How to salvage a mount.

[Wetwoodshunter]

My elk from this year was at my buddies house and he was doing a European mount for me. Yesterday he was doing the final bleaching and his dogs got into his garage and ate everything from the eyes down off the top of the skull.

I'm thinking my only options now are to do a skull cap mount of some type. Can you guys and gals show me what you have done? Do I have any other options?

[CAMPMEAT]

Mount the antlers on the dogs skull, that ate your elks face...

[PlateauNDN]

Mount the antlers on the dogs skull, that ate your elks face...

 

[Wetwoodshunter]

Now we already thought about mounting it on the dogs. Elk have two antlers so I guess in true grinch style I will put one on each dog.

Here are a few pics of the before and after K9 help.

[PlateauNDN]

Soooo...you gonna show us new pics of 2 euro mount dog skulls?

[Kuduman]

Check McKenzie taxidermy supply for an artificial elk skull. I've used several of them and at a distance look pretty good. Up close you can tell there not real.

Here is a link

http://www.mckenziesp.com/EM7-P12593C5949.aspx

 If you decide to go this route call me and I can walk you through how to mount your antlers to them.

Good luck

Kuduman

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

Wetwoodshunter, that sucks man! There are a couple of options for the antler mount. The first is cutting the skull just under the skull cap, much like you suggested, which is called a 'European Cut'. The best way to do that is using a large Sawzall with a large/long blade. Take a ruler and draw a lateral line starting at the back of the skull and draw a straight line JUST under upper eye socket. If you line is straight (use a pencil) the cut should come out just towards the top of the nose bridge. It makes a flat mount on a normal plaque. Bleached out, these look awesome as well, a lot of stag deer, roe deer are mounted this way by hunters across the Pacific.
If you want to keep it a true European Skull mount there are several companies such as Research Manikins or McKenzie Taxidermy Supply that sell the re-production skulls that will take the horns from you mount using several different methods. A guy could try to figure this out by himself or take it to a taxidermist and he can mount it up for you. Some of the re-production skulls have really evolved to look incredibly authentic. Best of luck.....
Joel -B.R.T.

[Michelle_Nelson]

 Wetwoodshunter,

You have multiple options available to you.  You can do an;

*Antler Plaque Mount covered with (leather, artificial rock, etc) and on a Wood Plaque.  Or not even use a wood plaque if you want to do leather with an artificial rock.

* You could cut the Antlers off individually and attach them to an artificial skull. 

*OR you can leave it just the way it is and add some habitat.  I'm assuming the back section of the skull was not damaged, meaning it still has a solid base for attachment.  Me personally, I'd go ahead and whiten it with 3% Brown Bottle Peroxide (It won't need to be perfectly white).  Pull it out after 24-48 hours and soak in hot water for about 30 minutes. The peroxide is basically just to kill any smell on the skull. After that let it dry for several days so it is good and dry.  Then I would antique it, kinda give it a dirty look.  Basically darkening the areas where the bone plates come together and shadowing other areas.

Then build a small wall habitat for it and attach it. Or even just attach it to an old piece of Barn Wood. Give it a Winter Kill look.  Like a Skull you would find in the woods.  I've done several for guys that have had this happen.  They turn out really cool looking and it's something "different", then the average shoulder or Euro Mount.

[kentrek]

Michelle do you have any photos of what you just described? 

All of those are great ideas for the tool box

Thank you

[Michelle_Nelson]

Kentrek,

I'm not sure if I do or not.  The only one I know for sure I had got deleted when I got a new phone.  I've got a few coming up to do but it won't be until after the first of the year atleast, once they get cleaned.  If I remember I'll get some photos.

[Becky]

I kind of like the destroyed skull  .. could do something like this:

[kentrek]

Kentrek,

I'm not sure if I do or not.  The only one I know for sure I had got deleted when I got a new phone.  I've got a few coming up to do but it won't be until after the first of the year atleast, once they get cleaned.  If I remember I'll get some photos.

No worries, first of the year Is a good time to start a new project anyhow