First Time Euro

This is the first year I've done my own since I had to boil the heads before leaving Colorado and Kansas to keep in compliance with the law. I didn't really know what I was doing and ended up with a less than stellar turnout.

You all must have a lot more patience than I do or have an easier way of doing it because I'll gladly pay the $95 to my beetle guy to do this for me. I still need to touch up the antlers where they got whitened but holy crap, talk about a process...

Be gentle on yourself. They look good for a first time. They will look even better when you touch them up.

When we dropped our deer at our local taxidermist this year he had a few elk and whitetail that he had just received back from his bug guy. I have to admit they were perfect! I didn’t get around to asking how much but I have always done my own.

Definitely time consuming but I have to say there is something to be said for DIY. I feel like it is a part of winding up a hunt (like doing ones own meat cutting). I have done a few for friends and have an elk, a moose and a muley on display. It’s also gratifying when asked who did them for me.
 
Number 2 done
This one turned REALLY dark during the boil..... I’m surprised it whitened as much as it did.
 

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I've found that the longer the simmer the more likely the top of the nose bones seem to split apart for me. The yellow still on the skull is grease/oil you could soak in warm dawn/water mix for a week or so and re whiten to fix it or soak in liquid peroxide may do both for you. I've done the paste and quick white for quite a few years and this year have done the liquid peroxide soaked for a day and a half. Can use 40 vol. (12%) peroxide or softswim c (27% found at pool supply stores.)
 
How I do it is clean as much meat off the head as possible.
I use liquid peroxide and water mix. Boil out head for around 30-45min.
Use a pressure washer to clean all the flesh off inc. brain material, because you boil it in whitening mix you don't have to whiten seperately.

I goes whiter when it dries out.
Just be careful of the nasel bones.
 

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This was the first European mount i ever did. I cleaned all the hskin off it and meat best I could. Placed it in the ground for about 3 weeks. Dug it up and pressured washed with hot water then soaked in a chemical used for cleaning pools. Have done 8 more since this one.
 

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Looks great! Like others have mentioned, make sure you degrease or it will yellow. Learned that lesson the hard way myself.
 
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