# One of a kind DIY skull mount



## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

Well, i wanted to try my hand at a skull mount with the buck i shot this year...this was my first ever attempt at a euro, but i am really happy with the results. I have to say that euro mounts are no joke, and are NOT AS EASY AS THEY LOOK. There are a LOT of little tiny nooks and crannys that you have to make sure are SPOTLESS, fragile bones, and the repeatative bleaching process...but overall they look really cool. But when i finished my skull, i was looking to make a plaque for the wall...but i thought that's kinda boring, and with all the work that went into making this mount...why don't i do something.........different? So i got started :teeth:

First, i walked in to my woods and found a log










Second, i let it dry and hollowed the base of it out, making it lighter










Third, i attached a piece of aluminum floral wire to the back with large screws...this gave me a solid foundation so i could work on the base, and hang it up later










Fourth i drilled a hole and hammered in a wodden dowel so i could hang the skull from it




























Fifth, i went to the craft store (always uncomfortable) and got the usual stares from the mouth breathing hamburger eating hags that spend their saturday afternoons in the corner of the store knitting tiny sweaters for their dogs...but i got in and out...bought some moss, wheat, and more aluminum wiring










Sixth, since my local tractor supply company only sells barbed wire in lengths of 400 meters, i improvised and made my own with the aluminum floral wire, a cordless drill, and needle nose pliers










Seventh, i drilled holes in the log to stick the barbed wire into



















then i hung it from my garage wall and started glueing moss and drilling holes and glueing the wheat down










so now i have a one of a kind base for a one of a kind mount.























































Since i took these pictures, i added more moss...but you guys can use your imagination :teeth:


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## BEETLE GUY (Apr 14, 2007)

Cool


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## Stab 'em (Dec 26, 2008)

Best looking euro mount I've ever seen. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## My2Sons (Jan 5, 2007)

Very creative.


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## ckrich (Oct 14, 2009)

*Nice job*

:thumbs_up:thumbs_upNow thats one heck of an idea!


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

looks great! excellent job and creativity - doesn't look like this was your first trip to the craft store though. j/k - great work


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## pure havoc (Apr 21, 2003)

If ya dont mind me asking what do you have in it minus the clean skull ? $20 ?


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## 05_sprcrw (Aug 18, 2009)

Very nice I will probably be doing something like that in the near future thanks for the idea.


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

My guess is that you could sell that at an outdoor show or some similar venue for $200+


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## BQC123 (Sep 23, 2009)

Great work. I may have to borrow this idea myself. Thanks for sharing!


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## Donali (Jan 6, 2009)

*Great Job Iceman*

You did a fantastic job on the skull mount, what did you do to get the skull so white.


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## Barnes57 (Sep 29, 2009)

a camo dipped skull on that would look amazing looks real good though


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

pure havoc said:


> If ya dont mind me asking what do you have in it minus the clean skull ? $20 ?


If i have $20 in it, that's a lot...the log was free, craft store stuff was probably $10-15...everything else was labor...i think the whole mount cost me $20


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

Donali said:


> You did a fantastic job on the skull mount, what did you do to get the skull so white.


Believe it or not, i used hair bleach lmao...its a peroxide that comes in a paste form so it sticks to the skull...i think i put on 3 coats, let each one sit over night...it came out great! i got a gallon of that stuff for $8 and i still have over half of it left...probably closer to 3/4


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

oldschoolcj5 said:


> My guess is that you could sell that at an outdoor show or some similar venue for $200+


right?! and the funny thing is it took me about an hour to make, and most of that hour was holding the moss down when i glued it since i had to use super glue instead of a hot glue gun


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

oldschoolcj5 said:


> looks great! excellent job and creativity - doesn't look like this was your first trip to the craft store though. j/k - great work


guilty  lol


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## pork_chop (Nov 12, 2009)

That is neat. Very unique. Awesome job all the way around.


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## teilf (Dec 3, 2007)

Wow...you did an excellant job. You have givin me some great ideas. Job well done....:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## Uncle Pecos (Sep 12, 2009)

Awesome job and idea. Looks great!


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## loandrus (Jul 31, 2009)

That is a bad ***** job you did I realy like it keep up the good work


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## Hoosier bowman (Jan 10, 2010)

Great looking mount. All I would do different is I would use real barbed wire (not saying yours isn't awsome) because it rusts and looks more authentic. Still awsome looking mount. I just like the look of the rusted barbed wire better. Thanks for sharing.


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

Hoosier bowman said:


> Great looking mount. All I would do different is I would use real barbed wire (not saying yours isn't awsome) because it rusts and looks more authentic. Still awsome looking mount. I just like the look of the rusted barbed wire better. Thanks for sharing.


I agree with you, i looked all over the place for some rusted barbed wire...but i didn't want my neighbors horses getting out lmao...i did use a textured brown spray paint, so it looks rusted...but i did that after i took these pics


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## Hoosier bowman (Jan 10, 2010)

Iceman2383 said:


> I agree with you, i looked all over the place for some rusted barbed wire...but i didn't want my neighbors horses getting out lmao...i did use a textured brown spray paint, so it looks rusted...but i did that after i took these pics


I think that may just work. Cool. I guess I'm just spoiled. There are all kinds of rusted, run-down barbed-wire fences around on our property, and I can take some wire off them whenever I want to. I like your idea though. Again, thanks for sharing.


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## SCFox (Dec 11, 2005)

Looks great!!


SCFox


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## Rory/MO (Jan 13, 2008)

That's awesome!


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## ckrich (Oct 14, 2009)

Iceman2383 said:


> Believe it or not, i used hair bleach lmao...its a peroxide that comes in a paste form so it sticks to the skull...i think i put on 3 coats, let each one sit over night...it came out great! i got a gallon of that stuff for $8 and i still have over half of it left...probably closer to 3/4


Was it the type of hair bleach where you have to mix the powder and liquid? Or did it come pre-mixed?


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## SCAmmo (Feb 11, 2009)

VERY NICE EURO!!! Best one I have ever seen.:thumbs_up


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## BoCoMo (Sep 28, 2008)

Well done.


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## Big Eazy (Mar 12, 2007)

I have never really been that big a fan of the euro mounts, but I would certainly go for one set up like that. Thanks for sharing.


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

ckrich said:


> Was it the type of hair bleach where you have to mix the powder and liquid? Or did it come pre-mixed?


it was pre-mixed stuff...all i did was paint it on and let it sit


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

Thanks guys...i appreciate it!


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## deerstuffer (Oct 28, 2008)

Hoosier bowman said:


> Great looking mount. All I would do different is I would use real barbed wire (not saying yours isn't awsome) because it rusts and looks more authentic. Still awsome looking mount. I just like the look of the rusted barbed wire better. Thanks for sharing.


Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe even paint it a rust color. It takes years for wire to grow into a tree like that so new wire sticking out of it looks a little obviouse to me too. Great idea though. I mounted a flying pheasant on an old fence post similar to that years ago. Keep using your imagination.


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## deerstuffer (Oct 28, 2008)

Iceman2383 said:


> it was pre-mixed stuff...all i did was paint it on and let it sit


You can also buy peroxide 40 and whiting powder from a salon supply store and make your own paste. If you spread it on and wrap in plastic and put close to some heat, you can expedite the process.


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## SwitchBackJr. (Feb 20, 2009)

Awesome mount Iceman... what did you have to do to make the barbwire?


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

ttt


Iceman2383 said:


> I agree with you, i looked all over the place for some rusted barbed wire...but i didn't want my neighbors horses getting out lmao...i did use a textured brown spray paint, so it looks rusted...but i did that after i took these pics


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

SwitchBackJr. said:


> Awesome mount Iceman... what did you have to do to make the barbwire?


Thanks man...i wrapped the aluminum wire around my work bench post...then i took the 2 loose ends and put them in my cordless drill...chucked them down and started winding...then i just took needle nose pliers and bent the barbes...the aluminum wire is pretty flexible, so the barbs weren't that hard to do


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## SwitchBackJr. (Feb 20, 2009)

Iceman2383 said:


> Thanks man...i wrapped the aluminum wire around my work bench post...then i took the 2 loose ends and put them in my cordless drill...chucked them down and started winding...then i just took needle nose pliers and bent the barbes...the aluminum wire is pretty flexible, so the barbs weren't that hard to do


Thanks man...i might have to try this out soon


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## aocasek (Oct 27, 2008)

That is awesome. I have a few skulls that are on slanted plaques I made but I agree...kinda boring. I'm going to try this. It turned out awesome!


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## mdhuntr (Feb 20, 2009)

now that's using the ol noggin. very creative iceman. nice job.


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## jrhoades (Mar 2, 2009)

very nice.........:thumbs_up


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## sport201 (Aug 24, 2009)

nice looks awesome 2 thunbs up


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## BowTech Dave (Feb 27, 2003)

Looks good man! You got talent!!!:darkbeer:


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## stillern (Feb 1, 2005)

That's creative. Good on ya!


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## TC-CountryBoy (Aug 30, 2004)

:thumbs_up Great mount, love the presentation! 
I have a head sitting in the freezer that I want to do a euro mount with, and I had thought of an old piece of wood, but hadn't thought of the barbed wire and wheat. Heck, if I get something done that looks as good as you did, maybe the wife will let me put it in the living room.

TC


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## Elite Freak (Dec 8, 2009)

*mount*

Great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! might try something like that myself some time thanks for the idea.


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## Sideways (Feb 13, 2006)

Very nice and thanks for sharing the idea!


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## SHUEY (Jan 24, 2008)

very nice work!!!


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

TC-CountryBoy said:


> :thumbs_up Great mount, love the presentation!
> I have a head sitting in the freezer that I want to do a euro mount with, and I had thought of an old piece of wood, but hadn't thought of the barbed wire and wheat. Heck, if I get something done that looks as good as you did, maybe the wife will let me put it in the living room.
> 
> TC


LMAO!!!!...that's EXACTLY what happened to me...during the boiling process my wife said "No Way are you putting that in the house"...after everything was all done, she came out to the man cave to see it and gave me the green light to put it in the living room


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## dxtbuck002 (Jan 4, 2010)

I hope i can someday do something half that nice very cool mount nice work!


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## browningRAGE (Dec 19, 2009)

that mount is about the coolest mount i've ever seen in my life! that's great!


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## sdoc (Sep 16, 2009)

very nice euro!!! did a great job making the barbed wire!


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## ttujason (Nov 14, 2008)

Very nice!


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## phade (Feb 2, 2008)

Fantastic euro mount! I wanted use a similar style design, but I like yours way better!


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## Meleagris1 (Jan 8, 2003)

Very nice!


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## affe22 (Sep 29, 2005)

Looks great. How long did you end up degreasing for?


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## nywell (Feb 21, 2005)

GREAT JOB ICEMAN! Really nice mount.


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

affe22 said:


> Looks great. How long did you end up degreasing for?


I think it was about a week and a half...somewhere around there


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## TC-CountryBoy (Aug 30, 2004)

Iceman,
I showed the wife your mount, and for the 1st time she didn't say "NO" to putting my mount in the house when and if I get it done. Up until now, I've been told it has to live in the garage. There are some good looking mounts in the Taxidermy section, but I like what you did better. I like the natural materials. A cousin has a full body mount on a platform with grass and leaves and in front of the deer there is a fence post with barbed wire and an old "NO Hunting" sign.

By the way, if you ever need barbed wire again, give me a shout. You take care of the shipping, and I'll send you all the barbed wire you want.

TC


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## G.Keniston (Dec 27, 2009)

Thats awsome, nice work..:shade:


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## tw10136 (Jan 24, 2010)

great job i would pay 100 for that


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## blitzline (Feb 11, 2010)

that looks really good


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## rublines (Jan 6, 2010)

very nice mount very artistic looks great thanks for sharing.......


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

*Well done*

Very nice, just a simple plan that really enhances the presentation. It tells a story and makes it far more interesting. Thanks for Sharing!

The wafer board not so much, Perhaps make it free standing post set in a mound of foe dirt? Just a suggestion but I really like it.


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## Hanker (Dec 10, 2009)

Hey Iceman great job man. That looks awesome. I have a slight suggestion to make most barbs have four points. Just a little detail but it's the little things that make it really stand out. Very cool idea though.


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## little buddy (Dec 20, 2004)

I love it. So much so I ran into the woods found a good piece of wood and some old rusted barbed wire. I finished it just now and it looks awsome. The best part is all the materials came from about 5 feet from where I killed my buck that I used for this mount. Thank you and you will get all the credit!!:smile:


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

b0w_bender said:


> Very nice, just a simple plan that really enhances the presentation. It tells a story and makes it far more interesting. Thanks for Sharing!
> 
> The wafer board not so much, Perhaps make it free standing post set in a mound of foe dirt? Just a suggestion but I really like it.


that's my garage wall...i hung it up to dry, i can hang it on any wall...not actually part of the mount


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## Trailhuntin1 (Feb 12, 2010)

Love it. Looks great


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## nagant (Feb 17, 2009)

What a cool idea. This would look great with two euro mounts I have done. I don't care for the bleached out skull look, so after cleaning and drying the skull, I lightly bleach it. This leaves dark lines at the seams of the skull that look really rustic. I then seal it with low gloss laquer. This would look really good on your fence post mounts. What a great idea. I will have to try and make one. Thanks for the good instructions.


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## madarchery (May 28, 2003)

nice.

As far as wire. Visit a local farmer. They hva rolls of weathered barb laying around. Find it aloy on fencelines after they took down old fencing.

I would also flatten and pull the moss aprt so it is more natural.

Ya want another season. Do as you did minus the moss. Get some crystalized foam board from the craft store. Its hard and rigid and crysal like. 

Anyways use a cheeses grater and grate away. You will have a pile of snow. Mix some in diluted elmers glue. And apply. Top while wet with fresh powder lightly set it. Let dry. Now ya got a snow scene.


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## callou2131 (Dec 2, 2009)

I have a pheasant that is flying, just up against the wall, I now have a new project. Thanks for the inspration bro.


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## Eagle Custom (Jul 19, 2009)

Looks good I like the post and wire idea


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## affe22 (Sep 29, 2005)

Hanker said:


> I have a slight suggestion to make most barbs have four points. Just a little detail but it's the little things that make it really stand out. Very cool idea though.


I'd better go tell all that two-point I have used that it isn't really barbed wire . There are lots of type of barbed wire out there, especially if you are going for a really old look.


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## Mattyv97 (Mar 30, 2009)

nice job, looks sweet


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## heh (Oct 28, 2002)

*Euro mount*

You did a great job on your mount. I have been thinking about something similar. Thanks for sharing your ideas. heh


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## YankeeRebel (Dec 30, 2005)

Nice job. :thumb:


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

madarchery said:


> nice.
> 
> Ya want another season. Do as you did minus the moss. Get some crystalized foam board from the craft store. Its hard and rigid and crysal like.
> 
> Anyways use a cheeses grater and grate away. You will have a pile of snow. Mix some in diluted elmers glue. And apply. Top while wet with fresh powder lightly set it. Let dry. Now ya got a snow scene.


That's a really good idea...bet that looks sweet too


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## madarchery (May 28, 2003)




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## BrowninG77 (May 5, 2009)

Good job Iceman! I've made a few "pedestal" euro mounts as well as put a few euro's on the boards that are cut in the shape of the state in which i killed the deer to add a lil personality to the mounts but this is truly unique and creative! I'll have to give it a try. I have access to hundreds of feet of old tore down barb wire out in woods at the hunting club to play around with on the project. Its amazing what a fellow can do with a trip to Hobby Lobby and Sally's Beauty Salon Supplies! Ha Ha! Way to go bro and thanks for sharing.


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## josh s. (Feb 9, 2008)

The whitener you guys are talking about from the salon is Basic White by Clairol......just mix that with 40 vol peroxide......NO BLEACH INVOLVED!!! That will eat the skull away......mount looks good.......next time throw the wire in a tank of water for a bit......it will rust eventually.


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## little buddy (Dec 20, 2004)

*Ok here is mine!*

Thanks Iceman. I think I need to shorten my barbed wire a bit lol!


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

little buddy said:


> Thanks Iceman. I think I need to shorten my barbed wire a bit lol!


Hey that looks awesome man!


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## little buddy (Dec 20, 2004)

Thanks Ice. The best part is I got the wood and wire feet from where I shot my deer. My girlfriend even said we she put it in the living room!


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

thats very cool...makes it personal, a story behind it...not just a store bought euro plaque


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## hobbs4421 (May 20, 2006)

*re*

Nice Job!


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## JRN11 (Mar 29, 2007)

That is awesome. I really want to try something like this.


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## OHIO RUTNUT (Aug 13, 2009)

That is very nice I will have to give that a try


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## crappie (Feb 25, 2009)

Very impressive… I killed my first buck with the bow on Halloween morning 2009… I had a european mount done and I have been struggling with what to mount it on for display. Thanks for the idea!


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

Congrats on the first buck man!


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## irishpride42 (Apr 15, 2009)

THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA ICEMAN, I altered it a bit but without seeing yours I would have never come up with it!

So here is how I spent my Saturday with pops. I took him over to a piece of land I hunt that a close friend owns. I had this idea in my head thanks to Iceman and Dad hadn't seen this land so I knew I could kill two birds with one stone! Anyhow, the fence post and barbed wire are 80+ years old and part of the original fence line and the wood in the back are from an old run down barn off the farm as well. We had a great time getting all the stuff and letting Dad see some of the spots we hunted this year! We were able to go out to the farm and back to the house, then have everything finished in about 3 hours. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed doing it! I still have a little more to add to it but it is about 90% done!


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## irishpride42 (Apr 15, 2009)

Think it will be ok to hang the bow like that by the strings?


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## camotoe (Sep 19, 2006)

Stab 'em said:


> Best looking euro mount I've ever seen. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up


Thought the same thing as I was looking at your work. I don't normally like the Euromounts much, but yours is far and away the best I've seen. Looks great. congrats.


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

thank you guys very much!


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## THEBOWBARN (Dec 3, 2009)

*euro mount*

I think you could make some nice extra ching doing these for others !!!
very professional looking. great job !!!


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## NEstickslinger (Jan 10, 2009)

looks cool!


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## ONEiiSHOTiiDROP (Oct 18, 2007)

sweet, maybe if you could find some rusty barbed wire instead of the shiny metal?


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## moecarama (May 17, 2005)

That's nice!


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## Made-In-TX (Aug 1, 2007)

Gotta save this one for my next DIY mount. Nice job!


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## dxtbowhuntersj (May 8, 2008)

thats pretty sweet. my mom has always wanted to get some barb wire that is old,that her grandpa put up, to use for a display like that. if you could find some out in the woods it would look good too. but what you made looked pretty real.


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## runnerguy (Apr 6, 2006)

cool idea !!!


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## Ju5t H3R3 (Sep 14, 2005)

*Very Cool*

Very Cool


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## Rodsnapper (Sep 21, 2009)

*Great skull mount*

You have done a beautiful mount. I really like the balance you managed to capture. A real piece of art. A great piece for any man-cave.:set1_draught2:


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## rollingstonebow (Feb 7, 2010)

*Right on*

Creative good job


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## heath_4503 (Jan 27, 2010)

*I really like this idea.*

Looks great and cost effective!


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## 2_Smithereenz (Feb 1, 2010)

You've got some great creative talent Iceman, you should think about doing some taxidermy work? It might just turn a hobby into a profession, or at least a well paying part time job that you enjoy?

Great Job, great idea!:shade::thumbs_up


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## Son of Rooster (Mar 3, 2007)

*Mine*

*Iceman you inspired me to do this!! *A great Idea and I finally got around to mounting my 2008 Buck. Thanks for posting this up. I threw the skull in with our beetles last year and let them go at it. Took it out and let the remaining beetles jump off for a couple days. Took the skull and let it set in alcohol for an hour or so to completely debug. Mixed up some peroxide from the beauty shop (40%) and made a paste and let it soak up for a few days.....
The way I mount skulls is to drill all the way through the wood and glue in a 3/8" to a 3/4" wooden rod, I sand it to fit snug. Then I drill a very small hole in the back of the skull and put a screw through the skull into the wooden rod. I also countersink one screw through to the pallet of the skull, but always pre drill so it won't split.
I went to the father in laws and found an old locust fence post and cut it to size. Then Hillbilly John (the neighbor) and I made the barbwire out of suspended ceiling wire. We put just a touch of primer on the wire to make it look rusty. Then I went to the local craft store and got the dried weeds and the moss.... people really look funny at men in the craft store if ya get my drift.
So, this is what I did on Easter Weekend between putting in cabinets at Hillbilly John and Hillbilly Diane's house.


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

very very cool!!! good job!


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## Hoyt Hunter 22 (Mar 31, 2009)

*Thanks for the insperation*

I've been shooting around ideas for a euro mount i need to do and i gotta say that is the best i have seen yet. Really nice work!


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## Deer Hunting Do (Sep 3, 2010)

I love this thread so much, I gave it a whirl myself. Mine turned out a lot like SOR's. I "borrowed" some of the habitat from my Wife's decorations throughout the house. I used an old fencepost I found. The skull is a Mountain Mike's I've had around for a year. Intended on using it on this Deer but never got around to it until now. I just wish I could figure out how to make the skull look "weathered".


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## fudd22 (Jan 29, 2010)

Big Eazy said:


> I have never really been that big a fan of the euro mounts, but I would certainly go for one set up like that. Thanks for sharing.


+1 That is a great idea.


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## XSPOTKILLER (Mar 2, 2009)

will do thos with some of the sheds ive got thanks for posting!


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## buckslayerII (Nov 5, 2004)

Deer Hunting Do said:


> I love this thread so much, I gave it a whirl myself. Mine turned out a lot like SOR's. I "borrowed" some of the habitat from my Wife's decorations throughout the house. I used an old fencepost I found. The skull is a Mountain Mike's I've had around for a year. Intended on using it on this Deer but never got around to it until now. I just wish I could figure out how to make the skull look "weathered".


Nice job!! I've heard that you can make those look weathered with some sandpaper to take sheen off. I'm planning on using one on a set of antlers and will practice "antiquing" it on the back by rubbing something on (brown craft paint maybe ?) and then wiping most of it off before it dries, except for what remains in some of the nooks. I remember my mom using this technique, although I believe it was an actual product, back in the day when she painted ceramics.


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## kylelucas88 (Apr 28, 2010)

i did the same but i didnt drill the barb wire right through the log i stappled it on just like it would actually be. look good


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## LiteSpeed1 (May 21, 2005)

Once again the Iceman amazes us! That job is so good John, I think you might have a future as an interior designer. LOL


ps-If you ever decide you want some real weathered barbed wire, let me know. The farm I hunt has old wire all over the place, in fact a piece that I didn't know about tripped me just the other night.


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## dw'struth (Mar 14, 2008)

I'm glad you guys brought this back up. I have a couple skulls I know what to do with now. Nice looking work to all, by the way.


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## xsuperjoex (Jun 18, 2010)

irishpride42 said:


> THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA ICEMAN, I altered it a bit but without seeing yours I would have never come up with it!
> 
> So here is how I spent my Saturday with pops. I took him over to a piece of land I hunt that a close friend owns. I had this idea in my head thanks to Iceman and Dad hadn't seen this land so I knew I could kill two birds with one stone! Anyhow, the fence post and barbed wire are 80+ years old and part of the original fence line and the wood in the back are from an old run down barn off the farm as well. We had a great time getting all the stuff and letting Dad see some of the spots we hunted this year! We were able to go out to the farm and back to the house, then have everything finished in about 3 hours. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed doing it! I still have a little more to add to it but it is about 90% done!


Hey Irishpride42, Did I sell you that hoyt in Charlotte NC?


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## timberjak (Jan 22, 2010)

Very Impressive You must never get any sleep,Thinkin up all these projects,takin vids and postin em up. Not a dig just WOW.Thanks for putting them up here for all to see. I hope you have kids so more people like you will carry on the good.


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## dubllung4 (Jul 30, 2010)

Alright Iceman, you never fail to impress!
Could you please type out a tutorial on how you did the cleaning/bleaching. I love it, a lot! By far one of the cleaner Euro mounts I have seen!


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## Hammer0419 (Nov 21, 2005)

Very nice.


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## crankn101 (Jan 26, 2007)

SWEET!! I have around 10 heads I need to do something with.


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## Son of Rooster (Mar 3, 2007)

Deer Hunting Do said:


> I love this thread so much, I gave it a whirl myself. Mine turned out a lot like SOR's. I "borrowed" some of the habitat from my Wife's decorations throughout the house. I used an old fencepost I found. The skull is a Mountain Mike's I've had around for a year. Intended on using it on this Deer but never got around to it until now. I just wish I could figure out how to make the skull look "weathered".


Very nice, very nice!!!
If you want to weather it you might also take some Johnson's Paste Wax and cut it with some thinner of denatured alcohol solvent. It will give you a brownish mixture, wipe it on with a old brush and wipe with a clean cloth. You can keep adding until you get the shade you want. 

Keep posting these, these mounts rock.


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## mosthatedkennel (Jun 23, 2009)

very cool! makes me want to alter my euro i paid someone to do for me!


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## sczar (Sep 18, 2010)

Great Job,,,


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## iowa stomper (Nov 5, 2010)

Well done and will use your ideas on my next mount. Thanks


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## Nudlebush (Jun 24, 2007)

very nice, well done....for a rustic look use rusty barbed wire


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## Killin'-Time (Feb 17, 2010)

very nice job. I need to go shoot a buck. I have had the misfortune of never getting one...yet. I have just recently started hunting again after a long hiatus.


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## user_name (Sep 14, 2010)

Just finished this one off this afternoon. Thanks for the idea!


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## patterstdeer (Feb 28, 2006)

Looks great !!!!!!!!!!!


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## gus/jake (Feb 14, 2008)

Awesome job!! very creative


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## bow-legged (Nov 26, 2002)

Martha Stewart would be proud!


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

lol....ok, so not-so-one-of-a-kind anymore LMAO, its cool, you guys are doing a great job...im trying to figure out a way to mount my bear skull now...the gears are turning!


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## little buddy (Dec 20, 2004)

Ice I made mine last year after seeing yours. Best mount I have! Keep those ideas coming lol.


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## JeffreySlayR (Mar 1, 2006)

Love the look...great workmanship!


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## PA3-DArcher4 (Nov 5, 2008)

so cool!!!!!


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## Viper69 (Feb 4, 2003)

Nice job!


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## BigThicketBoy (Aug 19, 2010)

Very cool


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## Mbmadness (May 19, 2009)

Thank you for posting this . I have a euro i wanted to do somethig different with . The only thing i am going to do different is use drift wood off the river . I have always liked the look of driftwood . Thanks again . 

On the bear skull to bad you cant make like a medacine man stick with it with some feathers hangin down with some bear claws ?


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## crankn101 (Jan 26, 2007)

*A little different.*

This is the thread that inspired me...


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## Son of Rooster (Mar 3, 2007)

My latest.
My neighbor Hillbilly John and his wife, Hillbilly Diane have a western themed room in their house we hang out in. He has a stone chimney we built for his fire place a couple years back.
I picked this buffalo skull up in November when I went to Tennessee. It was pretty rough, really weathered. I cleaned it up and put the silhouette design of an Indian Horseman shooting a buffalo on the forehead. Made some arrows from wood and bought a couple flint arrowheads. I am off to a taxidermist friend of mine who has the horn caps for this.SHHHHHH it is a surprise.


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## Martin Cheetah2 (Mar 16, 2009)

anybody got any ideas for doing something like this with a bobcat skull?


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## BigThicketBoy (Aug 19, 2010)

*DIY skull mount*

Hey thanks Iceman for the idea . Here's mine not sa fancy as some of the others hope yall like it


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## buckslayerII (Nov 5, 2004)

I apologize if this was covered in the post and I missed it, but how are you guys mounting the skull to the wood?


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## fishermanfred (Dec 1, 2010)

verry verry nice probably the best euro mount I have ever seen


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## Liviu (Oct 20, 2009)

Hi,
I'd like to share my "one of a kind" mount and the little story behind it.

I'm not a hunter, but I've been searching for deer antlers, or even better, a deerskull since fall of 1982.
I remeber exactly, as I was in the Army - mandatory at that time in Romania - and as we would do exercises in the woods, someone had the ideea of searching for antlers, and pretty soon the whole platoon was looking for that.
It was kinda' funny, the Captain went with it, but one caveat, whatever we find it's his. I'm still smiling just thinking about it.

So ten years ago (or twenty years later), on Mother's Day, we went for a picnic in the river valley.
As my wife kept busy with the meal set-up and my daughter with her homework (I remeber that precisely as well) , I began to wander about the place.
And this is what I found in a thick bush, maybe 10 feet from the water's edge:








I just could believe, after all these years. My wife couldn't understand why was I so giddy that particular day, and the next few weeks as well.

With a piece of slate that I also found, and a 2 foot board of walnut, I mount it and gave it to Cristina for mother's day that year.
Well, she wasn't that impressed with a deer skull (dead thing, you know) as a present, but hey it doesn't look half bad...
More importantly, I convinced her to let me put it above the fireplace.

Here is the whole backdrop:









Cheers,
Liviu


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## preacherjack (Aug 23, 2005)

That is very good. The small limb coming off at the top would have been perfect for allowing the jawbone to rest on. It would also have given the head a more upright angle. This is just my opinion. You did a fantastic job and it looks great. You may have found your calling!


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## FeatherFlinger (Dec 18, 2009)

looks pretty dern good


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## mwm2v (Nov 5, 2008)

how do you hollow out the log?


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## mwm2v (Nov 5, 2008)

ttt...??


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## soonerman001 (Mar 24, 2009)

looks great !!!!!!!!


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

mwm2v said:


> how do you hollow out the log?


lol that was a tricky little part...i used a mixture of paddle bits and a small circular saw that I would swipe side to side...im not sure if that's the best way to do it, but it worked pretty well to get the weight down


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## shawn800x (Oct 11, 2011)

dude thats awsome looks amazing!!!!!!!


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## IowaHunter83 (Aug 31, 2009)

That turned out great


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## tdoor4570 (Feb 25, 2010)

I have one question, Why such a small rack? Very nice job


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## HawgEnvy (Mar 2, 2011)

looks great. and the homemade barbed wire is awesome. there's alot of the real stuff around,though. just walk along any fence row on farms. theres usually rolls of it stuffed in the corners. and the hair bleach paste is shear genius. alot easier than soaking cotton balls w peroxide.


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## Crom (May 30, 2009)

Looks really good, I like the use of the fence post background, great idea!
I also want to euro up my first trophy when I get it.


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## Iceman2383 (Jun 19, 2009)

tdoor4570 said:


> I have one question, Why such a small rack? Very nice job


because I 've never done a european mount before and wanted to try it out...not to mention that it was my first buck with a pistol, and a 218lb (dressed) 1.5 year old...i thought it would make a cool story


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## younghoytlover (Dec 5, 2005)

thats awesome


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## VA2 (Mar 26, 2007)

crankn101 said:


> This is the thread that inspired me...
> View attachment 962553
> 
> View attachment 962554
> ...


How did you make the base and what is it made from?


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## rlrenz (Sep 5, 2011)

Great Job! Thanks for sharring your idea with us.


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## completepassthru (Feb 3, 2008)

nice job on the mount


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## kybowhunter90 (Jun 16, 2011)

that looks great!!


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## boulevard (Jul 15, 2010)

VERY cool, Ill have to do something like this as well, love the imagination that went into it


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## woodsman70 (Aug 26, 2010)

Cant wait to get started on this one .......Thanks Iceman !!!!!!!


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## captaincammo (Nov 1, 2010)

bqc123 said:


> great work. I may have to borrow this idea myself. Thanks for sharing!


. X2


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## MIbowhunter49 (Aug 5, 2010)

Iceman2383 said:


> because I 've never done a european mount before and wanted to try it out...not to mention that it was my first buck with a pistol, and a 218lb (dressed) 1.5 year old...i thought it would make a cool story


Of all people I didn't think Iceman would be justifying himself. I guess I'm the only one left who will tell someone where to stick it if they want to say stuff like that.


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## TWHALEN (Nov 29, 2011)

Just finished my first european mount and took much longer then expected. Thanks for the display 
idea!


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## McChesney (Jan 5, 2009)

That was a super job...looks awesome!


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## joshbovaird (Aug 31, 2011)

mounts look sweet guys i got an idea for mine now I just need another european and ill be ready. Im thinking i have one on the wall next the the corner and i have another im waiting on getting back that im putting on the next wall so if i get 3 i can set it up with 3 fence posts like the corner of the fence. Im thinking it would look sweet


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## ThunderBoltGuy (Jun 3, 2009)

That is very cool!!!


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## Dale Holcomb (Apr 11, 2004)

You should do a step-by-step of how you got the skull from skin on to when you mounted it. That's probably the best euro skull I've seen. You know...boil, beetles, etc??? I've never seen the skull done so well.


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## tradshooter ed (Dec 18, 2011)

that is awsome


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## ILBowHuntFreak (Mar 12, 2008)

Bump just because this is so damn cool


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## Ned250 (Aug 10, 2009)

Saving for later...


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## Blacktailbustr (Jan 12, 2012)

All those mounts look awesome. Heres one i did using a few blacktails


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## kansasheadhunt (Nov 27, 2008)

Dale Holcomb said:


> You should do a step-by-step of how you got the skull from skin on to when you mounted it. That's probably the best euro skull I've seen. You know...boil, beetles, etc??? I've never seen the skull done so well.


I agree.


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## Dukslayer26 (Sep 8, 2012)

Iceman2383 said:


> it was pre-mixed stuff...all i did was paint it on and let it sit


I've done a ton of euros over the years and your right about the work that goes into them. The best thing I have found to clean off the hard to get pieces in the back is a pressure washer!! Your mount looks fantastic


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## slowen (Jun 27, 2006)

The more i look at this the more i want one!


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## kseniuk (Sep 1, 2009)

very cool. Saved the pictures.

thanks,


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## Bullseyegirl14 (Jun 18, 2012)

Very cool glad this was brought back up


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## dsmith27 (Feb 6, 2011)

This is awesome, definitely going to give it a whirl!


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## cmd242 (Jul 15, 2012)

I thought those were bags of marijuana at first glance.


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## Tribute0613 (Nov 21, 2013)

This is really nice. I plan to do this for my first buck. I'm new to Archery. I just showed the ol' Lady she said to tell you a wonderful job you did.


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## Hunterrich (Oct 26, 2011)

very creative and nice looking! way to go!


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## Nick_B_Johnson (Nov 29, 2013)

That is some really nice craftsmanship, and an awesome end result for little to nothing money wise. Awesome job man, persuaded me to do something like this instead of shell out the cash on a deer head mount LOL


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## siowabowhunter (Feb 22, 2012)

Iceman2383 said:


> Believe it or not, i used hair bleach lmao...its a peroxide that comes in a paste form so it sticks to the skull...i think i put on 3 coats, let each one sit over night...it came out great! i got a gallon of that stuff for $8 and i still have over half of it left...probably closer to 3/4


Thats what your supose to use,looks good I used rusted barb wire insead of new stuff


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## bwhntr7973 (Mar 8, 2011)

tagged


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## chachi (Jan 18, 2007)

Looks great.


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## crabbyt (Oct 5, 2013)

good job i like it


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## cg2737 (Mar 19, 2010)

Looks great


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## Mrcnwlvrn (Feb 24, 2014)

Tagged


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## mathewsk (Mar 17, 2005)

Nice


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## Pittstate23 (Dec 27, 2010)

very cool!


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## Huntin Madness (Jun 25, 2010)

A+, very nice


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## AzAthensArcher (Feb 10, 2015)

Here is one I finished yesterday.


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## chad8 (Sep 6, 2011)

Tagged. Looks great !


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