Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: DuBois on July 27, 2016, 03:50:22 pm
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I have had this sitting around in my backyard and planning to clean it up sometime before winter. I was proud of my dogs for leaving it alone. Went to move it into the garage and noticed some critters have been gnawing on the eye and along the nasal cavity.
I still like it ;D Guess I'll give it a "Clockwork Orange" design someday >:D
What would you use to clean off the bits of hair and meat that are left over around the horns?
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Try a power washer.
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The mice usually take care of that pretty well around here... ::)
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pull the horn off and it will make it easier to clean around and under them.
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That dont look too bad. I wish i had an idea of what else to use... if you could find an ant mound they usually do a good job...
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I hear you. I just went outside and found this
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pull the horn off and it will make it easier to clean around and under them.
I have tried but they just don't want to loosen up yet.
I was thinking about squirting some peroxide up there??
Yep Kevin, it is pretty clean other than the horns. I need to pull yours out soon and see what it's lookin like.
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As long as you re-hydrate it it should loosen up enough to cut it off. A final peroxide soak is always a good this when preparing a skull. I typically use washing soda/soda ash in my water when I "boil" a skull. It breaks down tissue faster than hot water alone. Then the peroxide finishing with a mat clear coat. Just watch getting the peroxide on the horn, it may lighten it. I know it lightens antler, but you can put the color back with wood stain.
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Could you get a big tub and soak it in water? I simmered a few smaller skulls this summer and cleaned as much meat off of them as I could. Then I put them in a bucket of water and let them soak in the garage. When the water would turn cloudy and start to smell I dumped it out and put new in. After 4 or 5 cycles the water stayed clear and the skulls were very clean. The bacteria finished the cleaning job for me. It took a month or so of soaking in water. I've got another experiment going in the back yard. I put a bunch of beaver skulls in a wire cage and buried them. I'm waiting until next summer to dig them up.
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WOW, Thanks for reminding me Du Bois.
I have a six and eight point in the dirt too.
Semi protected but still venerable.
Yikes!
Zuma
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Fire ants here will pick it clean in a few days.
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The ant mound idea seems likeable to me just for curiosities sake.
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@Eddie P. Yep My garden is fenced with individual fences and bird netting inside of that. We got ground squirrels and gophers here. .22 lobotomies and conibears have thinned them out well. Only seeing one or two where I used to see a dozen or so.
By the time I find a shed in Yosemite it has been visited by varmints!
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Take some ash mix it with boiling water to make lye and get a container put your skull in fill it up and wait shouldn't take long
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This might help, I was kind of vague.
http://ozbow.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=5450