Coyote Skull

[DonBo]

Just returned from a trip out west and found a coyote skeleton in great shape. I kept the skull and would like to clean it up, bleach it like a european mount. Any advise on how to do this?

[Nate McVey]

Bury it in the yard before it freezes, mark the spot and dig it up in the spring. They maggots and things will have picked it clean. Depending on how white you want it, you can use a very thin mixture of bleach and water to brighten it. Don't use to much bleach, or it will eat away at the skull.

[walleye101]

A faster method is to toss it into a pot of boiling water and simmer it a couple of hours. Might want to use the camp stove in the garage to avoid a confrontation in the kitchen.

[Nate McVey]

Good point walleye..........if time is of the essence, the boiling method is good.

[DonBo]

I should have said, the skull is picked clean. I just want to bleach it.

[FlyingV]

Donbo,

Soak it in Hydrogen Peroxide for a few days. Make sure it is completely submerged. If you can find it, use the 30% solution but be careful with it as it will burn your skin. Otherwise just use the drug store 3% if that is all you can find. Rinse it off, then set it in the sun for a few days to dry out. How are the teeth holding up? Sometimes they get loose. I glue them back in with super glue gel. I also glue the lower jaw to the skull at the hinge with it too.

Don't use bleach, I heard it can damage the bone.

After it dries out, you can spray it with an aerosol type clear coat from the hardware store. Make sure it is a non yellowing type.

Here are a couple that I have done using a kit from Van Dykes Taxidermy Supplies:

[Scott M]

And if you ever get really serious about a skull collection (which I want to do some day...I'll be the creepy guy pulling over at all the roadkill sites looking for intact craniums) you can buy starter colonies of dermestid beetles. They are great for European skull mounts by the way. Keep them in your garage in some dry bedding and they will go to town on flesh but leave bone alone.

[DonBo]

Post deleted by DonBo

[FlyingV]

I get it from work. It's used in our process. Sorry but I can't get it for you....

I read on another HSOforum, that beauty salons use it to bleach hair "as in bleach blondes". You might try one of those. Take a camera with and get us a picture of the gal when you ask for it and she finds out what you want it for!

Van Dykes might have something that will work though too. They have a HSOforum.........

[DonBo]

Quote:

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Soak it in Hydrogen Peroxide for a few days. If you can find it, use the 30% solution

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Thanks for the tips. I found the 30% stuff at a taxidermy supply place. I'll try to get some photos of the finished job.