advice on boiling a deer skull

[hand grenade]

can anyone guide me on how to boil a deer skull and get the brain out and flesh off the head without messing it up.

[southdakota_man]

Step #1- Wait until your wife is gone for the weekend.
Step #2- Make sure you do this outside. It is not the most appetizing smell unless you like the smell of rotten menudo.
Step #3- DO NOT USE YOUR WIFE'S POTS!!
Step #4- Bring a large crawfish pot to boil. You can use dish soap, bleach or peroxide.
- Make sure not to get the antlers in the boiling water. Boil for 6-8 hours and scrape out the head with a screwdriver or something.

You will not get all of the insides out of the skull. What I like to do is put the skull in a red ant pile for a few weeks and let them clean the rest of it out. Good luck.

[Marooned]

couple of additional suggestions........don't actually boil the skull, just simmer it. Boiling will make the bone brittle. Also, use Dawn dish soap in the water to help extract the oils/greases from the skull. Keep the antlers out of the water.

[sqiggy]

I have never done a deer, but did do a ram. I put the head submerged in water in a plastic barrel that I have, put lid on and left it there for 2 months. After that, wasn't anything really left to boil.
But what I was told on a deer, first, wrap the base of the horns with some foil if the boiling water is touching it. You don't want to boil any part of the horns. Boil, or cook the head for a couple hours. Take head out and use a water hose to knock off the meat. Repeat process if you have "meat" left. Everything should wash off first time. Then add a cup of Arm and Hammer baking soda detergent. This will whiten the skull. I do not suggest the fire ant bed. It will stain the skull. When you wash off with water hose, watch for any bone pieces that may come off. You can always glue these back on when you finish. Usually it's the fine nose piece you have to watch for as well as teeth. Once all matter is removed, place somewhere that a dog or cat won't drag off. After it's completely dried out, get you a alum. baking pan and place skull in it. Next, get a bag of cotton balls and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Soak a cotton ball and stick on skull till you cover the skull completely up. Remove cotton balls when they dry up. Usually a day or so. It will then be ready to mount on a plaque and be white as snow.

[sqiggy]

Oh, go ahead and use your wife's biggest pot. And do it on the stove top. She probably won't mind. I do it all the time!!!

[hand grenade]

thanks i will use my turkey fryer and try not to boil the horns. i heard if you take a drill under the jaw you can let the brain spill out like soup.

[Killem all]

Use a drill with a bent coat hanger. It will act like an egg beater and the brains will ooze out

[Flame-Tamer]

Ttt

[airehead]

i did one last year used my turkey fryer it was big enough and could do it out side where the stench would not ruin the wall papper be sure and keep the horns out of the boiling water i used a hanger and be sure to have an extra propain tank cause it will run out when you least expect it.
it takes a while sp be patent .


Ron

[Phdan]

Oh, go ahead and use your wife's biggest pot. And do it on the stove top. She probably won't mind. I do it all the time!!!

That's why Squiggy is no longer married.

[theluckyhunter]

i did a hog about 8 months ago......

i just havent been the same since..

[Blood Trail]

I tried to dry a rattlesnake head that I killed with my pocket knife in my oven after it sat in my garage for about 2 weeks. The smell was wonderful....

[RPB]

I use a 15 gallon cast kettle. Done about 10 deer.

I did the bucket of water on a hog for 3 months and will never do it again. cleaned it perfect but I puked enough to last a lifetime washing it off.

Light boil/high simmer for maybe 1-1.5 hrs

then I take it out and wash it with a pressure washer. Mine has a heater for hot water but just the high pressure works fine.

Put back in kettle for another hour or so and then wash again with presssure washer

the high pressure works wonders but wear a rain suit because you get funk all over you but you can get EVERYTHING out, brain, sinus cavity, i mean EVERYTHING comes off with a pressure washer.

You might blow off the nose bones but find them and glue them back on, no problem

[eradicator]

If you think hogs are bad, try doing a javi. I do all of my family's skulls and it's not that hard. Turkey fryers are good or just a big pot on the stove(open the windows first). I use duct tape to secure the horns and have never had a problem. I usually boil mine twice at about 30 min. apiece. Soak it in a basin with peroxide/water mixture on a sunny day for a couple of hours. Pull it out and let it sit in the sun covered with a rag or two of the solution. I've never lost any teeth or had anything break. By the way, that might be the last javelina I do, though.