Skulls with antlers attached can not be just picked up without notifying G&F and getting an interstate game tag. The warden must be notified and the location of the find documented for legal purposes incase of a poaching report etc.. You are supposed to call and notify when you get cell phone reception asap.
This is going to hang in a cabin so we are "'re-coloring" them, not staining. Pine tar, bark dust and dirt will bring it back to life. This is step 1 before boiling and bleaching and applying more color.
Just takes some pine tar in a can, a brush with stiff bristles and the right colored mix of bark dust and dirt. This is predominately oak bark dust, ground down oak bark, with a little pecan bark, and some dark soil from our wood splitting area.
The pine tar needs to be spreadable, brush it on then rub the dirt bark mix onto it and rub it in well, gloved hand works well. After it looks even and the right color it will get rubbed by a stick to polish it to the natural looking shine.
That pic above went from white to brown in about 3 hours including prepping the dirt and bark.
Time consuming but worth it if you have the time. Deer antlers are much easier to do this way.