Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Taxidermy & Scoring => Topic started by: Caveman123 on December 26, 2021, 08:28:57 PM

Title: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Caveman123 on December 26, 2021, 08:28:57 PM: I recently boiled a deer head in my girl friends turkey pan. For some reason I’m not aloud to do that anymore so I’m looking to get something specifically for it. I’m curious to what everyone else uses? I’m leaning toward a turkey fryer type set up but want to hear everyone’s opinions. Thanks!
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Jonathan_S on December 26, 2021, 08:55:16 PM: Water.

I've used everything from a small saucepan on a skull cap to a metal garbage can on a bull elk
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: lewy on December 26, 2021, 08:56:37 PM: I cut the bottom 1/3 out of a 55 gal drum, been great for years
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: LDennis24 on December 26, 2021, 09:02:37 PM: I usually use a large metal livestock mineral tub, or a turkey pot and a single burner propane stove top. Just buy a pot from a thrift store or Craigslist. Like this:
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: LDennis24 on December 26, 2021, 09:04:18 PM: Almost forgot, I add alot of Dawn dish soap and borax hand soap to the water to break down the odors and remove grease and oil in the bone.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: lewy on December 26, 2021, 09:08:47 PM: :yeah: baking soda helps to
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Caseknife on December 27, 2021, 07:45:39 AM: I use a big stainless stock pot for deer, and small stock water tank for elk. Moose are a pain due to the angle of the antlers. Have her get you this for a late Christmas present, https://bridgerboiler.com/, and you will never use her turkey pan again:)
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: LDennis24 on December 27, 2021, 08:46:28 AM: That's cool Caseknife! Never heard of those things.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on December 27, 2021, 08:52:50 AM: I use a little Borax in the water also, It turns all the shmang into a jello like substance very quickly. A bit of powdered laundry soap helps keep the stench down too. If using either, do not use an aluminum pot, the chemicals will eat through it eventually.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: vandeman17 on December 27, 2021, 09:56:24 AM: Did my first one this year and boiled in a big soup bowl with oxi-clean
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: WAcoueshunter on December 27, 2021, 12:37:54 PM: I use a 5 gallon bucket and a bucket heater.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: phildobaggins on December 27, 2021, 02:43:29 PM: Good ol' turkey fryer w/ borax + blue dawn :tup:
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Tbar on December 27, 2021, 03:17:23 PM: Quote from: WAcoueshunter on December 27, 2021, 12:37:54 PM
I use a 5 gallon bucket and a bucket heater.
:yeah:
This and beetles are the way to go. If you do boil I would make it as slow of a process as possible. Boiling breaks down the bone, the degradation becomes way more evident as time passes.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Skyvalhunter on December 27, 2021, 03:39:39 PM: Just got thru doing my deer. I picked up a pot from good will and cooked it over a campsite with Dawn and bleach. Doesn't have to boil just simmer a few hours. Followed it up with salon whitening paste.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 27, 2021, 03:44:39 PM: Quote from: lewy on December 26, 2021, 08:56:37 PM
I cut the bottom 1/3 out of a 55 gal drum, been great for years
I did the same thing, then I bought a powder from a taxidermy book meant for boiling heads, just follow directions or you’ll loose the nose. But now days, I just pay other guys to do it, been there done that, it’s not fun.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: RobinHoodlum on December 27, 2021, 03:55:49 PM: I have one of those black enameled canning pots that I picked up at Good Will or Salvation Army for cheap. I simmer (not boil) outside on a crab cooker. Lemon fresh Joy and Borax are my go to for breaking down, degreasing, and scent removal.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Matth on December 27, 2021, 04:09:08 PM: Quote from: lewy on December 26, 2021, 08:56:37 PM
I cut the bottom 1/3 out of a 55 gal drum, been great for years
👍 works perfectly
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: LDennis24 on December 27, 2021, 05:42:10 PM: Yeah the slow cook method is known as maceration. It works better than a boil as a boil will cook the oils from the fats into the bone and give it a yellow tinting. 40 volume peroxide is good for whitening. Don't let it sit too long or it also will break down the bone. Just wrap the head in gauze all over really well and soak with peroxide then let sit a while and unwrap it. Rinse with water and done. Or repeat if it's not white enough for you. Lots of different methods available.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: lewy on December 27, 2021, 07:46:40 PM: I’ve been waiting for this to turn into a what method is best thread and it looks like it’s starting to. Here’s my take, If you simmer not boil and help pick the material off as it goes the bone is absolutely fine. If you want the absolute best result then by all means pay to have it beetled, de greased and whitened. If you want a really nice product at a minimal cost and want to spend a little time on it try this…….

-skin the head, remove the eyes, lower jaw and tounge and trim off as much meat/fat as possible
-drop into simmering water, keeping the antlers above the water level. You can wrap the antler bases in tin foil if desired. You can also add above mentioned substances to help the process.
-pull out frequently and continue to remove flesh/fat. You can use low pressure water spray to help esp in brain cavity
-continue to repeat until clean, there will be a fair amount of picking and scrubbing along the way
- be extra careful in nasal cavity if you want to preserve the fine nasal structure
-move to sink and scrub well with dawn and brush, I like the small toothbrush style wire brushes
-next is de greasing, this takes time. Warm water and dawn, change out the water and repeat. I use a fish tank heater to keep the water warm
-when de greasing is done give one final scrub and start the whitening process, I use high volume peroxide and keep it shy of the antler bases. Some guys use the paste I don’t because the liquid gets everywhere and dissolves any small stuff missed. Wrap a strip of paper towel under the base of each antler to pull the peroxide up.
-when desired whitening is achieved you can touch up antler bases with whatever antler stain you like if necessary just be careful not to get any on the skull, I wrap mine during this process to prevent that.

There are many other tips and tricks learned along the way that will help you, you have just got to do a few. We make a day out of it, drink a bunch of beer and reminisce about the hunting season!
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Alchase on December 27, 2021, 08:05:44 PM: Don’t do it in the kitchen of your new house, with your wife’s favorite large pan on the stove. The smell tends to linger through out the house, and degreasing the pan afterwards is not fun.

:bdid:

I still hear about this every time I bring a dear home :dunno:
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: ruttnbuck on January 12, 2022, 10:51:57 AM: I watched a utube video with randy newberg and he was using a device called the Bridger boiler ,basically a kit to boil euro mounts. Looked pretty slick other then the price.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: meatwhack on January 17, 2022, 08:35:56 AM: Turkey fryer for deer size heads or a cut off 55 gallon drum for elk or moose size heads. Your best friend when doing heads this way is a pressure washer. It saves a ton of time.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Ghost Hunter on January 17, 2022, 08:55:23 AM: I've been using 5-gallon bucket or bigger feeder bucket with aquarium heaters. Plan on upgrading to heaters with more control and slightly higher heating capability.
Then the Dawn soak, and on to the bleaching process.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Magnum_Willys on January 17, 2022, 09:08:15 AM: Degrease - oxiclean and dawn in a large icechest with cheap amazon sous heater.
Didn’t even need peroxide.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Dan-o on January 17, 2022, 10:06:24 AM: I used my wife's large spaghetti pot.

Once.

I don't recommend it.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: n_mathews13 on February 27, 2022, 06:12:19 PM: Electric pressure washer will have it done and ready to whiten in no time
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: hunter399 on February 27, 2022, 07:18:11 PM: Turkey roasting pot from goodwill or whatever.
Dawn dish soap bare minimum.
Turkey roasting pot I can put two at once.
Pull one out pressure wash ,put it back in ,pull other one ,wash and repeat.
I agree sooner the better after harvest.
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Pathfinder101 on February 28, 2022, 11:40:35 AM: I use a metal milk bucket from BiMart. water, Borax Blue Dawn... :twocents:
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: bigmacc on February 28, 2022, 05:16:09 PM: Water, Dawn and baking soda in a big pot. Another way of doing it if you arnt in a hurry is to just bury the head in an area critters can't get to it. Bury it just up to the bases, put something over the antlers to keep them out of the sun and weather and let the bugs and worms do their thing. My son made a big wooden box that he has used for years to cover them, works great :tup:
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: Alchase on February 28, 2022, 07:29:16 PM: Quote from: Pathfinder101 on February 28, 2022, 11:40:35 AM
I use a metal milk bucket from BiMart. water, Borax Blue Dawn... :twocents:

Very critical word of advice! Do this outside!
I did mine in the kitchen. The Wife wanted to kill me when she came home two days later. The whole house reeked like boiled Deer Skull on steroids. for almost a week. :puke:
Title: Re: What do you use to boil your heads?
Post by: NRA4LIFE on February 28, 2022, 07:42:43 PM: Oh my god, my wife doesn't let me deep fry anything in the house anymore. If I boiled a skull inside, I may not be posting anymore.