Dealing with an old head

[FYT]

I want to start just by emphasizing that I'm very attentive to proper meat care and I take good care of the meat.

But, because I'm a procrastinator with three little kids and not much extra time, I'm not typically good about dealing with antlers after a hunt. So, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've got a bull elk head that's been sitting in an empty garbage can since September.

I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion about how best to deal with it, preferably not boiling at this point because of the smell and proximity to neighbors (and my desire to keep my wife from killing me).

Thankfully I skinned it out mostly, except for under the bases, but it's definitely looking a little gnarly.

Just bury it until fall? Masceration? Any suggestions on a best approach?

Thanks in advance.

 

[justinspicher]

I have a taxidermist in Aztec that handles all of my heads. I’ve found quite a few older dead heads and skulls and he’s managed to salvage them for me. He’s also incredibly reasonable.

 

[Joshk358]

I'd bury it. Let it go all summer, then clean, degrease and whiten it. I've done that many times. I think it'll be a little more difficult to whiten because the fat will leech into the skull and yellow it some. Degrease and whiten...should be A OK.

 

[Kow]

You’re not the first guy to have one sit longer than planned. Life gets busy.

I would skip burying it, and I would definitely skip boiling it right next to the neighbors.

At this point, maceration is probably your best DIY option. Get the last of the hide and meat off, keep the antler bases out of the water if you can, and let a lidded container do the ugly work somewhere well away from the house. It’s still going to smell, but it’s usually easier on the skull than boiling, and a lot better than burying it if you care about detail.

If you want the honest best move, though, this is the kind of head I’d hand to a beetle guy or skull cleaner and be done with it. A bull elk that’s been sitting since September is worth saving the headache.

 

[NickT406]

Hey I have the same story as you. Life got busy and my elk head was in the same shape as yours. I put one cup of oxi clean powder in my boiling pot and the head soaked all day last Saturday. I didn’t boil it but I kept the water heated all day and pressure washed it a couple times. It actually cleaned up pretty easy and the smell wasn’t much worse than boiling a fresh head. There’s a few spots I need to scrape still on the back of the head before I whiten but it it’s not bad!

 

[LCguy]

I'd bury it for a year. Used to do that with Javelinas and they always came out clean.

 

[robby denning]

My uncle's a taxi and I can't count the number of maggot-infested heads people have brought him. He seems to get them all to professional grade euros. He powerwashes/ boil (lowtemp, so not really boiling)/ and does some whitenting.

I doubut it's ruined and you should be good but let us know how it turns out.

 

[realunlucky]

Don't bury it.

Get two 55 gallon contractor trash bags to line that trash can. Fill with 4 or 5 gallons of water.
Drop the head in the trash bags twist the center up and secure. Electrical tape around the horn bases best you can. Drag trash can into sunny place your wife can't see. Leave 10 days or so depending on how warm the weather is. It'll smell but if you taped it good won't smell from far way. Take trash can to car wash open surprise that been stewing in trash bags and spray everything off. Simple

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