Crossing State lines & Euromounts

[mxracer317]

Need some guidance, please.

I’m new to out of state hunting where you’re bringing back some antlers, just done cow/doe hunts out of state.

I’ve always wanted to do a euro mount and pulled a 4th season Colorado deer tag —leaving tomorrow and can’t wait!

The unit in Colorado I’m hunting in has mandatory CWD testing, so I’m not really sure if I just cut the head off and bring that to the station and if it passes begin breaking down the hide and flesh.

Problem is Utah doesn’t allow for any brain matter or spinal cord material to be brought over state line.

Been watching some YouTube videos and it seems like the best way is guys will boil it and then throw it in the pressure washer.

One of my friends said that he thinks that you get in trouble doing something like that at a pressure washer place??

Do you guys buy a turkey fryer and just do it locally before you come back?

Damn CWD. Makes this so much more complicated!

 

[seeth07]

Its hard to follow the law on this topic for every state you cross thru and what they allow/don't allow

 

[Caseknife]

Did this bull in the back country in Wyoming in 2016. Not too tough if you have an extra day or so. Watch videos on harvesting the lymph nodes, little kidney shaped glands above the soft pallet below the sinus passages. Took the same set up to Utah this year for a general deer tag in case I got something that justified a Euro, just killed a small 3 pt so capped him instead.

 

[El Jason]

You just need to budget a day in to do the euro. It’s not hard to be in compliance. Bone meat if required and clean the skull/skull cap. You just need to factor in the time.

 

[seeth07]

You just need to budget a day in to do the euro. It’s not hard to be in compliance. Bone meat if required and clean the skull/skull cap. You just need to factor in the time.

How you doing that if the head can't leave the county where you took it and you can't get the equipment you need to clean the brain matter out where it lays?

 

[vanish]

Colorado CWD results take days to weeks. If you're lucky enough to harvest, you'll cut off the head, including leaving a vertebra, take it to a sampling station, they'll immediately sample and give you back the head, then proceed with the euro process.

 

[Big Fin]

We carry a boiling kit us, similar to what @Caseknife used. We have a much smaller one for deer.

If all else fails, drop it off at a local taxidermist and have them do it and ship it to you.

Or, as @El Jason mentioned, skull cap it. I have my battery sawzall with me, just in case.

As @vanish mentioned, in Colorado, they ask that you bring in the entire head with 3-4 inches of neck below the jaw. A bit of a pain for those accustomed to cutting it at the Atlas joint.

Just part of the out of state hunting gig anymore. I also have a 4th season deer tag and I head out in the morning, with my boiling kit already packed in a Rubbermaid tote and a 20# propane tank.

 

[thomas89]

Sous vide in the hotel bathroom worked wonders this year for me.

 

[Caseknife]

Sous vide in the hotel bathroom worked wonders this year for me.

So you are the guy that always plugs up the shower drains

 

[El Jason]

How you doing that if the head can't leave the county where you took it and you can't get the equipment you need to clean the brain matter out where it lays?

Take a propane stove and a kettle.

 

[rtraverdavis]

I skull capped my elk this year, but one of my hunting partners was able to saw off part of the back of his bull’s skull and to make a bigger hole to get the brain out. Took about an hour altogether, but a reciprocating saw would speed things up significantly.

I’ve boiled skulls in camp before and like others have said, it adds extra time you’ll have to plan for, but is worth it if you have the time.

 

[mxracer317]

Awesome! What size pot should I be using for a mule deer? Looks like the ones for a turkey fry isn't the right size?

 

[mxracer317]

We carry a boiling kit us, similar to what @Caseknife used. We have a much smaller one for deer.

If all else fails, drop it off at a local taxidermist and have them do it and ship it to you.

Or, as @El Jason mentioned, skull cap it. I have my battery sawzall with me, just in case.

As @vanish mentioned, in Colorado, they ask that you bring in the entire head with 3-4 inches of neck below the jaw. A bit of a pain for those accustomed to cutting it at the Atlas joint.

Just part of the out of state hunting gig anymore. I also have a 4th season deer tag and I head out in the morning, with my boiling kit already packed in a Rubbermaid tote and a 20# propane tank.

Do you pressure wash out immediately after boiling it? Also, heard that dawn is great in the water to boil. What do you guys use?

 

[El Jason]

Do you pressure wash out immediately after boiling it? Also, heard that dawn is great in the water to boil. What do you guys use?

Borax

 

[Hunting Wife]

Do you pressure wash out immediately after boiling it? Also, heard that dawn is great in the water to boil. What do you guys use?

Dawn or borax, though if we’re just talking for the purposes of transport you could probably get away with just plain water, then degrease it when you get home or let the taxi worry about it.

I’ve never pressure washed one. Once the tissue is soft, I just scrape it with a knife blade or forceps, and use a long forceps or length of heavy wire with a loop on the end to scrape out the brain, then flush with water. But however you do it, yes, do it immediately if you can. If it dries out, it turns to jerky and you’ll have to start over. It really only takes a couple simple tools and a little elbow grease.

 

[Caseknife]

Turkey fryer would work great, dawn dish soap and baking powder. Metal coat hanger with a hook in the end about 1" diameter to get the majority of the brain out prior to simmering. Cut off as much as possible prior will reduce the amount of fat, especially around the eyes. Dish soap and baking powder will not bleach the antler bases, so no worries there. Don't boil, just simmer.

 

[Caseknife]

Has anybody stepped up to the Bridger Boilers and if so, are they worth it?

Bridger Boiler - European Skull Boiler

European Skull Boiler - Benefits of the boiler, legally travel across states lines, immediate reward of a complete trophy mount, no wasted time looking for a local taxidermist to complete your European mount, no more waiting 6-12 months to receive your mount back and No costly shipping charges...

bridger-boiler.myshopify.com

 

[TOGIE]

bring your cordless drill, a 5/8 spade, and forceps.

much better than a coat hanger.

 

[mxracer317]

Has anybody stepped up to the Bridger Boilers and if so, are they worth it?

Bridger Boiler - European Skull Boiler

European Skull Boiler - Benefits of the boiler, legally travel across states lines, immediate reward of a complete trophy mount, no wasted time looking for a local taxidermist to complete your European mount, no more waiting 6-12 months to receive your mount back and No costly shipping charges...

bridger-boiler.myshopify.com

I was actually looking at it while I was learning about all of this great info… Crazy expensive!

 

[jrabq]

bring your cordless drill, a 5/8 spade, and forceps.

much better than a coat hanger.

I do this but use 6-7" piece of coat hanger wire with a bend at the end for my drill "bit". Basically you're trying to liquify the brain so it oozes out by gravity.
I've never been checked but I hope if you can just show a good faith effort they won't give you trouble.