Deer head soup

gmac

Well, not exactly. Boiling up a deer skull for a European mount. Should be posting a few venison cooks here in the near future. 

RedSkip

@gmac Beetles after this step?  Do you plan on bleaching it as well?

gmac

RedSkip said:

@gmac Beetles after this step?  Do you plan on bleaching it as well?

Gonna pick it and wash. No access to dermestid beetles here. My friend did a few and had good luck using hydrogen peroxide on paper towels to whiten without getting the antlers. 
He also boiled with Borax which I will do tomorrow. 

RedSkip

Nice.

gmac

This isn't the biggest buck I've ever gotten but it's a nice 8 and I figured this would be a fun project to keep busy over the holidays. 

Little Steven

gmac said:

Well, not exactly. Boiling up a deer skull for a European mount. Should be posting a few venison cooks here in the near future. 

Das about all that's left when our friend Rodney shoots 'em too. 50 cal belt fed?

gmac

Little Steven said:

gmac said:

Well, not exactly. Boiling up a deer skull for a European mount. Should be posting a few venison cooks here in the near future. 

Das about all that's left when our friend Rodney shoots 'em too. 50 cal belt fed?

No, i can open the freezer and take a shot for you if you want  I love venison. Problem with venison on the BGE is that it just doesn't have the fat needed to go low and slow. 

Killit_and_Grillit

@gmac you could toss in a few crawfish, some corn, a lil sausage and some Cajun seasoning and have yourself a prime dish there.

I have yet to do any venison low and slow on there, but I have had some in the 300's that has been on point. 

I just killed an Axis deer last week and the guide said since it eats more like steak and is a bigger deer that the back steaks are great to reverse sear. 

RRP

Venison? Some one mention version? Here are 3 right across from me right now resting at a vantage point where they can see danger even far away. The third one is partially hidden between the two trees in the foreground. They have been spooked a couple times within the last hour but have returned both times.

Killit_and_Grillit

JohnnyTarheel

RRP said:

Venison? Some one mention version? Here are 3 right across from me right now resting at a vantage point where they can see danger even far away. The third one is partially hidden between the two trees in the foreground. They have been spooked a couple times within the last hour but have returned both times.

Ron did you walk out in those popular shorts you have and scare them off?  

Cashfan

@gmac I thought about doing that to mine this year. I got a nice not huge 10 pointer. Looked like a LOT of work that i didn't have time for. Keep us posted on process, time and results. I might try to tackle it next week. Looks like I might have time.

poster

gmac said:

Little Steven said:

gmac said:

Well, not exactly. Boiling up a deer skull for a European mount. Should be posting a few venison cooks here in the near future. 

Das about all that's left when our friend Rodney shoots 'em too. 50 cal belt fed?

No, i can open the freezer and take a shot for you if you want  I love venison. Problem with venison on the BGE is that it just doesn't have the fat needed to go low and slow. 

Have you tried it sous vide? Just curious I haven't yet, and don't know anyone that has, but I plan to. I was planning on holding it at desired temp for a good amount of time before sear.

Killit_and_Grillit

@poster try it with a backstrap...then pull it early, roll it in olive oil and seasoning, then kick your Egg up to about 500, roll for char and serve. It really is one of the best ways to cook it and keep any moisture in. 

gmac

Well first learning is to not boil aggressively. A couple bones have come off. Nothing crazy glue can't fix but I have since learned a long simmer is better than a full boil. 

Focker

Nice post.
Im with @cashfan, would love to see your progress posted.

Brother is getting a shoulder mount, by one of the best taxidermists around.  Beautiful big buck on the wall, but big time monay.

Have been working on finding sheds, and wiring them to my truck grill.  A euro skull DIY would be nice too.  The shed skulls with basket racks I found, weren't big enough.  
Gave them to a friend who does craft stuff with antlers.  

gmac

@Cashfan @Focker After boiling for most of the afternoon here is the progress. I am gonna have to glue a couple small bones back on at the front because I boiled too aggressively . Also need to boil the base of the skull a bit more, some tough cartilage there. 

RRP

Focker said:

Have been working on finding sheds, and wiring them to my truck grill.  

Gave them to a friend who does craft stuff with antlers.  

I've made winter coat zipper pulls with points from sheds. Real easy to grab when you have heavy gloves on. My trouble is I haven't found any sheds for several years now and the best points are those with coloring and character.

Focker

RRP said:

Focker said:

Have been working on finding sheds, and wiring them to my truck grill.  

Gave them to a friend who does craft stuff with antlers.  

I've made winter coat zipper pulls with points from sheds. Real easy to grab when you have heavy gloves on. My trouble is I haven't found any sheds for several years now and the best points are those with coloring and character.

Great idea!  Consider it stolen.  Would make great gifts.  I wanted to make egg handles, but they weren't quite there thickness wise.

I was approached by a friend this weekend to hunt their 15 acres of timber, as long as I give them my first deer. They said they would have it processed, but I may do it for them if I get one.  The couple aren't hunters, but they love venison.  A win win!  He showed me a map, trailcam pics this year, at least 3 wall worthy 8 point and up bucks.  Two creeks run through the property.  So, so stoked.  They want me out there now, but told them it's on next year.  I haven't ruled out the ground blind end of season.  We'll see.

Our state may be a clusterfock, but I love our landscape.  

Focker

gmac said:

@Cashfan @Focker After boiling for most of the afternoon here is the progress. I am gonna have to glue a couple small bones back on at the front because I boiled too aggressively . Also need to boil the base of the skull a bit more, some tough cartilage there. 

Looking good!

Cashfan

Looks Awesome!

Fred19Flintstone

I haven't seen anything like that since Dances With Wolves.

Killit_and_Grillit

Low and Slow will keep the nasal cavity from splitting and the teeth from falling out. (Lesson learned from my prepubescent years and a euro mount over my bed...I still have nightmares)

Rack turned out killer with the density of color. 

CountryBoy

Funny story from two years ago.... I found a buck that was hit by a car on the property we hunt. Had to get s tag from a conservation officer to keep the horns. It was starting to rot so no meat was salvageable. Any ways I took the head off and was going to give a try at a euro mount! Here's where the fun starts..... fired up the chargriller Akorn and decided to boil it in a big pot. All was fine and dandy till it got way too hot and boiled over! The smell of half rotted deer meat and burnt hair was the absolute nastiest thing I've ever smelled! Lesson learned.dont boil it too hot and never do it in a charcoal grill. Side burner on a gasser and low simmer does the trick. Now we just throw them in a pond over winter with a wire tied to the horns for retrieving in the spring. Pull em out let em dry a few days. A little whitening to the skull and touch up the antlers with some stain and they look great! Takes a while but very little effort!

Focker

CountryBoy said:

Funny story from two years ago.... I found a buck that was hit by a car on the property we hunt. Had to get s tag from a conservation officer to keep the horns. It was starting to rot so no meat was salvageable. Any ways I took the head off and was going to give a try at a euro mount! Here's where the fun starts..... fired up the chargriller Akorn and decided to boil it in a big pot. All was fine and dandy till it got way too hot and boiled over! The smell of half rotted deer meat and burnt hair was the absolute nastiest thing I've ever smelled! Lesson learned.dont boil it too hot and never do it in a charcoal grill. Side burner on a gasser and low simmer does the trick. Now we just throw them in a pond over winter with a wire tied to the horns for retrieving in the spring. Pull em out let em dry a few days. A little whitening to the skull and touch up the antlers with some stain and they look great! Takes a while but very little effort!

Good stuff.
I buried mine in the backyard to finish, then dug up a year or so later.  Worked good, they cleaned up nice.

gmac

Any suggestions for what to mount this on as a backing when I get this done?  Was thinking barn board. Have some walnut but will the dark wood overwhelm the antlers?  Tough decisions ahead...

Focker

gmac said:

Any suggestions for what to mount this on as a backing when I get this done?  Was thinking barn board. Have some walnut but will the dark wood overwhelm the antlers?  Tough decisions ahead...

Barn board would look awesome.

fishlessman

my dog finds them already boiled



sometimes not

gmac

Here we are all picked clean. Gonna start to peroxide tomorrow. Need to do a 1/2 HR simmer with dish soap to degrease and then wrap on paper towel and apply peroxide for a couple days. Will glue the nose bones back tighter as well. 

gmac

@Focker @Cashfan

Well, here is the final result ready to hang as soon as my lovely wife and I agree on where to put it. Her thoughts are a bit different than mine  
I didn't joint the wood or finish it except stain it. Wanted it to look rustic. The flat metal is just decorative but I like it. Took an angled shot too so you could see the screws. Trust me, it's level but the picture makes it look a bit slanted too for some reason. Was a fun project and something to do over the break. 

Focker

gmac said:

@Focker @Cashfan

Well, here is the final result ready to hang as soon as my lovely wife and I agree on where to put it. Her thoughts are a bit different than mine  
I didn't joint the wood or finish it except stain it. Wanted it to look rustic. The flat metal is just decorative but I like it. Took an angled shot too so you could see the screws. Trust me, it's level but the picture makes it look a bit slanted too for some reason. Was a fun project and something to do over the break. 

Beautiful mount my friend.  Love everything you have done with it.  Really enjoyed your post, and will keep this technique in mind.