Boiling skulls - new idea

[MITCHMO]

Hi everybody,

I wanted to present an idea for a little feedback. I started making some custom pots for boiling deer skulls because I was frustrated with my options while traveling on out of state hunts. Obviously there are some laws regarding transportation of deer skulls that aren’t “cleaned”. My goal was to solve the legal issues so I could bring a euro home. Lugging a big propane cylinder and giant burner across the country was impractical and honestly dangerous. I wanted to come up with something that worked with gear that I already had with me. So I wondered if I could clean a skull with a jet boil or other backpacking stove. Once I made the right pot for it, I found out you can. If you do all the normal precleaning, you can use one of the big cans of fule(twice the size of the standard jet boil can) and cook it long enough to get it clean. The process takes a few hours but is so easy. Because it’s not boiling, you don’t typically even need to add water. So a $5 can of fuel is all you need. I’ve done a lot of them with my jet boil and it’s holding up well.

I’m thinking of selling some of these and wanted to get some feedback on if people thought this was a helpful product. I’m trying to decide how many to start making. I did already start the patent process and I will post a picture of the pot soon. What do you all think? Good idea?

Before


after a can of fuel and some scraping

 

[Hunting Wife]

Seems like a more portable option for the campers among us who like to travel light. Never thought about using a jet boil. Have you done anything larger than deer?

 

[EYJONAS!]

Let's see the pot

 

[pabearhunter]

From what I see there is a lot of boiling left to do. Have you got the brain matter out ?

 

[OntarioHunter]

From what I see there is a lot of boiling left to do. Have you got the brain matter out ?

Good enough to travel. Peroxide/whitener paste will bleach it very nicely to finish it up at home.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Good enough to travel. Peroxide/whitener paste will bleach it very nicely to finish it up at home.

The brain matter has to be completely removed.

For the record I think it is a very good idea, I have tossed the idea around myself and was considering something like this for my elk hunt. However, given the CWD status it didn't matter for the counties I transported my bull home through. So ultimately I didn't do anything until I got home.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

All you need to do is get that thing to a car wash and make some brain juice!!!

Packing a small pair of forceps is great for removing the brain membrane.

 

[Pucky Freak]

All you need to do is get that thing to a car wash and make some brain juice!!!

Packing a small pair of forceps is great for removing the brain membrane.

Can you do this with a raw skull at the car wash? Does it work on more fragile skulls like deer (elk being sturdier)?

 

[EYJONAS!]

Can you do this with a raw skull at the car wash? Does it work on more fragile skulls like deer (elk being sturdier)?

I'm gonna go with negative on that one. Need to cook it

 

[MITCHMO]

Seems like a more portable option for the campers among us who like to travel light. Never thought about using a jet boil. Have you done anything larger than deer?

Not yet but it took a little while to get the deer figured out. I’m pretty confident I can do an elk with some tweaks. Only downside is making sure the antlers are stable because the pot is small.

 

[MITCHMO]

From what I see there is a lot of boiling left to do. Have you got the brain matter out ?

Yea all the brain came out prior and a few chunks pulled out afterwards. I’m not a euro expert so why shows there’s a lot left to boil? I did a couple for a local taxidermist and he didn’t have any complaints but maybe he was just trying to be nice haha.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Here's the tool I made from heavy wire that we use to remove brain. Put it in a cordless drill, stick it into brain through spinal channel, and spin it at fairly low rpms and it will suck most of brain tissue out. Some car wash owners get mighty pissed when they have to clean up blood and guts. Pop out the ear channels and it's usually easier to flush the brain.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Can you do this with a raw skull at the car wash? Does it work on more fragile skulls like deer (elk being sturdier)?

High pressure hose can tear out the fine nasal bones. Some folks don't care ... some do.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Not yet but it took a little while to get the deer figured out. I’m pretty confident I can do an elk with some tweaks. Only downside is making sure the antlers are stable because the pot is small.

The pot will not be small! You should make sure the nose bones are NOT touching the bottom of the pot or they may get too hot and disintegrate. For moose euro I actually use a garbage can as a pot! Cut notches in the sides so antlers dropped down just far enough to put the lid on without nose touching the bottom. Pressure hose and metal brush are needed to clean up top portion of skull above the antlers. Moose are especially difficult because antlers grow out the side of their head instead of up on top. For an elk simply tie a stick across the antlers to keep the antlers out of water. However, as long as there is no bleach in the water (we use only Dawn soap and soda ash) and water is only simmered instead of rolling boil, the antlers will be fine if they get a bit wet.

 

[pabearhunter]

Yea all the brain came out prior and a few chunks pulled out afterwards. I’m not a euro expert so why shows there’s a lot left to boil? I did a couple for a local taxidermist and he didn’t have any complaints but maybe he was just trying to be nice haha.

If you are just trying to get it clean enough to travel it is fine to finish up at home. I see solids in nose canal, eye socket and ear canal. When I am done with my 3rd slow boil it is ready to be put on a plaque after cooling .

 

[brownbear932008]

I think it could be a great idea. As we all know hunters will buy darn near anything! Hahaha If it's very portable it would be great. IMO if you popped those ear canals out with a screwdriver you will save yourself a ton of work and it allows easier access to the brain cavity. That skull is fairly clean but appears to need more picking. Not bad though for 1 can of fuel I guess.
I actually tested the waters this fall for a small taxidermy business cleaning skulls. I did around 10 and now I'm not so sure I want to take on 100. Maybe it was just bad luck but I received 2 head shot deer so that was some good experience and challenging.
I did find out most guys allow them to lay in the bed of a truck way to long before bringing them.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

Can you do this with a raw skull at the car wash? Does it work on more fragile skulls like deer (elk being sturdier)?

Nah, I meant after he's boiled and scrapped it. I would say that OP's head still needs some work in order to avoid possibly getting a fine and have the head confiscated, you can see there's still some junk on the back.

 

[Sasquatchewan]

Some car wash owners get mighty pissed when they have to clean up blood and guts.

That's like everything else in life/hunting, don't be a slob and clean up after yourself. I don't have a "winter" pressure washing set up, if I kill something and it's below freezing, I'm boiling (actually simmering) the heads at home and bringing them to the car wash to clean, I do the same when I'm away from home (all you need is a small electrical hot plate, propane/butane burner, pot and knife). Whenever I'm done pressure washing the skull I clean after myself and make sure all the fleshy bits go down the drain.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’m not a euro expert

If you made a product specifically for euro prep I’d be interested. My concern is if you can heat a skull that fast I’d think it might mess up making a nice euro later.

 

[MITCHMO]

If you made a product specifically for euro prep I’d be interested. My concern is if you can heat a skull that fast I’d think it might mess up making a nice euro later.

It definitely doesn’t heat it up too fast with that little burner. If it’s hot outside, it will boil the water. A full fuel can will run for 4 hours believe it our not. When it’s freezing temps out, it takes almost the full can. Warmer weather, and it will run a lot faster. If you keep it from boiling, and just simmer, it’s really nice because you can just let it go and not babysit. It also doesn’t mess up the antlers in the water.