Skull cap help needed!

[Steve O]

Didn't see a taxidermy forum so taking a shot putting this here...

Shot an 8-point on Saturday morning on Central Ohio public land. Took it to the processor and requested the head back for a Euro mount...they must not read English because I went to pickup yesterday and got only the skull cap back. Was planning on doing the Euro mount myself (the boil and peel method, which I've never done before). Since I only got a skull cap back I'm not sure how, if at all, it needs to be treated differently? It still has hair/skin on it. Does this need peeled off? Can I just set it in borax for a few weeks and then mount as is? Any help would be great.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I’ve seen skull caps with the hair still attached but they were always laying in a barn or something. If you want to display it you should remove the hair and meat, I’d think. Congratulations on the deer.

 

[giles]

Someone, I think it was @Sgt Fury found some kits that turned skull caps into full skull mounts.

 

[giles]

Or maybe it was @steveOh when he was redoing his man space.

 

[Steve O]

I’ve seen skull caps with the hair still attached but they were always laying in a barn or something. If you want to display it you should remove the hair and meat, I’d think. Congratulations on the deer.

Thanks...after seeing some of the pics from you, Spencie, and others in the live from the stand thread and your personal hunt journals I'm a little sheepish to share the pics, despite it being the biggest deer I've shot with a bow.

 

[Jackalope]

Thanks...after seeing some of the pics from you, Spencie, and others in the live from the stand thread and your personal hunt journals I'm a little sheepish to share the pics, despite it being the biggest deer I've shot with a bow.

Nonsense! A trophy is in the eye of the beholder and everyone loves seeing dead deer! Any self ritious prick that would ridicule you for your buck wouldn't find this place much fun after that. Share away man.

As for the skull cap. If you're going to display it indoors you'll want to get the hair and meat off. You can start with a knife and a pair of pliers or a put of boiling water and submerge just to just before the base of the pedicle. They make some pretty cool skull mount options.

 

[lung buster]

This is a mountain mikes kit like Joe shared that i did with a pair of sheds from a buck that i had a history with. Looks pretty good for what it is.

 

[Sgt Fury]

Someone, I think it was @Sgt Fury found some kits that turned skull caps into full skull mounts.

Wasn’t me. I either cap/salt them and screw them to a plaque or if it’s big enough, get a euro mount. I do remember seeing that post about a year ago though.

 

[Geezer II]

Don't remember where i got that mount kit

 

[Steve O]

Appreciate the help guys, these are all good options so I guess I have some thinking to do. In the meantime I better start peeling and scraping

 

[Wildlife]

Congrats buddy!

 

[Dannmann801]

Thanks...after seeing some of the pics from you, Spencie, and others in the live from the stand thread and your personal hunt journals I'm a little sheepish to share the pics, despite it being the biggest deer I've shot with a bow.

Joe's right - every deer is a trophy, don't hold back sharing - let us share your success!!
My tiny little 6 point this year is HUGE even though he ain't huge - it's all about the hunt!

EDIT: HELL YEAH, that's a nice deer! and a nice box of MEAT!
Cut as much of the hair/fat off as you can before boiling, the less on there the better it goes.
Those kits look pretty cool.

Congrats again on a fine deer.

 

[Steve O]

Congrats buddy!

Thanks!

 

[Steve O]

Joe's right - every deer is a trophy, don't hold back sharing - let us share your success!!
My tiny little 6 point this year is HUGE even though he ain't huge - it's all about the hunt!

EDIT: HELL YEAH, that's a nice deer! and a nice box of MEAT!
Cut as much of the hair/fat off as you can before boiling, the less on there the better it goes.
Those kits look pretty cool.

Congrats again on a fine deer.

Thanks! Only, and I mean only, downside to shooting something with antlers this early in the season is now I have no excuse to give the wife to get out of the house

 

[giles]

Thats a fine damn animal! Congrats on raising the bar!!!!

 

[Buckkillr]

My son has a couple mountain mike's mounts, here's a camo one

 

[Big_Holla]

We used to do our bucks the way you were given. Clean off all the skin, hair and meat. Put Borax on the base for a couple weeks or if you were like my dad, throw it on the work bench for a year til all the bugs cleaned it off well LOL. We would then make a wood block to fit inside the brain cavity, shape it with a file. Attach the skull cap to the wood block with a couple screws pre-drilled through the skull. We then would use burlap, brown vinyl, some sort of fabric and wrap the skull/base and tuck underneath and then screw that wood block to a plaque pinching the fabric in between.

 

[aholdren]

Put it in a pan of boiling water and it will be super easy to clean in an hour. It softens both inside and outside up for easy removal! Just don’t do it with the wife’s pots and in her house!!!

 

[Johnny44]

Ain't no shame in that deer; or any deer for that matter. Congrats.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Heck of a nice deer! There ain’t no shame in any deer game!
Personally, I prefer the plaque mounts like Geezer pictured. I just like that style more than the Europeans, maybe because that’s what everyone did back in the day. I’ve got a couple of them but usually I cut the horns of and forget to get around to finishing the project.