I have a deers head with antlers. What is the best way to remove the remaining flesh? Is it boiling?

Answer 1

There are three methods that can be utilized for preparing bones that
will result in a clean, dry, white product that can be handled and
displayed. Skulls are used as examples below:

1. BOILING METHOD:

This method is good for small specimens or when time is short. After
removing the skin and as much meat as possible, just put the head in a
pan of water and boil gently for several hours. Boiling too fast can
loosen teeth and cause them to crack. Remove the head and pick off any
loose flesh. Return it to the water and boil again for several more
hours. After this second boiling, all the flesh should be easy to
remove with a knife and toothbrush.

The mandible (lower jaw) will have separated from the skull during
boiling. Make sure to save all the teeth that may have come loose.
These can be glued back in with Elmer's glue or Super Glue gel later.
Scrub the skull with liquid detergent and a toothbrush, making sure all
tissue is removed. The last step is to place the skull in a 3% hydrogen
peroxide solution until it is bleached white. this should take 3 or 4
days. Peroxide is available in drug or grocery stores.

2. MACERATION METHOD:

The second method utilizes bacteria that are already present to digest
the flesh from the skull.

You'll need a large waterproof trash can with a tight-fitting lid, and
a warm place to store it. The warmer it is kept the faster the process
works. It will also smell pretty bad, so you'll want to keep it away
from people.

After removing the skin and as much meat as possible, and removing the
mandible, put each skull in a separate plastic bag, punch a few holes in
the bags, and place them in the trash can, then fill it with water. It
is important that each skull has its own plastic bag so teeth don't get
lost and parts don't get mixed up.

Under warm conditions (80-100 degrees Fahrenheit) the skulls should be
ready in about 4 weeks. under cooler conditions it can take from
several months to nearly a year. When they're done, the remaining flesh
and tissue can easily be removed with a water hose and by scraping with
a knife and toothbrush. Again, take care not to lose teeth; any that
fall out can be glued in later.

The last step is to soak each skull in peroxide until it is bleached
white. Remove the specimen, air dry it, and glue in any loose teeth.

3. BEETLE METHOD:

Use dermestid beetles to clean up your "de-meated" skull. This is
great for younger specimens, which often fall apart in boiling.

Dermestid beetles are the insects in Nature that clean up animal
carcasses. They prefer dried-out material and will not eat skin. To
prepare a skull for "beetling" you need to skin it completely, de-flesh
it as thoroughly as possible, and dry it out in an air current for a few
days.

Then place it in a SEALED container with the beetles. You can get
beetles from a "beetle colony" (most veterinary or medical schools will
maintain a colony for exactly this purpose) or you can collect a few by
leaving your skull out "in the wild" for the local beetles to feed on.
If you do the latter, be sure to put your skull in a wire cage to
prevent other scavengers (dogs, foxes, etc.) from carrying it off.

After beetles "do their thing" (which may take several weeks, depending
on the size of the specimen and how completely it's been de-fleshed) put
the specimen in the freezer to kill the beetles; leave it frozen for at
least 3 days. Thaw out and re-freeze after three days to trick those
that survived the "cold weather" snap and kill off any survivors.
Dermestid beetles are bad news to have in your home. they will chew
through almost anything, including plastic, carpets, and books. Be
certain you've killed them off before you bring the specimen inside.

Finish the skull as mentioned above: scrub, soap, rinse, and peroxide
bleach.

Answer 2

yeah, I have a nice 8 pointer as a trophy, and one of my buddies actually shot a nice buck right between the eyes with his bow by accident and kept the head (arrow and all) as a trophy. also, my first .308 I have framed and held by the antlers of the first buck I shot with it, a tiny little 6 point, but nonetheless.

Answer 3

What do you want to do with it? eat it or have the head mounted so you can hang it on the wall? If its the later you will need to get it to a taxidermist this is a specialised job if you try it your self it will rot and stink the house out.

Answer 4

thou must remove the remaining flesh on the 3rd sunday of octingable mass,clean the beast on the same spot thou slain it upon if the pentagon has been removed by rain or hale.......REPLACE IT NOW FOR THE ALTER OF FEAR AWAITS!!!!!!!!! ........sorry pall got a bit carried away for a minute....

Answer 5

What are you going to do to it....exactly.....cant help feeling quite sorry for the poor old dear

Answer 6

It's best left on the animal. Alive.

Answer 7

put it in water, but you don't have to boil it. this article explains it better. Mike Rowe did this on Dirty Jobs.

Answer 8

Hope its not too painful for you

Answer 9

Have you eaten already then?