How clean does a roe skull have to be for measuring?

stratts

Well-Known Member
Chaps,
How clean does a roe skull have to be before it is measured? Just boiled mine and had a go at cleaning it and what a ball ache! The roe is being mounted as a shoulder mount so will end up being cut so doesn't need to be perfect.

If it has to be spotless has anyone tried buying a pint of maggots from a fishing shop and letting them do the cleaning while it is drying for the min 90 days?

Here it at the point where I got fed up!

I wasn't going to bother but the taxidermist said it was worth trying as it might scrape bronze. Haven't weighed it but they are around 240mm long if that helps offer an opinion?

Stratts



 
I add some washing soda to the water, and boil the head fro about twenty minutes to half an hour.

A quick ,but messy, pressure wash, and job done.






Steve.
 
Pick and scrape off as much meat and gristle as you can from the skull. I used to use a very blunt small kitchen knife. the cartilage in the nose should come out quite easily. Power wash. Just go careful when washing out the brains as you can get blow back.
 
Boil half hour
Pressure wash as much as can
Small knife scrape like buggery
Long nose pliers get nasal crap out
Same for brain lining once got brains out
 
stratts maggots wont last 90 days before you end up with a gallon of dry casters and flys,just boil scrape bleach kitchen roll leave overnight rinse done,;)
 
Tip for bleaching
You can wrap head in kitchen paper & soak in peroxide but if you buy a bottle from a hairdresser of the paste you do t need the kitchen roll, just a container to sit in & paint brush, put paste in all cavities & paint all surfaces , I've found it works well

Paul
 
For measuring, as much of the points are in weight, having a pile of meat and sinew left on it will add a good amount of 'grammage' so yes it should be as clean as possible or they will probably deduct extra weight/points regardless of how dry and weightless the meat will be after 90 days. Since I found the pressure washer technique this year I cant see past it. Just take it down to Tesco and give it a blast at the car wash!
 
For measuring, as much of the points are in weight, having a pile of meat and sinew left on it will add a good amount of 'grammage' so yes it should be as clean as possible or they will probably deduct extra weight/points regardless of how dry and weightless the meat will be after 90 days. Since I found the pressure washer technique this year I cant see past it. Just take it down to Tesco and give it a blast at the car wash!

Will the Poles hoover out my truck whilst they jetwash the skull?
 
Anything that ain't bone or antler when presented for assessment is asking for weight to be deducted. If you aren't that keen on cleaning the trophy, perhaps you could pay a taxidermist to prepare it properly for you?
 
As metioned before, it needs to be to a high standard before measuring. Forget the length of the antlers for now, to truly know if your head is in for a medal you need to dry it then see it hits around the 450g mark. Over 70% of the overal score comes from weight and volume for Roe.

You took long enough to get into a postion and carefully squeeze off the trigger, now take the time with the head, the beast deserves it!

Carl.
 
I don't mind doing it chaps I just didn't want to waste my time when the antlers and crown of the skull are gonna be cut off for the shoulder mount and the rest binned!

Thanks for all the advice,

Stratts
 
Little more advice please chaps got a little more cleaning to do but not much and weighed the skull which is now 609.1g. It will be a smidge lighter but any guess as to if that would make a medal with the looks it has too?

cheers

Stratts
 
So to get it measured properly it has to be clean as possible?
at the stage your heads at or a little cleaner is when i apply the hairdressers bleach and cover with kitchen roll a cple of pieces leave overnight rinse and clean in morn let dry done,;)
 
Little more advice please chaps got a little more cleaning to do but not much and weighed the skull which is now 609.1g. It will be a smidge lighter but any guess as to if that would make a medal with the looks it has too?

cheers

Stratts



At that weight it will certainly medal but again it really depends on what crud you still have on it. If you have most of it off then great. For example. My father had one 2 years back that's about the same as yours looks wise. Weighed in at 478g and scored 113.38 CIC. Think you are pretty safe. I have seen some right shoddy cleaning jobs go in for scoring to the shows. Almost at the stage of why even bother!

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