beetle cleaning

[DonVincenzo]

Anyone have a beetle guy in the hudson valley?  

[The_Real_TCIII]

Are you going to make him an offer he can't refuse??

Im in WNY but someone will chime in shortly. Lets see the buck!


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[moog5050]

2 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Are you going to make him an offer he can't refuse??

Im in WNY but someone will chime in shortly. Lets see the buck!


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Are you still dating the beetle buy from Batavia Tacks?

[BizCT]

I used to use Skulptures in the Catskills. I want to say Ellenville area. I cant remember his name. Nice guy, from Rockland county and moved to catskills. He did a ton for me. Then I started using Kurt Wall in Pleasantville because he was closer. Bad to the Bone was his company, but I don't see the website anymore. I'll keep digging.

[Waterfowler]

Why use beetles. You can have a clean white skull In one day with a pot and pressure washer

[BizCT]

7 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

I used to use Skulptures in the Catskills. I want to say Ellenville area. I cant remember his name. Nice guy, from Rockland county and moved to catskills. He did a ton for me. Then I started using Kurt Wall in Pleasantville because he was closer. Bad to the Bone was his company, but I don't see the website anymore. I'll keep digging.

https://m.facebook.com/pg/skulptures.net/posts/ Here is the catskills guy. My Dad and I used him a ton 8-10 years ago for lots of critter skulls (wolves, fox, mountain lion, bear, etc.)

[BizCT]

6 minutes ago, Waterfowler said:

Why use beetles. You can have a clean white skull In one day with a pot and pressure washer

not sure how small bones on critters hold up with that?

[SWEDE]

Had one boiled and cleaned this year. Looks OK but not really bone white like one I had done with beetles... anything I can put on it to whiten???

[dbHunterNY]

Had one boiled and cleaned this year. Looks OK but not really bone white like one I had done with beetles... anything I can put on it to whiten???

It will go from white back to yellowish if you didn't degrease it well enough. I've learned the secret to euros is patience and low heat. Too much heat or chemicals will thin out or etch the skull bones. I've simmered it in deluted 40 volume peroxide, used paste of 40 vol and baking soda, as well as tried oxi clean. Haven't noticed that much of a difference it'll all work. Rinse any if it off well though.

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[DonVincenzo]

Personal preference with the bugs. Bad to the bone did a skull for me a while ago and its still in mint condition but as was said I don’t think he is doing skulls anymore. 
Had a taxidermist “do” one last year and it looks like the antlers were whitened. 

[BizCT]

19 minutes ago, DonVincenzo said:

Personal preference with the bugs. Bad to the bone did a skull for me a while ago and its still in mint condition but as was said I don’t think he is doing skulls anymore. 
Had a taxidermist “do” one last year and it looks like the antlers were whitened. 

on instagram i see a lot of people in SENY use Dunk Hills Skulls for euros. They look good on their page, but I never personally tried them.   

 

https://dunkhillskulls.weebly.com/  (631)220-6113

[Waterfowler]

3 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

not sure how small bones on critters hold up with that?

True, just big skulls.

[wolc123]

The weather was good to finish the euro on my 3 X 6 gun buck today.  I messed up the DEC report with this one last week, because I didn’t notice the little 1-1/8” sticker on the right side base.

I called him in as a 3 X 5.  It was dark and I didn’t have my bifocals.  Not sure if that excuse would hold up in court, but that’s what I am going with, if the site-monitoring DEC stop by today. 
 

Had I taken him during crossbow season, before he broke two off on the left, I’d have been forced into a shoulder mount.  He would have been my first and only 11 pointer.

By pure coincidence, the shoulder mounts that I did spring for have 6,7,8,9,10, and 12 points.  The 12 was a road kill, so this “one time” 11 would have completed the “straight”, He also would have had the most points on a buck that I killed while hunting.  
 

I am sure that my wife is happier with the $ 4.99 in ethanol-free gas, that this one cost me, than she would have been with a $ 500 - 800 taxidermy bill.  She was not overly thrilled, walking out to her van this morning, before I had time to blow off the mess. 
 

 

[rachunter]

20 hours ago, SWEDE said:

Had one boiled and cleaned this year. Looks OK but not really bone white like one I had done with beetles... anything I can put on it to whiten???

You can use hair bleach[powder] and mix it into a paste with peroxide just don't get it on the antlers and wipe it down with white vinegar to neutralize the bleach or the skull will turn green.

[DonVincenzo]

23 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

https://m.facebook.com/pg/skulptures.net/posts/ Here is the catskills guy. My Dad and I used him a ton 8-10 years ago for lots of critter skulls (wolves, fox, mountain lion, bear, etc.)

Spoke to them today. Will be dropping it off after Christmas. Thanks!!

[SWEDE]

Thanks for the tips guys

[mlammerhirt]

The weather was good to finish the euro on my 3 X 6 gun buck today.  I messed up the DEC report with this one last week, because I didn’t notice the little 1-1/8” sticker on the right side base.
I called him in as a 3 X 5.  It was dark and I didn’t have my bifocals.  Not sure if that excuse would hold up in court, but that’s what I am going with, if the site-monitoring DEC stop by today. 
 
Had I taken him during crossbow season, before he broke two off on the left, I’d have been forced into a shoulder mount.  He would have been my first and only 11 pointer.
By pure coincidence, the shoulder mounts that I did spring for have 6,7,8,9,10, and 12 points.  The 12 was a road kill, so this “one time” 11 would have completed the “straight”, He also would have had the most points on a buck that I killed while hunting.  
 
I am sure that my wife is happier with the $ 4.99 in ethanol-free gas, that this one cost me, than she would have been with a $ 500 - 800 taxidermy bill.  She was not overly thrilled, walking out to her van this morning, before I had time to blow off the mess. 
 
 

Wolc how do you keep the head from blowing all over the driveway while powerwashing?

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[wolc123]

1 minute ago, mlammerhirt said:

Wolc how do you keep the head from blowing all over the driveway while powerwashing?

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It varies according to the shape of the rack.  This one was pretty easy to hold in place with one of my rubber boots.  Quite often, I use an old wood pallet or something to hold them in place. 
 

The ones with smaller and non-symmetric racks are the toughest. This was the easiest and quickest that I have done in a few years.  It took about 20 minutes and just over a half gallon of gas.  My tank holds a half gallon.