European Mounts - Transform that skull

By Gayne C. Young

Professional taxidermy mounts are visual reminders of a great time spent afield. But having a trophy professionally mounted can be an extremely expensive endeavor.

Additionally, the turn around time on having a trophy prepared can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. By that time most of us have forgotten the trip that brought us the trophy in the first place (or maybe I'm just getting old).

An inexpensive alternative, and one that can easily be accomplished by novices, is a European or skull mount. As the names imply, European mounts are simply the cleaned and mounted skull of a trophy animal. They are popular in Europe and relatively easy to do.

As with any project though, there are various levels of quality and ease to consider before starting.
By far the easiest, and most common, method of creating this type of mount involves boiling and scraping.
Required Materials: A pot large enough to accommodate the skull, sharp knife, dull knife, needle nose pliers, 40 volume hydrogen per oxide, Borax detergent, and patience.

OR

Rather than buying materials separately skull bleaching kits (such as the one available from Cabela's, item # QR-224376) are a wise investment. This kit provides all necessary materials as well as additional instructions for a reasonable price.

Remove as much hide, flesh, and membrane from skull as possible.
Preferably outside and using a propane burner, boil the skull making sure to keep antlers or horns out of the water.
Remove skull after about 20 minutes. Using a dull knife, scrape as much material off the skull as possible making sure not to scratch or cut the actual skull surface. Pliers are helpful in pulling free material from inside skull. Note: teeth may fall free of skull. If so, they can be glued into the skull at the end of the process.
Continue step #3 until skull is completely free of material.
Using Borax and water, mix a thick paste and "paint" the entire skull, inside and out. Leave for several hours or overnight. This process removes any miniscule flesh as well as the smell.
Wash skull using a mild liquid soap and water.
Soak skull in hydrogen peroxide overnight.
Wash skull and let dry.
Optional: Seal skull by spraying with clear acrylic. Antlers and horns may be painted with boiled linseed oil to produce a darker and semi glossy finish.

Although a relatively easy process, there are downsides to this method. First and foremost is discoloration to the skull from grease and oils released during the boiling process. Some avoid the boiling step by placing the skull on an ant pile, letting the insects strip the material (just make sure not to allow anything else to get at the skull).

Another shortcut is to allow the flesh to rot off by submerging the skull in water for several days. The pitfalls of this method however are allowing the skull to soak too long, producing a semi-rotted skull, and the smell.

By far the easiest method to producing a quality mount is by employing the use of Dermestid beetles. Used by better taxidermists, universities, and museums Dermestid beetles can strip a large skull of flesh and membrane in less than 24 hours. The resulting skull is free from discoloration due to grease and oils as well as scratch marks incurred by scraping.

Although starting a colony of beetles costs more than a skull bleaching kit (Best price is $25 at http://www.drwhitey.com/Skulls/dermestid.htm) the long term benefits are well worth the investment. NOTE: Dermestid beetles are relatively easy to take care of but require warm temperatures. They also tend to smell.

Once the skull is cleaned and ready for display the only other decision to make is whether or not to adhere the skull to a plaque. And where to hang it.

For more hunting gear and equipment, check out Cabelas for the best namebrand products.

Remember that hunt with a custom European skull mount

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