D I Y European Mounts

[major_74]

i have been doing my own euros the last few years and i do it by maceration. its easy to do. change the water every week or so and you dont have any problems. make sure to wear gloves though. i didnt and boy that stuff was in my skin good. used every cleaner i could find in the house 4 or 5 times and finally got the smell out.

[PaulPaul]

Very nice work. What if you don't have a wife that will allow you to have beetles, is there someone in the FW/DFW area that could take care of this part?

[Eegah1974]

Great work. Question: how long did it take for the beetles to clean the skull?

[TxTechBowhunter]

Looks good.

I have started boiling my skulls for about 15 minutes before I put them in the beetles just to make sure anything that might be in there will be killed.

I had my colony built up to the point where they could clean a prepared deer head in less than 24 hrs, but I put one bad skull in there and got maggots in the tank. I am still working on building my colony back up to where it was.

[Green Arrow]

This is some great info.
Thanks for posting it.

[skeeter]

well done. thanks for sharing.

[rbljack]

Ditto to what TexasTechbowhunter said; It took about 24 to 48 hours for the beetles to clean the skull completely. But that only happens when colony numbers are up, and the colony is healthy.

[fishdog]

thanks for the info. ive always wondered how to get those skulls so white.

[rbljack]

Here is an update

The modge podge idea hasnt worked out as well as I'd like, and after looking at the skull recently, it has yellowed a bit. I think my next one will be left natural. Somebody asked a few questions recently about DIY euros, so i thought bringing this one to the top might be helpful.

For those interested, I have the dermestid beetles for those wanting the skull cleaned, instead of using the boiling method. You can PM me for details if interested.....but I wanted to keep this posting as more of a Reference for the DIY'ers out there.

I received a bear skull yesterday, and may do another write up on that one as well. Also...my wife shot her first Bobcat last weekend, and at the Taxidermist Shop. I requested that they hold the skull for me, so I may have that one in the near future as well.
Gotta keep them beetles fed!
Good luck!

Hope it helps.

[rbljack]

Correction

Sorry for the inaccuate data above...it was NOT the skull with the ModPodge sealer that yellowed. I went back and looked at my notes, and it was the one with the clear Spray coating from an aerosol can that yellowed. Sorry about that. The ModPodge skull looks about the same as when first applied. What I didnt like about that finish was that it appeared "waxy" on the surface. Again...I think leaving the skull unsealed will be my next choice.

ADDITIONAL INFO ON THE TOPIC>>>>LETS TALK TEETH:
On deer skulls this isnt much of a problem, and the teeth stay in most of the time, but on bears, coyotes, etc...teeth WILL come out during the process, usually during the degreasing stage.

When this happens, they can be glued back in during the final steps. Make sure they are whitened the same as the rest, and use Elmers Glue to put them back in. I've been told (no personal experience) that Super Glues and Epoxies can yellow over time, but the elmers I've used have not yellowed yet. Some skulls....like bears, wolves, coyotes, etc...will have other issues with teeth. The most common is cracking. I have little experience with this at the moment...but I AM working on a bear and a coyote to gain more practice with them. More to come later! Once again..hope this info is helpful!

[zcole04]

Nice work. That turned out amazing.

[rbljack]

TTT for someone with questions about this process. Besides, its that time of year again, and for those looking to save some $$$ this process works for DIY euros....enjoy.

rob

[BigTex.308]

Great instructions. I did my own last year I just have to whiten it and hang it on the wall.

[ole boy]

Nice job!!!

[rbljack]

thanks, this info should come in handy for those wanting to try it on their own. I may be purchasing beetles again this year....because a buddy of mine wants an elk skull done. I started a bigger beetle container last year (an old chest freezer that was/is being converted). I need to get it finished so I can get my first elk euro done.

Good luck, its worth the effort!