Anybody know how to fix a deer head that's a skull mount? I think it's called a European mount. I got a nice small 8 point this morning and wanted to try this. You can email off list if you wish. Thanks theboman@theboman.com
The way I did it was to remove all the skin and meat and jaw bone. Then when my wife was on a short trip (2-days) I boiled the skull on the stove until the remaining meat was cooked. I then cleaned off the bone with a pick and old tooth brush. I was careful not to immerse the horns (although they wouldn't fit in the pot anyway).
I then mounted the skull on a decorative wood 'shield' and hung it on the wall. I like it but not all the rest of the members in the family of two enjoy it.
Thanks. That's the best site I've found so far. I just dread skinning the skull. I have it chained to a tree
up on the hill. I guess I'll ride up tomorrow evening and do the skinning.
That was a very good account of what it takes, by my experience too. I did not use the hydrogen peroxide, and wonder now what would be different if I had. Maybe the hydrogen peroxide would smell better than the deer head did while it was cooking. I was glad my wife was gone. It took all day to cook. I didn't understand why until the story about the bear!
My son added some ping-pong balls with black spots when I wasn't looking, and left them in for eyes that have different "poses" or "looks". Attached is a pic.
Thanks for the picture, it gave me a laugh for the day. It is good to see that there is still a sense of humor in the populace. One question, why didn't you have that one mounted? That would have been for me, a once in a life time buck! Sure makes my button buck look pathetic [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] , I thought it was a doe [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] . Saw a trophy buck, twice. He was too smart and out of range and I think the hunting gods were mad at me for taking a button, oh well, next time maybe.
Thanks for the comeback. Why not mounted? Well, not exactly sure, but I did like the European method, and wanted to try it. Also, I have seen too many mounts get backroom treatment from heirs. Maybe this one will too, but the market for these mounts is pretty good.
Story behind this buck was that I was hunting at home instead of our hunting cabin because my hunting partner of 35 years was not feeling well. Mid morning I had to make a nature call back to the house, and learned that I had been notified that he had passed away that night before. He always told me he wanted to die on his hunting stand.
I was asked to give a eulogy at the funeral. When I went back to my stand, I couldn't help but re-hash all our years of bow and gun hunting together. One of the things missing in my hunting partners hunting days was a big buck. He hunted hard, but never did get a big buck. I thought to myself that I would like to get a big buck for him. Don't know why that somewhat selfish thought came to my mind, but it did.
It wasn't 5 minutes when I heard the sticks break, saw a large doe come through the woods, with this big buck right behind her. The big buck stopped and the doe ran off. I still get tears thinking of that experience three years ago. At the funeral service, I gave a picture of the buck to his widow, and she laid it in the casket with my hunting partner.
Great story and you sound like a great friend. Your partner is probably bragging about the buck and showing the picture to all his friends and family.
I showed your European mount to my wife and she took to it like a duck to water. She took a six pointer saturday and is now going to do the mount in your style. She is getting hard to live with, last year she took a real nice buck and she had it mounted and it hangs in the living room. She has to point it out once in awhile. I got skunked last season and now with a button this year she is almost impossible to live with. I am almost sorry I bought her that little 1100 Remington, youth model in 20 gauge four years ago. I have created a monster! But seriously its great to have a mate thats crazier about deer hunting than I am and I love it!
The second season is coming the first part of December and I still have my buck tag. The muzzle loader is shined up and waiting and I have spotted that trophy buck, He is still around. What a grand animal, I don't care if I get him or not. I admit I am strange but I am pleased when he outsmarts me, it's all in the hunt!
Thanks for sharing your knowlege of the European mount, we will use it!
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