How To Skin A Deer Skull For A European Mount

How to Make Your Own European Mount

Step-by-step for DIY taxidermy on the cheap

Remove the Head

i | Remove the Head

Cutting to the bone behind the ears with a precipitous knife. Cutting effectually the neck to just behind the jawbone. Terminate the cutting by circling to the origin of the cut behind the ears. Make certain the cut goes all the manner to the neck bone.

Locate the first cervical vertebrae. This joint is the showtime neck joint behind the ears. Moving the head will help reveal the location of this joint. Once the joint is located, insert the point of your knife into the joint on the summit and bottom side. Cut whatsoever connective tissue holding the head to the neck.

Once the articulation is revealed and all connective tissue has been cutting, twist the caput until the head breaks costless of the neck.

Cutting a line to the bone from the dorsum of the skull over the peak of the nose to the mouth. Cutting to the bone around each antler. Cut a line joining the cut from each antler to the cut between them.

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Continue Skinning

two | Proceed Skinning

Brainstorm skinning the head by gripping the edge of one cutting with a pair of pliers or forceps. Cut connective tissue between the skull and the skin with a sharp knife. Cut the ears off as close to the skull as possible. While skinning the skull, remove as much meat and tissue equally possible. Continue until all hibernate is removed from the skull.

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Remove the Jaw

iii | Remove the Jaw

The perfect European or skull mountain consists of a make clean bleached-white skull and naturally colored antlers. To get to this signal, you have to remove any and all tissue inside and outside the skull.

The lower jaw is fastened to the skull by tendons and musculus. Remove the lower jaw past opening the mouth as far as possible and identifying the joint. Cutting the muscle and connective tissue on the outside of that articulation on each side of the skull. Utilize pressure to the lower jaw, farther opening the oral fissure. Cut whatsoever connective tissue revealed past opening the rima oris. When enough tissue has been cut, the jaw volition loosen, allowing you to remove it from the skull.

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Remove the Eyes

4 | Remove the Eyes

Remove the eyes by gripping the connective tissue around the eye with needlenose pliers or forceps. Use a precipitous, pointed knife to cut around the inside of the orbital lobe while pulling on the eyeball with the forceps or pliers. Proceed until the eye is cut free of the skull. Echo for the other centre.

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Remove the Brain

5 | Remove the Brain

To remove the brain, insert a stiff piece of wire with a curve at one end into the spinal cord opening at the dorsum of the skull. Utilise the wire to break down the brain into a mush. Periodically capsize the skull and shake out any loose brain material. Go along until most of the brain matter has been removed.

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Boil the Skull

six | Boil the Skull

Place the skull in a large, deep-sided pot. Add plenty h2o to cover the skull. Add 1/ii cup dishwashing liquid. Place the pot on a burner, preferably outside, and bring water to a boil. In one case the water boils, lower the temperature to maintain a gentle boil for xxx minutes. A gentle boil will prevent loosening of the modest bones on the olfactory organ and face.

Afterward humid the skull for 30 minutes, cut the fire and leave the skull in the water for another 30 minutes. This process does two things — it softens remaining tissue on the skull and removes a lot of the natural oil in the bone of the skull.

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seven | Clean the Skull

After the skull cools plenty to handle, it is fourth dimension to brainstorm removing remaining muscle, fat and tissue. I use a pressure washer to hasten this process. Secure the skull to a pallet or argue console to preclude movement. Employ the loftier-pressure nozzle to cut through remaining tissue on the skull. Be conscientious with the fine bones effectually the olfactory organ considering the pressure could break or dislodge these tiny bones.

This is a dirty job. Clothing rubber boots and a waterproof apron to prevent water from soaking you. You will be glad yous did.

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Keep Washing

eight | Continue Washing

Later the pressure washer has removed as much material as possible, identify the skull back in the pot and bring back to a eddy for fifteen minutes. Permit cool and apply a knife or scraper to remove the residue of the tissue inside and outside the skull. Use forceps to remove sinus cloth inside the nose. Repeat equally many times as necessary to become all the tissue off the skull, being aware that you can eddy the skull to the point that the fine bones in the nose become loose and fall off. Should this happen, they can be glued back to the skull when completely dry.

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Bleach the Skull

9 | Bleach the Skull

Place the skull in a plastic pan deep enough to let liquid to encompass the skull. Wrap medical gauze around the skull at the base of the antlers, covering the skull betwixt the antlers. Cascade plenty hydrogen peroxide into the pan to embrace the skull but not the antlers. Distill hydrogen peroxide on the gauze until it is soaked. This will bleach parts of the skull not submerged in the liquid. Apply more liquid to the gauze on a daily basis until the skull is bleached snow-white. This normally takes v days with over-the-counter hydrogen peroxide. More full-bodied hydrogen peroxide is available and will take less time to bleach the skull.

10 | Seal the Deal

When the skull is bleached white, remove it from the liquid and remove the gauze. Permit it dry for at least a week. Subsequently that time, locate the two holes in the rear of the skull and insert a five-inch length of wire. Center the skull on the wire and twist the ends forming a loop. This serves every bit a hanger for the mount.

Remove whatever residue accumulated on the antler bases with a small wire or potent plastic brush. If a portion of the antlers has been bleached past the peroxide, use blackness and brown shoe wax to stain that portion of the antlers.

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Wrap It Up

xi | Wrap Information technology Up

To seal the skull, hang information technology by the loop at eye level. Generously spray the antlers and skull with a clear polyurethane spray on ane side. Allow that side to dry out then turn the skull and spray the other side. Employ at least 2 coats. When the varnish is completely dry, yous are set to hang your trophy.

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Want More Deer Hunting Content?

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European or skull mounts take a classic look that is durable, rugged and volition last a lifetime. They accept up less infinite and can exist finished in a affair of days. A shoulder mountain from a taxidermist tin can take months to achieve your wall.

A taxidermist may charge as much as $500 for a shoulder-mounted whitetail. In contrast, a skull or European mount costs effectually $100. If yous larn to European mount your own heads, the cost is cut to $20 or less.

In that location are several means to accomplish the goal of a skull totally clean of flesh, connective tissue and oil in the bone. One way to fix a skull is the use of Dermestid Beetles. These beetles are amazingly efficient and can clean a skull of all flesh and tissue in a matter of days. Problem is they must be maintained in a controlled environment of proper nutrient, moisture, fat and temperature.

Some other way is to apply boiling h2o, lather, hydrogen peroxide, a pressure level washer and common tools around your house. Here'southward how.