Euro mount smells

[AntlerFever]

Hey everyone . I just got a European mount shipped back from the taxidermist . It looks pristine but still smells like a meat locker. I don’t think I see any residual meat on it (again looks pristine) but I’m thinking that it could perhaps just be the antlers that are smelling.

What can I do to clean the antlers without discoloring them. I figured dawn was safe with a sponge like I’m washing dishes . Just don’t want to do anything that with rub any color off.

Also I’m assuming I can set them outside in the sun during the day for a few days , which I’m going to try

The smell isn’t horrible by any means but bad enough where it should be indoors. Doesn’t smell so much like rotting meat just a musty meat locker type of smell

 

[Cameron.25]

Some good info in this thread. Using the search function has stopped me from starting a few unnecessary threads. Have you called the taxi to ask about it?

Euro Mount Smell

Has anyone (who used a taxidermist to do it) ever gotten a euro mount back that stank? This is an elk....skull appears clean as a whistle, but the whole thing including the antlers smells like a sack full of buttholes. Have used most of a can of Lysol, and also wiped the antlers down with a...

www.rokslide.com

 

[AntlerFever]

Already read that one, and a bunch on other sites. Will be calling taxi when they open back up.

 

[Indian Summer]

It wasn’t properly degreased. Mix some Dawn dish detergent in water and soak it. Mix a fresh batch of water every few days and do that for at least 10 days. All these guys saying I do my own just boil that sucker have no clue. If it smells eventually you’ll get discoloration too. Yellow patches in the white. That’s the grease coming to the surface.

 

[journeyman713]

This is the cure for most things smelly...
Ozone generator. It breaks things down at the molecular level.
Blow a fan directly on it, with Ozone generator behind the fan, preferably in a small enclosure, like a closet.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Some good info in this thread. Using the search function has stopped me from starting a few unnecessary threads. Have you called the taxi to ask about it?

Euro Mount Smell

Has anyone (who used a taxidermist to do it) ever gotten a euro mount back that stank? This is an elk....skull appears clean as a whistle, but the whole thing including the antlers smells like a sack full of buttholes. Have used most of a can of Lysol, and also wiped the antlers down with a...

www.rokslide.com

That was my thread. It still smells, but not near like it did. I tried denatured alcohol, febreeze spray, lysol spray. I also talked to another taxidermist and he said that they didn't change the water from previous boils. Would be curious who your taxidermist was? Was it in Montana? If so, feel free to PM me as I have other complaints as well I'd rather not air out while they still have something I want back.

 

[Cameron.25]

Dang that sucks.. I just simmer in dish soap and borax then light pressure wash, then coat the hell out of them with peroxide cream and wrap with plastic overnight. Don't smell at all

 

[AntlerFever]

Thanks guys.

My hope is that it’s just elk piss on the antlers. The mustiness makes me think it could be that. The smell *seems* like it’s coming from the antlers . Skull is still plastic wrapped but doing my best to locate it it seems like it’s the antlers.

The fear is it is the degreasing. I don’t have a good setup at my current place to degrease .

 

[AntlerFever]

That was my thread. It still smells, but not near like it did. I tried denatured alcohol, febreeze spray, lysol spray. I also talked to another taxidermist and he said that they didn't change the water from previous boils. Would be curious who your taxidermist was? Was it in Montana? If so, feel free to PM me as I have other complaints as well I'd rather not air out while they still have something I want back.

That’s a bummer. Going to try all these things also going to try some natures miracle pet urine remover . Hopefully it helps but I’m skeptical. Good to know that they won’t discolor the antlers. It was in NM.

I’ve got a guy who lives in my old town who just does euros in his garage as a side gig that did a great job on an antelope for me. If this does work I guess I will take to him to degrease. Sucks I already have $1000 in this with shipping.

 

[Dirtscoots]

I’ve got some smell to one of my deer that I did. For a grand tho I would want to be able to eat my breakfast off that thing!

 

[go4thegusto]

They have to gas off for a while. I put mine in a box with ozone generator and set out in the hot sun for a week. Seems to have worked it out now but last one took a while.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

After you check the skull really good - there can be chunks in nooks and crannys in the brain and nasal cavity as well as above the teeth and in the vein holes - simmer in some borax and set in the sun. Keep the skull in your garage or outside awhile and set in the sun when your doing chores and such, maybe even over the winter to see of the smell disappears. I've had antlers on waterlogged sheds smell bad, but never on a skull.

 

[positivepete!]

I did my first antalope by doing the boil, pressure wash, peroxide bleach method and the horns had a funk for a few years. Since then I found that Beatles are a far superior way to go. My process is to skin the head freeze it the best I can then drive it a few hours to a taxidermy place that had the bugs. Costs a bit more but if you can find someone that dose it its well worth it.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I do all my own euro mounts. Once cleaned and bleached you need to let them sit in the garage or outside safely away from critters for at least a week until the smell goes away.

 

[AntlerFever]

Yeah maybe it’s just that. They couldn’t have finished long ago . They called me for final payment about 5 days ago , and I killed it 7 weeks ago. Shipper happened to be coming through about they time they finished .

Again it couldn’t look better … it doesn’t smell rotting , hard for me to pinpoint if it smells more like Elkey like piss but to me it’s more like the smell of the cold storage at a game processor . Just bad enough where you could notice it when you walked in the room, not bad enough where you would want to fumigate the entire residence .

 

[wytx]

Likely the bases, they get the splash back from the boil and can get a greasy coating on them.
And by the way it could very well be elk pee, have you ever seen an elk wallow ?
Glad to hear it looks nice though.
Try the ozone generator, you can get a small one pretty cheap.

positivepete I bet you didn't get the lining out of the horn sheaths, it can be tricky and will smell if left.

 

[AntlerFever]

Yeah that was including very expensive shipping .

And I killed him in the middle of the rut at the very beginning of rifle season with his own little harem. He was very ripe of rut . Felt like it took 2-3 showers to get the smell off me after . Going to try all the above things starting with natures miracle and see.

I’m sure the guy would make it right if it ends up being a longer term problem , problem would be getting it back to him. I chose to get it done there and shipped to not have to deal with a rotting head in 80-95 degree weather in transport back home , with an entire truck loaded with crap , etc. I do think the guy I have used locally before would degrease it for me for probably like $50. I’ve moved 5 hours away since then but family is there so will be back for holidays and moving back there in a few years anyways

 

[lyle_destroys]

It wasn’t properly degreased. Mix some Dawn dish detergent in water and soak it. Mix a fresh batch of water every few days and do that for at least 10 days. All these guys saying I do my own just boil that sucker have no clue. If it smells eventually you’ll get discoloration too. Yellow patches in the white. That’s the grease coming to the surface.

This. I boil twice. Once with laundry soap and once with dawn.

 

[JaWally91]

Toss some Borax in the water with soap and simmer for awhile 1.5- 2.5 hrs however long it takes to stop leaching out grease, smell the brain cavity area, if that's what is stinky spray some white spray paint ( kilz) in the brain pocket

 

[CAElkhunter]

I just did a Euro mount myself on an Elk. I found that you need to power wash the hell out of the nasal cavity.
There is tissue back there that withstood 8 hrs of simmering in Dawn/Oxyclean bath. I went back in
and put the power wash nozzle back in the nasal cavity and got all the residual stuff out. There was still
quite a bit. it didn't smell after that. For future reference I am not a taxidermy do it yourself guy but it
was really easy to do. Bought peroxide solution for the skull bleaching , Youtubed it. Turned out great.