tjsomerv

I have never had a skull fall apart from soaking for several weeks straight. With the beetles, there is no cartilage left over. As long as the skull is from an adult animal, it will not fall apart. The only thing that fall out if you let it soak for a few weeks is the teeth, which can be easily glued back in. If the skull was boiled first, it will LIKELY fall apart when you begin soaking it again

There was one taken with a bow in East Arcade, first week of bow season. The skull is in my beetle box right now

The ammonia is a grease breaker. Your skull is yellow because of the grease. The hot water and dawn is designed to start the break up of grease. Then the ammonia removes it from the bone. Your skull will remain yellow no matter how much you soak it is peroxide, if you dont de-grease it

Certainly no bleach!! To whiten skulls I do, I soak them in hot water and dawn dish soap for a week or two. Then soak them in regular ammonia (from wal-mart) for a week or two. Then 3% hydrogen peroxide (also from walmart) over night. Done!!

WNY buck - I have a friend in Honeoye that is a taxidermist, and you can drop it off with him instead of driving it out here. Give me a call and we can set it up!

Thanks for the interest guys! I charge $100 for the skull to be totally cleaned up. To save myself time and materials, I charge $90 if you remove the hide first. I tell people 6 to 12 months, because with the beetles you never know if there will a disaster. 2 years ago I was traveling for work and we lost power. No power means no heat and 50,000 beetles froze to death. In reality, it is closer to the 6 months. I have already completed some from the beginning of bow season. My number is (585) 734-1566, feel free to call anytime if you want to drop one off or have questions! My name is Tom

Small skulls is where beetles have the advantage. When I worked for DEC, I cleaned a humming bird skull. One of the coolest things I have ever seen. I also cleaned a few bats and they look like the Predator from the movies! I will take some pictures of the weasel skulls I just finished, they are incredible little creatures.

I'm new here, but been doing this stuff for a few years:) I learned how to take care of dermestid beetles when I was in college 9 years ago, and when I graduated I got myself some and started up cleaning skulls. 8 years later, I do many skulls throughout the ear. Obviously deer season is my busy time! Here are just a few of the skulls I have done with the beetles... Elk from out west, it was fun to do when I had only done white tails prior! It barely fit in my beetle tank... I also like doing the small skulls, to me they are amazing! Some of the detail you can see after the bugs is incredible. I like finding ones with weird skull deformities also

Thank for the warm welcome. Yes, I should be able to help with some regulation stuff. I have been out of DEC for a little over a year (good old funding cuts). However, I still have some great contacts/friends there that I call for help! I will check out the taxidermy section, maybe throw a few pictures of my skull mounts up there!

Hey Everyone, I just stumbled upon this website and immediately signed up! I guess I will introduce myself like the tread says. I live in Wyoming County and have been fishing all my life, hunting for about 8 year and started trapping 3 years ago. I am an environmental ecologist by profession, I worked as a fish & wildlife tech for 3 years with NYSDEC in Buffalo. I currently work for a private environmental consulting firm, and get to spend just about every day outdoors! As a hobby/side business, I clean skulls. I have been running dermestid beetle tanks for about 8 years, and last year I cleaned 83 white tail heads, 2 elk, 2 moose, 13 bear, a hog and a bunch of smaller fur bearers. I advertise locally in penny savers, but if anyone gets a buck that they want a European Mount done, let me know!