# How Long To Boil Deer Skull?



## nicko (Feb 17, 2006)

I finally got around to boiling the skull plate from the buck I shot in October. How long do you need to let these suckers cook to get the junk off? 

Boy does it stink. Pew!!!!!


----------



## Meleagris1 (Jan 8, 2003)

Smells like roast beef! You don't want the water at a rolling boil. Let it boil and then back off the heat a bit before putting the head in. Its best to take as much meat off and brain out as you can prior to boiling, and change the water if it gets nasty. I try to limit the boiling to 45 minutes-1 hour. If you boil it more than that you can run into issues with bone separation, particularly around the nasal cavity, and also tooth loss. Most of the 5 hours it takes to do a Euro mount is spent picking and cutting to get the meat and cartilage out of the nooks and fissures in the skull. Its isn't fun, but that is what you have to do unless you have bettles.


----------



## JeffreySlayR (Mar 1, 2006)

You say "skull plate" why not the whole euro mount...just askin'?


----------



## baumunkdj (Aug 6, 2010)

bout an hour then take it out and add the carrots and potatoes, simmer for another 30 minutes and enjoy!


----------



## JeffreySlayR (Mar 1, 2006)

baumunkdj said:


> bout an hour then take it out and add the carrots and potatoes, simmer for another 30 minutes and enjoy!


*Now that is funny!*


----------



## nicko (Feb 17, 2006)

I only asked the butcher for the skull plate and not the entire head. The rack is pretty small and I just wanted to keep it simple. I've got a euro mount of a 100" rack that looks great. This rack might be 50" tops.


----------



## BQC123 (Sep 23, 2009)

I do as Meleagris1 does. 
I had a coyote skull get cracked teeth. I think it was caused by putting a cold skull into hot water. Now I put it in and start the heat. I also pull it out once, clean it, and change water. I cook a second time for the stubborn spots if needed.


----------



## Doubledroptine4 (Jan 25, 2009)

Yes you just want it to simmer what I do is let it simmer for a few hrs then I take out and use a power washer to blow most of meat and brains out then resimmer for a while then repower wash it Then I let it dry for a day or two depending were you have it and temps then put it in hydern proxide you can use the stuff in the brown bottle if thats all you can find leave in for a few days make sure just the skull in in the proxide cause it will turn the antler white


----------



## Ouachitamtnman (Sep 4, 2007)

I boil mine for no more than an hour and a half and like Meleagris said, slow boil don't rolling boil it. Good indicator is to pull it out and if the meat is starting to seperate from the skull along the nose it's good. Take it out and then use the high pressure (laser) attachment on your power washer and power wash the heck out of it. A little piece of advice, put on a rain suit and a grinding shield or safety glasses while power washing.

WARNING! if it's a young deer or if you boil it too long, the skull will be brittle and the power washer might blow pieces off. Most of the time you can glue the nose pieces on. They fit like a puzzle.

Mine from last year. Let me know if you need advice on bleaching.


----------



## lkmn (Feb 28, 2006)

simmer and run to the nearest car wash if you don"t have a pressure washer and wash off. After the second time it's pretty well clean.


----------



## LL710 (Jun 3, 2008)

Add some sal soda (soda ash) or some Dawn soap. the first will make the meeat gel up and be easier to remove. The Dawn helps you degrease .


----------



## Ouachitamtnman (Sep 4, 2007)

nicko said:


> I only asked the butcher for the skull plate and not the entire head. The rack is pretty small and I just wanted to keep it simple. I've got a euro mount of a 100" rack that looks great. This rack might be 50" tops.


Honestly, I wouldn't boil a skull plate. Just peel the hide and nail it up somewhere


----------



## nicko (Feb 17, 2006)

Actually, it came out OK. I boiled it for about an hour which is when the propane canister died. I peeled everything off that I could. The hide was still on before I dunked it and it wasn't budging (frozen). It came off nicely after simmering.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

I agree not to even bother with just a skull plate, the brains are gone so just get a pliers and pull off the hide. If you are going to boil, add a decent amount of dawn to de grease and I am pretty sure that Arm and Hammer Laundry booster is the same as the sal-soda which is what taxidermists use.


----------



## Binney59 (Nov 28, 2008)

Good job. Hydrogen peroxide will whiten it up if you want. The best stuff is the kind you get from a beauty supply store. You can brush it on, general grocery store stuff takes longer.


----------



## paraglide (Aug 21, 2006)

Bury it for 5 months in your compost bin. Bugs gotta eat too, and no chemicals. Next year the wifey gets some marvelous tomatoes, and you get to eat the deer twice.


----------



## Roskoes (Jun 17, 2007)

Ouachitamtnman said:


> I boil mine for no more than an hour and a half and like Meleagris said, slow boil don't rolling boil it. Good indicator is to pull it out and if the meat is starting to seperate from the skull along the nose it's good. Take it out and then use the high pressure (laser) attachment on your power washer and power wash the heck out of it. A little piece of advice, put on a rain suit and a grinding shield or safety glasses while power washing.
> 
> WARNING! if it's a young deer or if you boil it too long, the skull will be brittle and the power washer might blow pieces off. Most of the time you can glue the nose pieces on. They fit like a puzzle.
> 
> ...


I do it this way as well. Only difference is that I load up the water with powdered Boraxo before boiling. About two hours and then to the power wash. You are done at that point unless you want to put some hydrogen peroxide on there.


----------



## GroutHunter13 (Dec 6, 2020)

BQC123 said:


> I do as Meleagris1 does.
> I had a coyote skull get cracked teeth. I think it was caused by putting a cold skull into hot water. Now I put it in and start the heat. I also pull it out once, clean it, and change water. I cook a second time for the stubborn spots if needed.


Coyote skulls have to many bones or something I haven’t ever been able to keep them intact.


----------



## seiowabow (Dec 19, 2010)

I have done lots of these for other people and myself. I add dawn and arm and hammer super watching soda. Simmer, not boil, until the lower jaw basically falls off. Power washer crap off and brains out. Do another quick simmer to degrease. Coat with a paste made from hair whitening powder and 40% peroxide. Wrap in bag for a day. Done.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


----------



## df06 (Jun 9, 2007)

My brother uses a pressure washer to clean off the cooked meat.


----------



## jogr (Oct 2, 2010)

10 years is long enough. You can stop now.


----------



## Awood (1 mo ago)

paraglide said:


> Bury it for 5 months in your compost bin. Bugs gotta eat too, and no chemicals. Next year the wifey gets some marvelous tomatoes, and you get to eat the deer twice.


Love this! Great idea!


----------



## timmymac24 (Sep 4, 2008)

I learned the method paraglide describes from a taxidermist buddy. One tip is to put duct tape around the antler bases and bury it with antlers above ground so the tape is at or barely above ground level. Put a plastic tub over it with a brick under one edge to allow air flow. I have done two already like this and have one in the ground now. April or May when I think of it I dig it up and spray it off with the hose. Great method if you have time.


----------

