How to Get All the Fur off of a Deer Head

A European mount is an elegant way to show off your hunting prowess.

Too often, people are afraid to embark on creating a European mount of their deer. This process can be long and painstaking, but the reward is a classic mount that can be the source of camp stories for years to come. One of the most difficult steps is the removal of the fur from the deer's head. With a little technique and patience, this can be easily accomplished.

Things You'll Need

• 16-quart pot
• Heat source
• 1 cup baking soda
• Water
• Screwdriver
• Ice pick
• Pocketknife

Instructions

Clean the skull

1. Place the deer head in the 16-quart pot with the antlers sticking out of the pot.

2. Fill the pot with water to the base of the antlers. You want to ensure that the antlers will not be boiled as part of this process. You want to maintain the dark color at the base of the antlers for a classic look.

3. Add 1 cup of baking soda to the pot. This will raise the boiling point of the water slightly and allow for a hotter bath without vigorous boiling. A rolling boil is your enemy and can damage the skull.

4. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce the heat to a slight simmer. Over-boiling the skull can cause the bones to fracture. Keep the water at a simmer to prevent this.

5. Remove the skull from the pot after one hour. The fur and meat should be falling from the bones at this point.

6. Scrape the skull with the screwdriver, ice pick and pocketknife removing as much meat as possible.

7. Boil the skull for another 30 minutes to loosen any remaining meat.

8. Pick the skull with the tools one more time.

9. Rinse the skull in the hot bath to ensure all the hair and meat has been removed.

Tips & Warnings

• End this procedure with a soak in hydrogen peroxide to bleach the skull and create a clean European mount.

• Over-boiling the skull will cause the bones to separate and make a mess of your trophy.

References

• European Skull Mounts
• Tips for Cleaning Skulls for a European Mount