How to do a European Mount. . . Maceration.

[turkey slayer]

It takes one of a kind. I have 5 deer 2 elk and a moose going rite now. You want to talk about smell .Its not that bad

[Mr T]

You guys are to sensitive!

Yummy looks like pudding!    It can be any flavor you want it to be.

Makes me all ready to dig in for Thanksgiving dinner 

[Skyvalhunter]

What kind of glue do you use to keep the teeth in?

[Michelle_Nelson]

elmers glue or zap-a-gap

[PolarBear]

Krazy glue works well also

[Pathfinder101]

Well, I have an update to my Maceration project.  I wish I had better to report.

Sometime while I was in Montana, evdiently my fish tak heater burned out and quit working.  I suspected this when I poked my head into the room where I was keeping it here at work, and noticed that the water level was about the same as when I filled it up last.
Today, I finally had a little time, so I pulled out the skull to rinse it off.
The parts that the the bacteria have cleaned off look fantastic, but there is still a LOT of gristle left on the skull, particularly on the underside of it and in the eyesockets.  The Armory manager is done with the smell of rotting flesh out in the maintenance bay, and I may be retiring in the next month or so, and there is NO WAY Mrs. Pathfinder is going to put up with this smell in the garage.....so....
I am going to have to abort the mission, break out the boiling pot, and finish the job that the bacteria started...

...I am not going to lie, I am not really looking forward to it....

[PolarBear]

I just pulled out 2 heads that I am doing and am impressed how well the whole maceration thing works.  I put one head in 2 weeks ago, last week changed out some of the water and put tthe other head in and now both are completely cleaned!  I didn't have to pick a single piece of junk off of either of them.  I hit them with the hose and now they are soaking in my utility sink in a nice warm bath of Dawn.  It is nice to not have to dig and cut out the nasal and ear bones just to get stuff clean.  I am glad that the stinky part os over because my wife and kids hated going into the barn to feed my cows.  They are very happy now!

[Michelle_Nelson]

  Pathfinder101 just tell her not to go into the garage for a week.  Open the doors for a few hours smell will be gone. 

[Pathfinder101]

I don't have a haybarn.  If I thought it would be done in a couple of weeks, I would go buy a new fishtank heater and just resoak it.  How long is it supposed to take?

[Michelle_Nelson]

How long has it been soaking?

It should only take a week at most to get the rest off.  You need a good fish tank heater though.  Order the one in my post on the first page.  I have some that I have had going on 3 years.

[Pathfinder101]

Been soaking since the general deer season (about the 20th of October).  There is still a LOT on it.  The skull cap and the face are clean.  Most of the rest still has a lot on it, especially the underside.  I must have bought a crappy heater..

[Michelle_Nelson]

Or the heater was burned out for a while.  Pull off what you can from the under side of the skull and put it in the bucket along with chunk of roten meat.  New fish tank heater.  1 week should do it.

[Pathfinder101]

OK.  I got hit with about 30 things at work and didn't get to boil it today anyway.  I had it in the soup for over a month when I KNOW the heater was working.  Must have had too small a heater...
WHat size should I be using (in a 5 gallon bucket)?

[Michelle_Nelson]

I would recommend a heater that can keep your 5 gallon bucket of water heated to at least 75 - 85 degrees in winter.  I wouldn't use anything less that the 150 Watts.  Make sure the heater is submersible.

I use the 200 - 250 Watt heaters.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754055

[SuperDave]

I am working on a elk skull as well, it has been in for two weeks.  Most of the meat is gone, but the nasal cartilege is still intact?  The fine skin is coming off the skull, but not with ease.  I have changed the water twice, only dumping out 2/3 of the water and refilling with hot water.  I am using the 250 watt heater so will soak it for another week.  I also put a garbage bag over the skull which holds the evaporating water in, so haven't needed to replenish water during the week!  Oh yea, the smell, holy hannah!  I usually check it before dinner!     Great post Michelle!!