Looking for Euro mount advice

[davew]

I drew a really good (Gardner) late buck tag and am thinking about having a euro mount done if things work out.  I've never done one before and am looking for advice on field care and who I should get to do it.  Do I just remove the head and carry it out?  Since this is a one off thing, I'd prefer to have someone with experience do it right.  Can anyone give me good references for a taxidermist in either the Methow or the Seattle area?  Thanks!  Any advice is appreciated. 

[Ballance1]

You can cut the head off and pack it out and have the taxidermist skin the rest. The main thing when you cut the head off is to cut it at the neck joint. If you have to saw the back of the skull you’re doing it wrong. Let me know if you need better details. Good luck.

[boneaddict]

Dave, Are you familiar with how the skull attaches to the spine?

[biggfish]

I would skin the head out and remove the bottom jaw. If you carry a small blade knife with you its really easy. You'll save money too if you skin and flesh the skull yourself depending on where you go as much as $100.

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[Ballance1]

I don’t charge for skinning, removing jaw, meat, etc. that’s part of the price. The beetles eat the meat. Takes me 5 minutes. I’d rather have it removed at the neck correctly and not shot in the head. Lol

[davew]

Thanks for the advice. I've cut up dozens of deer, but have never cut off the head at the neck joint.  Are there any tricks to doing it?  I quarter my deer in the field, so I'll have a knife and saw with me.

[Ballance1]

Back of the skull you’ll see this bone. This is where the last neck vertebrae attaches to the back of the skull. Separate it here with your knife. If you can’t get to the back of the skull then leave a couple vertebrae attached.

[biggfish]

I don’t charge for skinning, removing jaw, meat, etc. that’s part of the price. The beetles eat the meat. Takes me 5 minutes. I’d rather have it removed at the neck correctly and not shot in the head. Lol

That's good to know when I was looking I couldn't find anyone with beetles and I was quoted 50 for skinning and 50 for fleshing from one place. After I put in all the work all the places I called said they weren't taking new work. I ended up just making an antler plaque.

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[biggfish]

Thanks for the advice. I've cut up dozens of deer, but have never cut off the head at the neck joint.  Are there any tricks to doing it?  I quarter my deer in the field, so I'll have a knife and saw with me.

When I did it I made a cut following the lower jaw and cut through the esophagus from there I was able to pull the head back and feel where it connects to the skull. I like using a scalpel blade it gets in there good to cut the spinal cord away then keep peeling the head back should pop free pretty easy.

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[Oh Mah]

Want to try the beetles one day.Where can they be bought?How long does it take them?Do you still have to deal with the grease?Do you use a whitener?

[TomT]

If you get a nice buck, consider caping it and trading the cape to a taxidermist for credit towards a euro mount.  Most would probably be happy to do that.   Not that hard to do, just watch some how-to videos online.

[Ballance1]

Lots of beetle sellers on Taxidermy.net getting a large colony is the key. 10’s of thousands of beetles. When rolling they can do a deer skull in 24hrs.

[meatwhack]

Want to try the beetles one day.Where can they be bought?How long does it take them?Do you still have to deal with the grease?Do you use a whitener?

With beetles you still need to degrease and use whitener. You can get a starter colony for around a hundred bucks. They can be somewhat temperamental so you need to have a decent climate controlled setup for them to thrive.

[Oh Mah]

Ok sounds good.Last question,Is there any health concerns with having these flesh eating bugs?Serious question. Thanks

[Boss .300 winmag]

The smell, how does one get the stink out of the skull?