Buried skull and it worked

[Tower43]

I shot an axis spike last year and I kinda wanted the skull but didn't want to pay a lot of money for a spike skull euro mount. I was going to boil it but I let the head sit for about four days and the hide turned to rubber. I tried to strip the ears and hide but after an hour and not much headway I decided to try burying the head and just see what happens. This was around the last week of December and I left the head outside for a few hours and let the flies land all over it. I then buried it on the side of my house, I laid the head on its side in the hole to where the side of the skull and horn were about 3 inches deep. Fast forward to today when I got around to digging it up. There was a fire ant hill about three feet away which may have helped. I very carefully dug it up and the skull was picked clean completely. No prep went into it I sawed off the head after quartering and threw it in the hole as is. Broke off a small piece at the very top of the nose that a little super glue will fix. I am thinking about bleaching but maybe leaving it as it is. Also it does not smell, except like dirt.

Climate and soil is Austin area and somewhat clay, very hard pack soil. I wasn't even sure the bugs would make it down there.

[BaileyTBowers]

I did this same thing with my first buck. It works great and in central texas the soil cave it a slightly dark stain which looks amazing.

[Limbwalker]

Great idea! Pic's ?

[gumbl3]

We need pictures

[hully1029]

in for pics

[Tower43]

I've never put any up, not really sure where to start

[IowaHunter]

Photos! Someone here will show you. It's always a task for me.

[SFAbowhunter]

I did this with a ram I shot last summer! Worked great!

[Mexico]

Yes pics!!

[4dog]

I do the same thing to euro everything...wrks awesome on hog skulls for some reason. Euroed my avatar pic this way.

[Bluetex]

When skull is dry and clean, tape up horns and spray paint white kilz on skull. Dry kilz paint looks like bone.

[TMC50]

When skull is dry and clean, tape up horns and spray paint white kilz on skull. Dry kilz paint looks like bone.

Bingo. I have an axis I did this too that has been hanging in my house for 4 years now.

I have a cull 6 point that I shot last season. It rode in the back of my truck for about 2 weeks during the christmas holidays. I literally forgot about it. When we finally got home, I stuck it under a black tree planter bucket. I hit it with the mower the other day and the head is spotless. Will pull it out and paint it up sometime.

[Pedernal]

I've never put any up, not really sure where to start

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[Stoof]

I use my compost pile. It works great. It doesn't produce professional quality euro's but I like the weathered look.
Here's a link with pictures to an Aoudad I did in the dirt: http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...d.php?t=526610

[3DW5]

Stoof your compost thing worked great!!!