Bury instead of bugs

[mdunc8]

For you guys who use bugs, have you ever thought of burying your skull? I had a buddy who got a bull this year and buried his. After 45 days it was picked clean. I haven't seen it yet, but seems like an alternative to mailing it to some yahoo in the Bitterroot (assuming you're not opposed to tearing up a chunk of your lawn).

 

[Mudranger1]

Ive heard of this but never actually done it. And what are those horns sticking up out of your yard?

 

[Sytes]

Hmmm - never thought of it nor know anyone that has done such. A great idea - I'll have to try that next time.

 

[Randy11]

I soaked a head in a bucket of water and was amazed at how clean it came. Took forever, and stunk like hell, but worked well. You could tell it wasn't beetle cleaned, but it looked better than most boiled heads I've seen.

 

[mdunc8]

I let mine soak for quite a while last year too, but was afraid the freeze/thaw cycle would do some damage, so I gave up. I heard it works really well if you bury it in an ant hill.

 

[mtmiller]

I will stick with the bugs, but then again I have local guy that deals well with me.

 

[icb12]

We just stick ours in Crab pots. Get a bigger return on it that way.

Nothing quite like pulling your pots to find a nice clean skull and HEY, a pot full of dungies too

Of course.. risks are assumed. Pot robbers might run off with your crabs.. AND your trophy.

 

[MHMT]

Did they do this in the summer? wonder if it would work in the winter... Well I wouldn't want to deprive my roommates of the aroma of deer head soup brewing in the garage.

 

[Khunter]

never heard of it but does not sound even remotely like it is worth the trouble. 45 days in the elements just waiting for something or someone to go terribly wrong and ruin or steal the head. Boiling is good enough for the average trophy and beetles worth the expense for the special ones, IMO.

 

[greatbasin]

The last thing I want to have is another reason to kill mine or the neighbors dog

Skulls Unlimited is the best in the biz, and worth every penny.

http://www.skullsunlimited.com
http://www.museumofosteology.org/

This is their cleaning division http://www.skullcleaning.com/

 

[mdunc8]

I believe he tossed it in the ground in late September. I haven't seen it yet, but he said it turned out pretty good. Not as white as bugs, but clean. K, I definitely wouldn't be burying my 350 6x6 by the mailbox, but if you live out in the sticks, it sounds like an intriguing alternative to boiling.

 

[Oak]

Nothing quite like pulling your pots to find a nice clean skull and HEY, a pot full of dungies too

The Broncos should soak their heads in crab pots. Maybe they'll pull up a Dungy.

 

[mdunc8]

Haha. Nice.

 

[Outdooraddict]

The Broncos should soak their heads in crab pots. Maybe they'll pull up a Dungy.

Come on, Oak... Don't be that way. Let's see what Eric Studesville can do with the rest of the season.

 

[Muley Crazy]

Crab pots !! thats a hell of an idea !! No crabs here in ID but tons of crawdads might just have to give that a try !!

 

[elk_hunter]

Oh man, that brings back memories...crawdads...those were fun little bastards to catch and then eat! Used to do that when I lived in Oregon many moons ago.

 

[Bambistew]

I would be scared of staining the skull with burring it.

Icb would you drop that big bull in a crab pot? What about a sheep? . Do you ever lose teeth?

I'm not sure what you guys are doing that makes boiling so hard or turn out bad? Bugs are slick and do a great job but boiling turns out about the same if you're patient and take your time. I have probably 30 skulls or more about half were bugged the rest were boiled. Other than the nasal bones being gone on the boiled you can't tell he difference. I don't like the looks of the nasal bones though and with a little more boil time I could have preserved them.

Personally I think the boiled skulls turn out cleaner and don't tend to yellow as bad.

 

[MHMT]

Boiling isn't that bad, just thinking about trying some alternatives. but if you get a cheap hot place, heat the skull (not quite boiling) for around six hours and grab the cartilage in the nose with some pliers, it comes out in one piece, and when bleached, the nasals look just like they were done with bugs.

 

[icb12]

Icb would you drop that big bull in a crab pot? What about a sheep? . Do you ever lose teeth?
.

Have to be a big crab pot. We took the elk out to an old deserted log transfer facility (read dock), tied a line to it, tied the line to the dock and dropped him down. Last I heard the bottom dwellers were still working on it. Not many people pull up to old deserted pilings, and even fewer would notice an extra line hanging from one if they did. Still, I made sure to use an old algae covered line to blend in.
A sheep, I dunno. Maybe, maybe not. I guess it would depend on where I'm setting my pots at and the traffic through the area. There are some spots I drop pots where I wouldn't hesitate to put a sheep down. Some of the other areas see a lot of traffic and lots of folks pulling other peoples pots. Not even necessarily to steal the crab, maybe just to see how they are doing.
I've done bears, goats, and deer in crab pots. Usually they come out nicely, requiring a quick boil and a scrub before they look their best. We've lost a few teeth IIRC. I seem to remember a couple deer that lost some teeth.

It's definitely not as consistent as boiling or bugs. Nor would I say it looks as nice as beetle done mounts. But with a little work and some patience they come out well enough to put on the wall.

 

[174in]

I stick with boiling though I have tried to bury numerous beaver and coyote skull to test this method out as every one says it is a good way.I have never had good results.Something will take of with the skull if it is not coverd with a tub of some sort.Most of mine were dug up by critters and the ones that were not were stained or all the teeth fell out and needed glued back in if I could find them all.I just boil my big game heads much quicker and less chance of something takeing of with them.