Boiling a deerskull for museum mount

[MrHellyeah2010]

will definitely have to do this if i get a buck! hmmm, i wonder about a big tusky pig too... that would also be cool!

[GoodGuy4Ya2No]

So, did you ever do anything with the 2 small bones that were on either side of the vocal cord?

Did you just throw them out or Glue them back on & I missed where they went.

I did a 7 point just like this & can't make up my mind on to either just throw them out or try to glue them in (but where). Thanks for the Great Video, Helped me out.

[Blackfork6]

@GoodGuy4Ya2No I just save them. I have a little bowl full of stuff like that in the living room. Arrowheads, bones, et.

[breyerheart18]

danmit leave the poor things alone

[thepwerofdami3n]

You probably thought this dear was alive, Nope Chuck Testa.

[DangerMousette]

The deer looked much nicer when it was alive. 

[Maobama]

@DangerMousette They taste better dead. Right next to the mashed potatoes.

[FuriousPixel]

man that is gross cooking it in your house. I have mine boiling on a hot plate outside right now.

[Natsinco]

how did you get the brain and eyes out?

[dep92]

How bad is the smell if any, if I did this in the house? Or do you recommend a hot plate in the garage?

[skiser18]

does this darken the horns at all cause i boiled the meat off just a skull cap mount and it made the horns really black

[Blackfork6]

@skiser18 Hasn't done that to any of mine. Usually the bark stuck in the antlers near the bases even makes it through the process.

[skiser18]

@Blackfork6 allright thanks i think if i get a buck this year im gonna do this

[verving]

@skiser18 You can put tin foil around the base of the antlers to protect them from getting blackened by heat.

[ToxicThePanther]

do you just set them in regular water or do u put something in the water? cus i colect skulls but some times you need a license dont you?

[Blackfork6]

@ToxicThePanther Nothing in the water.

[ToxicThePanther]

@Blackfork6 Ah cool ^^

[BanditoBabe]

How long would you suggest to boil it each time, between ''scrapings''?

[Blackfork6]

@BanditoBabe Couple of hours at least to let the next level cook loose. Just takes about five exchanges of water and scrapings.

[OutdoorDreamer733]

What do you do with the cape?

[Blackfork6]

@OutdoorDreamer733 Toss it.

[OutdoorDreamer733]

@Blackfork6 It'd make a nice blanket, or rug. Or you could give it to me, lol.

[kylemonkey]

you forgot to glue your nose bones in

[Blackfork6]

@kylemonkey They get a little glue. Very important for the look of the skull to have those nose bones.

[Blackfork6]

Respond to this video... Glued in. They are very important to the look of the mount.

[Brewskin78]

Love this! Thank you for the detailed instructions. I'm curious as to how/ if you attached the jaw bone to the skull...

[FELONIOUS12]

Your wife must have NO sense of smell, a friend of mine lived in an apartment building and the guy down the hall did this and he damn near got evicted because of the smell, LOL!!

[Blackfork6]

@FELONIOUS12 I do it when they are fresh. I wouldn't try it inside with a rotten, spoiled skull.

[Aepotheosis]

Huh, I thought there was going to be a lot more blood involved.

[danielwhitman]

yea cause a wife is going to enjoy you boiling severed deer heads in her cooking pot =P

[THATdudeTHATraces151]

I just got my buck from the taxidermist an the antlers had white like color in spots where he had been fighting, it turned whitish like plastics on my dirt bike when they get bent lol, so I bleached them an stained them, it's a shoulder mount an it looks really good, I mean I'm only 15 all I do is race an it looks really good, lol, but really good video,

[happycraft1]

when boiling skulls..make sure you dont boil the antlers.other wise they do turn white...when putting in bleaching agent..dont get any on the antlers,just makes more work later.....just saying...good video..thought i do everything out side,some of the things i get have critters crawling allover them ....dont want that in my kitchen..lol

[andyfehr]

get a propane turkey deep fryer or even an old barbecue you don't use then you can do it outside I do this for guys and some of the heads I get are pretty rotten if you're not worried about losing teeth or keeping the bottom jaw use a pressure washer and spray inside the back of the head get all the brains out I can do up to six heads in an afternoon have them ready for bleaching or clear coating the next day but it took me many years to figure all the steps out I love European mounts

[arfbarg]

good job, it looks good

[kevin092681]

i have learned to tie a pcs of rope around the nose while it dries so it dont split

[warlockfreak89]

think it woulda been easier to skin the skull then boil it?

[Blackfork6]

@warlockfreak89 That would make it go faster, yes.

[hugegiantfrogs]

excellent video, I am about to do my first skull mount too. Thank you for making this.

[themcmizzle]

about to boil my first buck... is it alright for the antlers to go in the boiling water? worried about discoloration

[MrSwitchFool]

so when u boil the skull will ur horns turn color like black or some shit?

[bosscdw7]

Now how would you attach something to hang it on the wall?

[countryrocker86]

does it stink? my g/f is a little iffy about letting do this in the house

[heavychevy1414]

i bet peroxyde would eat that shit right off ther

[deerslayer622]

Did you let it boil in the pot overnight?

[ratherbhuntin]

I just did one outside, and I just about puked several times from the smell. I can't believe you are doing that in your kitchen! I hope you didn't have company over for a few weeks! : )

[Blackfork6]

@ratherbhuntin I started within a few hours of getting the deer down.  It would be smelly with an old head that had begun to decompose.

[MrColina999]

@ratherbhuntin I reckon - my mrs would hit the roof if I boiled a deer head in the kitchen!  Funny

[Blackfork6]

Only takes about 24 hours on the head boil! Smells like stew. Not bad at all.

[mikeyherb1923]

@Blackfork6 I just did my first one thanks to you and it was so easy!!! The head was fresh and I did it in the kitchen with no problems with smell or anything.I followed your instructions and it was real easy.Thanks for taking the time to post such a good video.Nice deer too!

[equarg]

Unfortunately last year I had already sawed the skull cap with the antlers attached before I watched the video....But I used the same principles to boil the skull cap so it was nice and clean....then I applied crazy glue to the skull joints (they got loose) to keep them firm and used a tooth brush to remove the brain membrane. Turned out nice and clean, and I mounted it...but this season I will boil the whole head.. Thank you for the upload!!!

[briarsgirl1710]

after you are done cokking it you can put the skull in peroxide that will get the skull nice and white

[Blackfork6]

Big-ass, yes, littler-ass, maybe not.

[equarg]

@Blackfork6

Thank you for the upload....I when I did my skull cap Krazy glue (clear stuff) did wonders for skull joints and other weak parts... But I want/will do a whole head this deer season...mom will not like it (did the first skull cap over three days when she was not home) but It will be hard not to do whole head w/o her noticing...-=)

[glenn55555]

this might sound stupid as hell, but do ya think i could do this with a big-ass fish head to? (i'm gonna fish next week, hunting trip isnt coming for a long while so, yeah.) i just wanna try i guess

[golfer15963]

what will happen if i have the heat on high and boil it faster? if boiled hot enough can i possibly break the antlers off at the bas cleanly and perfectly? how easily can the teeth and bones break from boiling and will they be stronger again after dried and finished?

[keeseeboy]

yes just make sure the skull is not touching the bottom of the pot

[keeseeboy]

a turkey fryer works better put aluminum foil around base of horns and drop her in

[LizardKirai]

Very helpful, thank you!

I'm an artist and I do sculptures with animal skulls. Knowing how to clean my own skulls is going to be really helpful. :)

One question: do you think this would work with smaller animals as well, like an opossum or raccoon?

[thehunterofall]

Good vid. Only thing i would change though is

A) Skin the head out before cooking it makes the process go much faster and the skin has oils in it which can stain the bone.

B) Add baking soda to the water, and leave it on a low boil for a couple of hours or add washing soda and within an hour or two its ready. although with the washing soda you ahve to be careful as it can damage the bone if left to long

[hunterfishman1]

way better than maceration! I'm surprised your wife let you boil a deer head in her pasta coocker.

[yamborski7]

can you do this with a coyote skull would it be the same process

[ak47justin1]

great video! Thanks

[04Jeffcar]

thats awsome great video. I;ll be doing that soon

[Specv20176]

I think someone talking there wife into letting them boil a deer head in her pot in her kitchen is easier said then done haha

[thedeerhunter23]

my friend boiled deerskulls in a crockpot then invited us to lunch and my dad accepted the offer :O

[Titansfan20097]

great lookin skull

[ryeskees]

awesome video! I have had several bucks that I wanted to do that with, but have never known how it was done. Very helpful, to say the least. thanks for posting, and congrats for finding an ole lady that will let you do that in the house ha!

[mikeswan1970]

Nice deer! Thanks for the post. After the big cook, use a power washer and blast the brain and sinuses out... I skinned mine off before cooking and tossed the tongue/jaw- should've saved it. Looks nice.

[TXOdle]

great video for first time boilers (like myself). Always paid someone else to do it, and with a coleman stove, wire brush, knife and some time .. can prep it yourself. Thanks for the help!

[born2b0whunt]

thanx for sharing this video it helped me alot...although I skinned my elk head first then stuck it in the pot..its boiling as we speak..although mine is in the garage..my old lady would kick my ass if she found that in the kitchen...lol

[teamgreenM1]

wow. i do mine diferent. i let it sit for a while. then i pull all the hair off. and ppl one thing to watch is umder the buttons. if u dont get the hair from out of there it stays there. but yea i let mine rot and u peel the hair off of it like im skinnin the deer lol. nice vid

[teamgreenM1]

wow. u hang urs completly diffrent than i do lol. i start at ass and work my way down

[thedeerhunter23]

@teamgreenM1 me 2

[funkyiron]

awesome video, i am going to do that asshole that lives nextdoor and an eight point

[guitarmaster61]

how did you get the brain out with a toothbrush?

[Blackfork6]

Through the brain-stem hole.  Use the menthol for fresh breath.

[tlemp]

do u recommend to do in the house ?? Didnt your house stink to high heaven ?? lol good video though thanks for sharing, im doing mine in the carport as we speak ...

[Blackfork6]

This head is fresh and unfrozen. No stink! You get the aroma of stew, if anything.

[tlemp]

hmm , mine was shot on the 21 st and wasnt frozen.. still stinks to high heaven in my books ... even gagged couple times today myself from doing lol .. its all done now though ...

[Blackfork6]

Mine are always started the same day as the kill. Not sure how I wold handle a rotten head....I certainly wouldn't cook it inside the house. Part of the beauty of this approach is that you shoot a nice buck and 24 hours later you are ready to hang him on the wall.

[teamgreenM1]

really? i wait untill they are rotton. it dont really bother me any lol. i dont have time cuse once we get 1 buck gutted, hung and skinned its time to go look for the other, then sit by fire drink a beer lol.

[RecoDesign]

my wife would kick my ass if she knew i had a deer head cooking in her pot in the kitchen. haha

[teamgreenM1]

lol

[usmcrmh]

great video, im gonna try a squirl.

[Dragonlordmike]

wow, very nily done, its actually given me an idea for a short animation film. nice work and nice mount!

[MegaDanbo]

thats a hell of a buck i would just get that one shoulder mounted

[hunterbydesign]

Great video, the best I've seen on cleaning & preserving the skull. Thanks for taking the time to share!

[ThomasCrown79]

Hey Good Job! Just a couple of questions... Did you add anything to the water when you were boiling the skull (hydrogen peroxide, etc)? What kind of glue did you use to put the teeth back in? Thanks...

[Blackfork6]

Nothing in the water and Elmers Glue.

[dgraham1311]

Thanks for the response. The process worked great. I'm staining a plaque to put mine on. Great video.

[dgraham1311]

Will it hurt the antlers if they"re in the water a little? I don't want to discolor them any. Great video by the way, I'm trying it on a little 6 pt. I killed this year.

[Blackfork6]

No problem with the antlers in the water a bit. If you had a huge tub you probably could submerge the whole head. Mine fit in this particular pot, and the antlers hang out. It does leave antlers with bark still in them near the bases!

Brains? I get the brains out with a toothbrush. The fresher the better on the head. Smells like deer stew in the house. A head that was rotting.....I don't know. Add a lot of salt and boil fast!

[equarg]

Hmmm wished I saw this before I cut the skull cap off my nice ( not huge) 4 by 5... I took the skull cap off with the horns.. will but on a wooden placard.... But I think I will do a nice mound like that.. if my mom lets me =) I am a lady hunter by the way.

Not sure what she would think of me using the kitchen though......

[Blackfork6]

Use a toothbrush to scrub the brains out. You will know you are done when the lining comes out.

[chunky1194]

Good job, doubt ill see a buck like that any time soon...

[Specv20176]

so much for that idea. no fucking way would my wife let me do that haha.

[MnDeerHunter09]

Nice deer and good job with the mount it looks great.

[xxhunter03xx]

there is no way i could do that in the house. maybe outside on a cooker. I'd rather stink up the neigborhood then the inside of my house.

[slipknot1566]

youre way is much easier because i saw this when were it involved harsh chemicals flesh eating beetles to get in the tight spaces i like your way much better

[beefyramos]

i've never seen skinning with the head up.

i've always done it hanging from the back legs.

...

...

not to be gross or anything but i'd like to see how you got the brains out.

great video all around though. thanks

[bobbystolp]

thats really nice, one thing to look out for is some times if you put the anler in the water you lose color and you better buy your  wife some flowers for letting you do the in the house

[mxracer6969]

hick lol.. lol just kiddin nice kill

[walyll0]

about the using bleach that someone mentioned..i am having a tough time neuturalizing the bleach i used ..the next(providing i`m blessed again) will be natural

[richbo666]

nice

[quentinm1995]

what kind of gun is that

[Blackfork6]

Ruger #1 in 7X57. Shooting 120 Sierra Gamekings with 44 grains of Varget I think.

[ronaldsmusicfactory]

you could get a deeper pot and get it done quicker

[CORNandCATTLE]

we call it deer head stew aswell... lol.. nice buck.

[Blackfork6]

Just water. Bleach attacks the bone and makes it too white. You get a nice bone color with water. You could add a little salt and garlic probably...

[TDRHunter]

do u just boil the water or do u put bleach or somethin in it?

[HuntAnimals]

nice

[teamforteress]

i put mine in javel water to make it more white

[bigshow1fan]

nice

[eball5ooo]

Nice How To...good work...very nice Buck!

Black Buck

[Blackfork6]

I do it the caveman way: just put him in the pot and put the heat on low. The next morning the skin, tongue, eyes, ears come out and off. At lunch most of the rest plus the brain. That afternoon the rest of the details are ready. Ugh. Deer. Wall. Hang.

[Blackfork6]

The lowest heat possible but takes a day and a half. Nice clean mount. If I skinned the head first it would go even quicker.

[109367]

Yeah we skinned my deer first and removed the eyes(that was gross) My grandfather said borax and salt would work well too.

[Blackfork6]

Like making stew overnight. Skull turns out very clean. Much better and faster than ants or burying the skull.

[109367]

never thought of burying it. I boiled one but didn't know you were supposed to boil it that long. We only boiled it for about 4 hours and it didn't do much. In the end I had to pressure wash the brain out. I have a pic of it in my Family Hunting Photos vid.

[109367]

That is sooo gross, I did that once with a much smaller 7 pointer. It looks really cool afterwards, but it is nasty!

[109367]

he's way to nice of a buck to put his skull on display. I would have mounted him . . . uh, had him mounted . . . by a taxidermist . . . to put on the wall. :`