skull cleaning

ttinman23

New member
Joined
Nov 15, 2013
Messages
80
Gentlemen, I think I made a mistake by leaving my skull head too long in the ground. If a buck I get is short of a wall mount, I have been burying the head for decay purposes and cover the rack on top of the ground. The problem I have had with at least two of them the last couple of years is the dirt is getting stained into the skull. Any ideas to get this somewhat clean? Will bleach make the bone to brittle? Thanks in advanace
 
Get 40 volume peroxide from a beauty supply store. Your can get a quart for probably <$10. That will,be plenty. It's what I use on all of mine.
 
I can't believe people are still burring skulls... I'd be surprised if peroxide will get it clean. Peroxide oxidizes the blood making it white. Who knows what the stain is from. You have nothin g b to lose. Also try a paste with cream developer. Use caution with the high strength pperoxide, especially in large quantities.
 
Like Bambistew said, the big unknown is what the stain was caused by.

If it is grease, soaking in warm (not boiling) water with dawn dishwashing soap does a good job of getting grease out of skulls. I generally have to do that with pig skulls even using beetles to clean them.

I don't use the paste or peroxide until the skull is degreased because eventually the grease will just show through.
 
Rather than burying them I know my dad's friend will find a big red ant hill place that skull on there for a week or 2 and you got yourself a clean skull with nothing left but bone. I do wonder though if an animal would run away with it so maybe a short rope or chain staked into the ground may save that from happening. I have not had a buck tag for 8 years now so I haven't had the chance to clean a skull but I have a pet gecko and I feed him meal worms. When the meal worms change into a beetle I know they eat flesh. I wanted to try and see if they would do a good job like the other beetles people use to clean skulls. So for the 5 bucks I spent on worms that turn to beetles is cheaper than taking it to someone. But I know the ant hill trick works wonders.

Jamen
 
Best way to bleach skulls is on the roof of your doublewide so you can show them off to your neighbors.
 
I'm having an issue with my mule deer skull smelling bad - well, my wife is the one with the issue, which makes it an issue for me. Not sure where I went wrong - I can't find any flesh in the nasal cavity or brain pan, but she's right about the stink. And the mount doesn't get to come into the house until the odor is gone.
 
I'm having an issue with my mule deer skull smelling bad - well, my wife is the one with the issue, which makes it an issue for me. Not sure where I went wrong - I can't find any flesh in the nasal cavity or brain pan, but she's right about the stink. And the mount doesn't get to come into the house until the odor is gone.
lol I know you cant find it but it is there..I had one I did a long time ago that I just didn't feel like messing with it smelt terrible for quite some time
 
The stain is from the mud and dirt it was buried in. I tried scrubbing it with bleach, but it really isn't even putting a dent in it.
 
I just cleaned one up my son had hung in a tree for two years with the hide on and it was pretty dark stained. I soaked it in 35% peroxide for a couple hours and it is almost as white if I had done it the right way from the start.
 
Back
Top