Dry Skull Mount Part 2

WARNING: This video shows how to render (deflesh) a skull and antlers from a harvested deer's head to make what is commonly known as a Dry Skull, Dessert, European, Texas, or Western Mount. It can seem to be quite a gruesome process. All attempts to respect decorum have been attempted. Inappropriate comments or response videos will be deleted.

Part 2 continues the defleshing of the skull base, tightening of the nasal bones, whitening, detailing, antler base touch-up and mounting.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Dry
• Skull
• Desert
• European
• Texas
• Western
• Mount
• deer
• trophy
• whitetail

[djhans123]

Beautiful job making your plaque. Do you have plans that you can share on how to make it? Like the length,width, thickness,type of wood,stain & finish. How did you get such a perfect taper on both sides of the arrowhead? Do you have a template you can share? Thanks for sharing your talent with us!

[rldel149]

@djhans123 - No, I just used a big piece of paper folded in half. I made it large to give space for the brass name plate. I didn't make notes or anything. Just went out to Grandpa's shop and made them and then finished them in the garage.

[weirddreemz]

Thanks for an excellent primer on preparing a European mount. I took a small but somewhat unusual buck this Thanksgiving morning and want him for my first attempt at, what I think is, the classiest way to mount a rack. I'm off to the garage to start skinning now!

[rldel149]

@weirddreemz - A test deer is always recommended. Good luck and I'd love to see the results.

I don't skin mine till it has sat the pot for several hours. Skinning would be faster but I'm always afraid I'll nick the bones. I hold the other end too, just letting it sit for a super long time in the pot.

I pull and trim as I go with the intent of limiting the bones' exposure to the water. Right or wrong, (opinion) I feel it tends to soften the thinnest, smallest bones.

[weirddreemz]

@rldel149 - Thanks for the tip! I've been procrastinating, reading a little more, glad I checked my e-mail! This is my "test deer" so I'm going to be taking it slow and easy. I'd be happy to shoot you a pic of the result when I'm done. Thanks again, bro. I'm off to set up the boil pot.

[rldel149]

@logancbeeman - get a chair, stool or 8x12x16 CMU, a piece of cloths hanger or brace wire, long tweesers and start working it loose. Once it starts to leave the bone, a garden hose (hose pipe for southerners (-: ) and put it on stream, try to blow it out with water. Granted, getting the bones clean without scratching, breaking etc is a real bugger!

(pun intended... )

[logancbeeman]

@rldel149 yeesh!! you weren't kidding about all that nasal tissue!

any tips on how to completely remove that?

[rldel149]

@logancbeeman - I hope it will. I'd like to know how it turns out.

[logancbeeman]

@rldel149 otherwise it was one of the most helpful and informative vids i found , got one in the pot right now. i hope it turns out.

[rldel149]

@logancbeeman - yea, I know but it is really unattractive and sliding the face off a deer may be a lot for an open forum like Youtube. I didn't want fringe animal rights people to strike at hunting as a result of a vid I did.

Once you see the cleaned skull, you can see what to avoid bone structure wise.