DariusTaxidermy
Pro Taxidermist
:huh: Thought I would share a perspective I have experienced with clients calling regarding skull cleaning & European style skull mounts. What I don't get ................. hunters will spend $$$$ to go & hunt & get a trophy, but then try to do the skull cleaning the cheapest way possible. Usual skull cleaning by a Taxidermist would only cost $100 - $200.
The important note here is............ if there is any flesh tissue remaining on the skull........... bugs at home will find it & you will start your own bug colony right there in your Trophy Room. So the hunter saves $100 - $200 on skull cleaning, but then a year or two later there will be bugs in his Elk & Deer heads, Duck mounts & so on................. & will ultimately lose his $$$$$$ collection. :apeani:
There is basically 3 ways to clean a skull for presentation purpose in your Trophy room.
#1 - Boiling - :huh: do it yourself cleaning, in which you remove off as much of the muscle & tissue as you can, boil the skull & then pick away at it to finish cleaning. After cleaned to individual satisfaction (how much time you really want to invest) Bleach & Peroxide.
#1 - negative.............. if you boil it too much the skull & bone will break down, soften & or detoriate, plus never really can get all the hidden & hard to get to flesh out .
#1 - positive................ cheap & do it yourself
#2 - Rotting - :huh: do it yourself cleaning, in which you remove off as much of the muscle & tissue as you can, then place in a bucket of standing water & let it rot away for months. After tissue rotten away, remove wash away & pick away to individual satisfaction, Bleach & Peroxide.
#2 - negative............. never really can get all & every little piece of tissue removed, plus family will probably kick you out of the house long before all tissue will rot off.
#2 - positive.............. skull will not soften or break apart as in boiling, cheap & do it yourself
#3 - Bugs - The absolute best way to clean, professional Taxidermist will remove off as much flesh & tissue as possible, then place in a pit of flesh eating bugs to eat at every possible piece of flesh. They will go into every tight spot to get to something to eat & will not damage skull in any way. Bleach & Peroxide.
#3 - negative.............. cost's money & has to be accomplished by a professional Taxidermist or skull cleaning service.
#3 - positive............... will not have any piece of flesh left on it, skull & bone will not be compromised.
The important note here is............ if there is any flesh tissue remaining on the skull........... bugs at home will find it & you will start your own bug colony right there in your Trophy Room. So the hunter saves $100 - $200 on skull cleaning, but then a year or two later there will be bugs in his Elk & Deer heads, Duck mounts & so on................. & will ultimately lose his $$$$$$ collection. :apeani:
There is basically 3 ways to clean a skull for presentation purpose in your Trophy room.
#1 - Boiling - :huh: do it yourself cleaning, in which you remove off as much of the muscle & tissue as you can, boil the skull & then pick away at it to finish cleaning. After cleaned to individual satisfaction (how much time you really want to invest) Bleach & Peroxide.
#1 - negative.............. if you boil it too much the skull & bone will break down, soften & or detoriate, plus never really can get all the hidden & hard to get to flesh out .
#1 - positive................ cheap & do it yourself
#2 - Rotting - :huh: do it yourself cleaning, in which you remove off as much of the muscle & tissue as you can, then place in a bucket of standing water & let it rot away for months. After tissue rotten away, remove wash away & pick away to individual satisfaction, Bleach & Peroxide.
#2 - negative............. never really can get all & every little piece of tissue removed, plus family will probably kick you out of the house long before all tissue will rot off.
#2 - positive.............. skull will not soften or break apart as in boiling, cheap & do it yourself
#3 - Bugs - The absolute best way to clean, professional Taxidermist will remove off as much flesh & tissue as possible, then place in a pit of flesh eating bugs to eat at every possible piece of flesh. They will go into every tight spot to get to something to eat & will not damage skull in any way. Bleach & Peroxide.
#3 - negative.............. cost's money & has to be accomplished by a professional Taxidermist or skull cleaning service.
#3 - positive............... will not have any piece of flesh left on it, skull & bone will not be compromised.
