boiling a deer head ,reducing stink

[Jeremy K]

I'm gonna boil another deer head this weekend, does anybody got any tips to keep the stink down? Right now I just add some Ten Mule Team borax but it still has some nasty smell coming off .What a way for me to introduce myself to all my new neighbors!

[wooly]

Last one I boiled at my ex mother in-laws house.

The neighbors were already used to the obnoxious stink coming from her,lol

[Lawdwaz]

I just did two in the past few days but I cook them outside in a 5gal bucket with a hot water tank element heater. (made for heating 5gal buckets of H2O)

I didn't think they stunk too bad and my neighbors are still smiling.

[Jeremy K]

Ya ' i have always done them outside in a metal 5 gallon bucket over the turkey frier burner , I havent done one at the new house yet though , i think ill do it in the cover of darkness and give the neighbors something to talk about "the mystery smell "

[BizCT]

I always ask the butcher to clean the skull cap the best he can. No guts, no hair. Then when I boil it on the stove, it doesn't stink.

Pic of a portion of my Dad's collection below.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Biz-R-OWorld

[mlammerhirt]

Biz... I have a skull cap laying around and was wondering if you just put a screw through the top to connect it to the wood plaque?

[BizCT]

Yup, screw/nail right through. Then paint the head of the nail/screw with white-out.

If you look closely you can see the stark white color of the screw/nail.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Biz-R-OWorld

[jusputtn]

Biz, why did the small buck get mounted? Someone's first?

[Cabin Fever]

That sure does stink up the house, no matter what! Best thing you can do, is find a way to do it outside.

[tughillhunter]

I always ask the butcher to clean the skull cap the best he can. No guts, no hair. Then when I boil it on the stove, it doesn't stink.

Pic of a portion of my Dad's collection below.

impressive collection biz

[ants]

Last one I boiled at my ex mother in-laws house.

The neighbors were already used to the obnoxious stink coming from her,lol

LOL!!!!!! Good one!!!

[HuntOrBeHunted]

I have heard of putting it in a water bleach mix and let it sit for a while. Never tried it though.

[HubbyHunts]

My husband does taxidermy and used to boil the skulls for his European mounts in our kitchen (and we don't even has an exhaust above the stove)! The windows would fog up with dead deer stink. He's actually outside RIGHT now boiling his newest skulls over a wood fire pit. Saves hours worth of propane and keeps the stink outside!

[hunter]

I think the bleach and water is after you boil off the hair and skin, at least that's what I do.

[Jeremy K]

I use the bleach paste for use on hair after i boil the meat off ,its rather thick and goes on with a paint brush , a few coats of that and then i finish wash and rinse with oxy clean .

[Guns&ReligionCop]

Yup, screw/nail right through. Then paint the head of the nail/screw with white-out.

If you look closely you can see the stark white color of the screw/nail.

I take two sheet rock screws and drill in from the back of the wood plaque into that back of the antlers so theres no visable screw in the skull plate. I'll post pics later

[greybeard]

This brought back two memories..

1. I used to boil coon skulls all the time, I'd take them out when meat was soft then pick them clean, bleach and put them on a "SKULL BOARD"...My daughter used to come down and watch as I made with what we called "coon head soup" ( we didn't eat it)..I just turned the vent fan on, but I actually didn't mind the smell (smell of success).... I don't think that my wife was happy about it, but she always put up with my nonsense so she never complained..

2. The first buck I ever shot I skinned the head to learn taxidermy and we carved meat off the face and neck in small pieces , put it in a metal bowl and boiled it, on what I remember as an alcohol burner, in water with orange juice.,salt and pepper and ate it on bread while I worked on the head..It smelled heavenly !!

[BizCT]

Biz, why did the small buck get mounted? Someone's first?

It was my Dad's first ever buck. He shot it in the 1960's.

His two smallest mounted bucks are on that wall with the skull plates.The other one is a 6 pt. He shot the 6 pointer on December 6th and on my brother's 6th birthday in 1993.

[BigRed44]

Always wonder why people boil the skull with the hair and skin on it. Just skin it off with a knife and get as much off as you can before boiling. Then most of the smell is just like cooked meat. I do mine outside anyway over a wood fire.