My two euro bucks are hanging.

[nycredneck]

My first and second attempts at proper euro mounts. In the past I would simply bury the skulls in a small sand pit and dig them up in the late spring. These were simmered in water and dawn soap, power washed , sealed with a matte clear and then I put a light stain on the antlers. I learned along the way and hope to have chance to try it again next season. The 8pt was shot 11/29/15 and the 10pt 1/31/16, both were archery bucks taken in NJ.

 

[peepsight]

Look good .... nice job!

[grampy]

Euro's are getting more popular every year. Nice work and congratulations on a very successful hunting season in 2015!

[chas0218]

What type and color stain did you use? I would like to darken the antlers as it sat outside and got bleached out pretty good.

Edited May 3, 2016 by chas0218

[moog5050]

Look good.

[NFA-ADK]

Very nice!  Congrats they look good!

[nycredneck]

What type and color stain did you use? I would like to darken the antlers as it sat outside and got bleached out pretty good.

I tested "Special Walnut" on a shed but it was too light, I think this stain was "Red Mahogany" but I need to check that. These two stains were what I had on hand and not the color I was hoping to get, I would like to get a brown looking antler when it's done but not sure which color to use. Both mine were bleached white also. Next time I will cover the antler with tin foil when I leave them soaking outside for 3 weeks. I tested on a pine board and it looked ok, it really needs to be tested on a shed. Perhaps I needed to let it stay on longer as I simply wiped it on and buffed slightly, still looking for help in this area.

Edited May 3, 2016 by nycredneck

[ny hunter]

They look great nice job.....Congrats on the good season......

[jjb4900]

looks good.....try Minwax "golden oak" in the future....I found that to be pretty natural looking.

[Zem18]

They look great. Nice work and congrats on two great deer.

[Nomad]

First off nice job! Both hunting and the euros.

I'm gong to,try to bring this rack back to life, I killed it in bow but took a year and a half to find him .....

Anyone use potassium permanganate ?

I've heard good things about using that.

[nycredneck]

I have read about it on taxidermy web sites, it's a professional use kind of product, be sure to know how to work with it safely and effectively. 

The 40 volume peroxide mixed with Clairol basic 2 white worked well for me, I made a paste then wrapped in cellophane for 24hrs, rinsed and I was good. If needed it could be left on longer or reapplied.

[wooly]

I have read about it on taxidermy web sites, it's a professional use kind of product, be sure to know how to work with it safely and effectively. 

The 40 volume peroxide mixed with Clairol basic 2 white worked well for me, I made a paste then wrapped in cellophane for 24hrs, rinsed and I was good. If needed it could be left on longer or reapplied.

 

The skull looks great (for now).

I mean no disrespect by criticizing your technique, but I think sealing it with that clear finish may have been a step you will regret a few months from now.

No matter how good the whitening process seems to have gone, there will still be oils trapped in the bone that will continue to seep out under you finish.

I did the same thing with my first couple of euro DIY'S and they eventually turned so yellow you would have thought they'd been hanging on the bar room wall before all the smoking bans.

 

Not much you can do at that point besides taking a wire wheel to them. Leaving them "natural" is a much simpler fix when they start to get discolored and you can simply re-whiten them with your peroxide combination of choice.

 

[nycredneck]

No disrespect taken wooly, I am not a pro and certainly look for help wherever I can get it. The reason I used a clear finish was  to keep dust and dirt off and when I was  getting help on another site a taxidermist said he uses it and years later it still had not yellowed. Time will tell if I made a mistake, perhaps you needed more time in the simmer/dawn soap stage. I know others have sealed theirs using products like modge podge and then there is  water mixed with Elmers glue, none have had yellowing issues so we will see how it goes.