How to make a European mount

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Jeff G
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How to make a European mount

Unread postby Jeff G » Tue Dec 09, 2014 1:56 pm

Stay tuned!!! There has been a lot of questions on how to properly create a whitetail European mount. I am going to use the buck Dave shot on our recent drive. The bucks horns popped off when we made the recovery. I will show how to reattach the the sheds, clean the skull, boil and what chemicals are needed.

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hunter_mike
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby hunter_mike » Tue Dec 09, 2014 2:02 pm

Im looking forward to seeing your methods. My favorite way of displaying the rack.

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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Dec 09, 2014 5:08 pm

Looking forward to this.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby yungbuck » Tue Dec 09, 2014 5:28 pm

I am eager to see it done properly and hopeful this will be a future diy for me down the road

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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby checkerfred » Tue Dec 09, 2014 6:09 pm

looking forward to this as well...i have on from last year that's cleaned off but needs to be whitened.
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby dan » Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:30 pm

8-)
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backstraps
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby backstraps » Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:42 pm

:clap:
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Spysar
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Spysar » Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:56 pm

I'm hoping your method is one that keeps the nasal bones intact. I don't like when the nasal bones are pummeled out, they make the mount a lot more interesting....I had dermestid beetles at one time and they do a nice job in that regard.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Jeff G » Wed Dec 10, 2014 1:18 am

Spysar wrote:I'm hoping your method is one that keeps the nasal bones intact. I don't like when the nasal bones are pummeled out, they make the mount a lot more interesting....I had dermestid beetles at one time and they do a nice job in that regard.


All the nasal bones will be intact.
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Jeff G » Wed Dec 10, 2014 1:50 am

All right lets get this started. Remove the head from the body. Cut right behind the ears. your cut should be at the atlas joint ( where the spine connects to the skull). you do not need to cut thru bone. If done correct, you can use just a knife.

Image

Proceed to removing the hide, I start at the back of the skull. Proceed as if you were caping out the head. Remove all the hide. use a knife. You can use a screwdriver and hammer around the antler burs. give a few light taps and push and pry the screw driver to loosen up the hide around the burrs. This is usually the most difficult spot to get the hide off of. Work your way forward to the nose. You need to be somewhat gentle with it. the nose is the most fragile spot.

Remove the lower jaw. grab ahold of the nose with one hand, grab the jaw with the others and begin to open the mouth. You will feel the flesh stretch. Stop, cut around the jaw more. Pull apart more, it will free up more with each pull. Eventually the jaw will pull free.

Now you have a decision. Some guys like to clean the lower jaw as well. they put it back on the skull and sit the entire skull and lower jaw on a table and display that way. For our demo, I am going to discard the lower jack and only do the european that will hang on a board.

When you have the hide off and the jaw removed, go back and remove as much flesh as possible. The more flesh you remove now, the easier and quicker the boiling process will be. Don't be shy, grab ahold of the eyeball and cut around it to free it up. Use different angles. Just get them out.

When your done with removing flesh, it should look like this.

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Spysar
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Spysar » Wed Dec 10, 2014 1:56 am

Wow Jeff! Your doing it the right way, most guys start with a hair on rotting head....

Is that the head that rolled down the highway??? :lol:
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Jeff G » Wed Dec 10, 2014 2:01 am

Spysar wrote:Wow Jeff! Your doing it the right way, most guys start with a hair on rotting head....

Is that the head that rolled down the highway??? :lol:



:lol: :lol: :lol: Yes it is the famous "rolling down the highway" whitetail!!!! Luckily it didn't get busted up.
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Brad » Wed Dec 10, 2014 8:29 am

Keep in mind if you have a large buck (3.5 or older generally), check with your local taxidermists before you go cutting into the cape, those capes are worth money and the real big 5.5 + can be worth several hundred in certain cases. I have heard some taxidermists will even trade a euro mount for the cape so do your research before ruining it. Great job so far Jeff!

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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby justin84 » Wed Dec 10, 2014 9:15 am

I have always buried mine in the spring, dug up in the fall, and have always been impressed at how clean they come out. Literally no work necessary.
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Re: How to make a European mount

Unread postby Jeff G » Thu Dec 11, 2014 1:20 am

justin84 wrote:I have always buried mine in the spring, dug up in the fall, and have always been impressed at how clean they come out. Literally no work necessary.


Problem with this is critters finding your skull and chewing your rack. Also sunlight will fade your antlers. by boiling it, you do not need to wait months to display your trophy.


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