman]

Take and soak the antlers in a bucket of water with fabric softner used in your laundry. This may take several hours for the hide to rehydrate. Once it is softened, boil the skull plate in laundry detergent and bleach to remove any of the remaining flesh.

I usually boil the skull for 15-30 minutes, scrape off any remaining flesh, boil and scrape again until the skull is cleaned.

[BLACKJACK]

Biglake, I like firemans idea about soaking it, but then I'd try to just skin it off like you would if it was fresh.

Another idea that I read about in one of my hunting magazines, and this pertains more to the European type of mount where you do the whole head, is to just bury it in leaves/compost for a year, rather than doing the boiling mess. All the little bugs and critters that do the composting will also clean off your deer head. I think I'm going to try it this year. I know I did the boiling thing, never again, what a godawful mess!!

[huntingislife]

There is also those beetles(can't remember the exact name) that taxidermy and skinning places usually have to clean them off. They just let the beetles go to town and they clean it to the bone in a hurry.

[Mark Christianson]

Boiling and beetles are not an option for me.

I have done the boiling and its awful.

I don't have beetles laying around.

[WAG416]

The boiling I've done stinks to high heaven. I always taken the old buck knife and scraped, and scraped.

WAG

[Rost]

If you can find an ant pile, lay it on top and they'll have it cleaned up in a week.

[jlm]

I think what BLB is saying is that it is old and hard as a rock. Bugs are not going to work, they like the nice fresh stuff. If you slide a skinning knife between the skull and the hide, you should be able to work the knife under the skin. Once you have created a good pocket, try grab the hide with a big pliars, it should pop right off. If not, keep wprking around the edges and keep pulling. Its all about elbow grease! They are a pain to get off, been there done that! Whay do you want to remove the hair? Good luck!

[Mark Christianson]

Why do I want to remove the hair?

I guess I figured that it would be a good idea to get rid of the hair/hide before mounting it on a plaque.

jlm

Are you suggesting I could just mount the antlers as is, and cover up the fur with the felt stuff?

[jlm]

Right on BLB! It will be much easier to trim the skull plate with a saw than it will be to remove the hide from the skull (it is a real pain sometimes!). If you are going to buy one of those kits, they will cover the entire skull plate (hair included) so there is not need to remove the hide from the skull as long as it is completely dehydrated. You may have to trim the hair around the burr's. I would just sprinkle a little borax (probably does not need this but it will act as a preservative and keep bugs away) on it and mount her up. Works pretty good, give it a try! Trimming the skull plate is the key when using those mounting kits! Good luck!

[Mark Christianson]

Oh cripes.

Don't tell me all those antlers I mounted up a couple years ago, coulda just had the fur left on them.....

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH

[jlm]

Sorry BLB, I did the same thing to many. Its not all that fun standing on one antler and pulling and grunting and avoiding getting a tine in you know where! Thats not to mention all those times I almost knocked myself out with the pliars when they slipped off when I was pulling like a mad man! I finally gave up and mounted one as is. Turned out great and I do all that way now. The things we do to show off parts of dead animals....jeeez!

[jbdragon17]

This may not be a great option either, but I have used a small torch and burned it off. I got what I could with a knife/saw then burned the rest.. Just make sure you have a mask of some sort cause it stinks.

[fireman]

If boiling the antlers is not an option, I would at least rehydrate the hide, use a knife and pliers and remove as much as flesh/hide as posssible and apply borax to the entire skull plate and let it dry thoroughly.

I would not recommend mounting with the hide and fur in place. This could result in attracting bugs, and foul smell.

[fireman]

Sorry, forgot to add in previous post.

A good way to remove the hide from around the antler bur is with a hammer and flat headed screwdriver. Just make an incision, use the tools to pry the hide off the bone. This peels the hide off very nice and easy.

[Mark Christianson]

Something about leaving flesh/fur just doesnt seem right.

No offense jlm. None whatsoever.

I just think getting off as much as I can is best. Although it sux getting it off.

Thanks for the ideas everyone. Time to try some rehydrating(soak in a bucket).

[Walterwontfalter]

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Another idea that I read about in one of my hunting magazines, and this pertains more to the European type of mount where you do the whole head, is to just bury it in leaves/compost for a year, rather than doing the boiling mess. All the little bugs and critters that do the composting will also clean off your deer head. I think I'm going to try it this year. I know I did the boiling thing, never again, what a godawful mess!!

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Leaving your rack outside would be disaster...especially close to the ground. Mice LOVE the calcium in deer antler and they will chew up your rack in very little time.

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A good way to remove the hide from around the antler bur is with a hammer and flat headed screwdriver. Just make an incision, use the tools to pry the hide off the bone. This peels the hide off very nice and easy.

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I work in a taxidermy shop and I do all of the plaque mounts. I always let the skull plate dry completely and use the above method of hammer/screwdriver but I would add; Use a wide head screwdriver and a long stout one. Then grind the screwdriver head on a grinding wheel so that it is at a slight angle left to right and sharpen the tip. You can work it between the hide and skull and pry while you pound with the hammer like using a wood chisel (which would cut into the bone too easily, screwdriver is better) It only takes about five minutes and it doesn't have to be pretty. Just be careful around the antler burs so that you don't chip them or crack them. I would never stand on one side of the rack and pull for fear of breaking the pedicle off or cracking the skull plate in two. Then cover the skull plate with plaster and shape to your liking before covering with felt.

[msm1018]

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Biglake, I like firemans idea about soaking it, but then I'd try to just skin it off like you would if it was fresh.

Another idea that I read about in one of my hunting magazines, and this pertains more to the European type of mount where you do the whole head, is to just bury it in leaves/compost for a year, rather than doing the boiling mess. All the little bugs and critters that do the composting will also clean off your deer head. I think I'm going to try it this year. I know I did the boiling thing, never again, what a godawful mess!!

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my neighbor is doing this method and the maggots do all of the work there were a ton of maggots back in the early early spring, just imagine what it looks like now.