European Mount

[GET-SAUM]

I have Euro mounted a few heads myself over the years and it’s definitely a process. I’ve never paid to have one done. Does everyone like doing it themselves or is it worth just paying the money and have it done professionally?

 

[FairWeatherFisher]

No idea, but I’m curious about it too.

 

[Musky]

Boiled one in highschool. I pay to have them done now. No need to stink up my stuff like that.

 

[Rogue Bay]

I do all of my deer myself. Outside my garage door I set up my single burner propane crab cooker and an old pot that is just for skulls. I get the skull simmering then work on other small projects in my garage until it’s time to scrape and pick. Sometimes there’s an adult beverage or two involved. It really doesn’t take too much time and doing it outside minimizes the unpleasant smell.

However, if it was a big buck and I’m not going to have a shoulder mount done, I would pay to have the euro done professionally.

 

[Jgriff]

i just did my second one today. I watched a bunch of how-to’s and found this one to be easy.

I setup a fish fryer burner outside the garage and out of the wind. I have a pot the skull will fit into. Just simmer it with Dawn dish soap for 4 hours, pull it out and clean it up. Then pour two quarts of hydrogen peroxide and put the skull back in for 30-45 minutes. Pull it out and let it dry and it comes out beautiful. The video shows it but make sure you wrap the antler bases before you put it into the hydrogen peroxide. It is super simple process and only costs a few bucks.

 

[menhaden_man]

Arm and hammer super washing soda makes it easy. Search it online lots of guys do it.

 

[Trevor96]

A pressure washer makes it a lot easier and faster

 

[TripleJ]

I started doing all my own about 12 years ago. The more I do, the better they seem to turn out. Getting all the grease out of the skull is probably one of the most important parts.

 

[roosiebull]

I have Euro mounted a few heads myself over the years and it’s definitely a process. I’ve never paid to have one done. Does everyone like doing it themselves or is it worth just paying the money and have it done professionally?

It depends, there is a lady who does it about an hour from me, and she does a next level job… seriously didn’t know that there was a next level with euros, but she is a perfectionist and they turn out so good, and she is cheaper than having a taxi do it… the problem with her has become the wait, she has become very popular and busy, and what started as 3-4 months has turned into a year plus

Still, if I really care about a particular euro, it’s worth the wait knowing it will be perfect and will never have oil spots leech out, and knowing the antler based will be perfect, and antlers will be pristine and live looking. Antlered animals are pretty easy to do an acceptable job yourself if you have what you need to do it, like a propane burner and big enough pot… but I think beetled skulls will always turn out better… most critters I don’t care that much, but if it’s a really big buck/bull or a lion or bear, I will spend the money and wait for a perfect product

I have done several myself and they turn out fine, but I don’t love the process and I know it won’t turn out as good as the lady I use to euro critters

I don’t mind natural bone color either, so if I want one bleached, I’m not doing it myself, but I have had a few done by taxis that didn’t turn out any better than if I did it, and many don’t do it in house so you are paying more

It depends on how important the skull is to me. Lots of my euros aren’t displayed, so those ones I’m doing myself

 

[Caseknife]

I've done probably a dozen Euros, antelope are the easiest, deer, elk and then moose. Moose because of the size and then the angle the antlers exit the skull make it harder to do. It can be a challenge to keep the antlers out of the peroxide solution at the end, but if wrapped, or totally left above the solution with a washcloth draped over the skull they turn out good. I would much rather do one myself then take it to someone and wait forever. I can get it done in a day usually and am doing other stuff at the same time. One of the easiest to do was a buck that I killed on the last day of late archery and he shed an antler in the process. Was harder to get the antler reattached correctly and securely. I look forward to doing them.

 

[Dirtscoots]

I boil w baking soda and dawn dish soap then pressure wash then use a peroxide to make it white. Velvet is a pain. Pressure washing brains is gross but gets the job done