Taxidermy at home?

[WOOKIE]

How many of you have ever tried taxidermy at home? I have done a couple of European Mounts on skulls, but that is about it. I have a set of books on taxidermy but have not tried it. One day I will give it a shot.

[Dillershortbow]

I would like to try sent for a few vidios but its the time between archery quading fishing hunting working my grandson and tring to make a living where do i find the time to start somthing more :-? :-?

[WOOKIE]

I hear you Diller. Time is a hot commodity.

[bdoa]

I have never tried doing a mount, but I do spend a great deal of time(to much) boilng skulls, I always seem to have a freezer full to boil out for people. I have a picture I wll attatch with 3 bear, 1 wolf, and 1 fox. these things take about 4 hours to do, so I have to put time aside to get them done..

Randy

[394-NTELK]

Give it a try...I was reluctant to give it a try untill I picked up a grouse from a (hack)-sadermist ,I was so p***ed off on the job he did I figured if he can do a job like this and get paid for it then I most certainly can also.Its been three years since I tryed my first mount, now I have my own home buisness. I would recomend starting with squirrells as there easy to get (check local regs regarding lic in manitoba you need a trapping lic for reds)you can order a mounting kit from Van ****s for $20 u.s if you screw it up pull it appart and start over ,it's not as hard as it look's.Save deer capes buck or doe does not matter you can get mounting kits for them starting at around $39 us. Best of luck p.s the above mentioned company has a free catalog go to there web site you can order from there. Paul

[Ducker]

I have done three European mounts on mule deer that my wife and I shot. After I get them all cleaned up and thouroughly dried out, I usually attempt to paint a small picture on them. The first deer that I did, I put a simple painting of deer tracks on it. On the last one I did I got a little fancier and put a picture of a mule deer on it. It is a lot of fun, and really quite easy to do. It is pretty hard to mess up on a skull mount (unless you boil away all the fine bones in the skull. It is worth trying atleast once.

I also have books on taxidermy for the cape mounts, but I have never actually tried to do them...maybe if I get some free time in the future.

Ken

[Wapiti]

Very nice work i like the painting of the muley. I have a wolf skull in the deep freeze i guess i will have to get it out and boil see if i can paint a picture of a wolf on it.. :beer: :beer: :beer: ha ha.

[calgarychef1]

Just a hint from an old chef....don't boil a skull --simmer it gently!!!

the chef

[Wapiti]

Just a hint from an old chef....don't boil a skull --simmer it gently!!!

the chef

Thanks for the advice i will simmer it... :beer: :beer: :beer:

[394-NTELK]

Bleaching skulls...The skull should be completely skinned out and eyeballs removed take as much meat off as possible.in a large pot(mine is made out of a old 5 gal. paint can)bring water to a "slow"boil, place skull in pot ,make sure it is completley submerged,let simmer for 30-45 min remove from pot and scrap away the cooked meat place back in pot (if required) and cook again to remove any remaining meat.some people add sal soda to the water before boiling I have not found it to make much of a differance. Remove skull rinse with water ,garden hose works good for this a tothbrush aids in removal of small sinuses.(make sure to use someone elses for this step and not your own)make sure the brain cavity is completly flushed out ,a pair of long needle nose pliers works good for this. Give the skull a good scrub down with liquid dish soap to remove grease and oils rinse .After the skull is as cleaned off as you can get it we need to bleach it..... BLEACHING...I will give the simplest method here as the products I use can not be bought over the counter.in a large tupperware container pour enough 3%hydrogen peroxide to completely cover the skull(if useing deer skull make sure antlers are not in peroxide as it will discolor the rack)leave in peroxide 24 and up to 48 hours,remove skull drain, rinse with water now place outside(in a safe place)in the sun let it dry in the sunlight for a couple of days.Your skull should now be ready for display if teeth are loose everyday white glue will hold them in place.Some people like to seal the skull with a clear gloss.SAFTEY...wear gloves and glasses keep kids and pets away.......good luck

[calgarychef1]

394 said it right, I use an air compressor to blow away the wee yucky bits it works well. Another way to whiten the skull is mix magnesium carbonate and 30% hydrogen peroxide to a pasty consistency- paint it on the skull and leave to dry overnight then rinse off. Dont use bleach as it weakens the bones and turns yellow after some time. You can also macerate the skull rather than boiling- place it in a pail of water and let the bacteria do it's thing. I admit that I've never done this method but it's supposed to be the best, but very smelly.

the chef