Mounting skulls

[JDay98]

Good morning all

After some research (albeit no hands on experience) I think I'm happy with the process of preparing skills for mounting. However, does anyone have any tips or tricks for actually mounting the skull? Or any "trade secrets" for preparing skulls that are often left out of online guides?

Jack

 

[lochty]

Long or short nose? Short nose, couple of brass screws through the scent glands below the eye sockets. Long nose, behind and above where the ear canal was. Drill a couple of holes at an angle and screw onto the shield.

 

[Ludders]

Hello jack
I use these for roe and muntjac skulls. You can get them in different sizes

Easyfix Spring Toggles 5mm x 50mm 20 Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Heavy gauge material for superior loads. Nut prevents stripping under load. Ideal for double thickness plasterboard. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

 

[Ludders]

 

[JDay98]

Long or short nose? Short nose, couple of brass screws through the scent glands below the eye sockets. Long nose, behind and above where the ear canal was. Drill a couple of holes at an angle and screw onto the shield.

I like the look of long nose mounts or full skulls better. That makes sense, thank you

 

[JDay98]

Hello jack
I use these for roe and muntjac skulls. You can get them in different sizes

Easyfix Spring Toggles 5mm x 50mm 20 Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Heavy gauge material for superior loads. Nut prevents stripping under load. Ideal for double thickness plasterboard. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

That’s a really good idea. Does the same work for larger skulls? I assume you’d need a larger size.
I think I saw someone post here that they use epoxy, is this a technique you know about?

 

[ChrisWill184]

As per @Ludders picture but use a wood screw into the brain cavity.

Drill a pilot hole into the back of the skull and screw a wood screw through the back of the shield and into the hole. Plenty strong enough.

Alternatively, I don’t use shields anymore. Just a bit of thin garden wire tied in a loop through the back of the skull and hang off a wee nail. Small enough so you can’t see the wire or the nail. Done it with reds as well but you need a stronger wall fixing!

 

[Ludders]

That’s a really good idea. Does the same work for larger skulls? I assume you’d need a larger size.
I think I saw someone post here that they use epoxy, is this a technique you know about?

Hello mate
You can get bigger toggles that you can also insert in to the brain cavity. I’ve not personally mounted anything bigger than a roe skull. I’ve not used epoxy.

 

[Ludders]

Can’t take credit for this method of fixing a very knowledgeable guy off here showed me this method. wildfowler1

 

[JDay98]

Hello mate
You can get bigger toggles that you can also insert in to the brain cavity. I’ve not personally mounted anything bigger than a roe skull. I’ve not used epoxy.

Awesome, thanks for the advice mate

 

[lochty]

Like this. Can't be seen from the front.

 

[JDay98]

This will sound stupid but I never considered you could drill/screw through bone... I work in trauma and orthopaedic surgery

 

[Jon P]

I use a brass door stop that you would screw to a skirting board, you need to cut it down a bit to fit the hole in the base of the skull, then fix with silicone, not difficult and better then looking at wood screw in your gold medal roe buck

 

[JDay98]

I use a brass door stop that you would screw to a skirting board, you need to cut it down a bit to fit the hole in the base of the skull, then fix with silicone, not difficult and better then looking at wood screw in your gold medal roe buck

That’s another great idea, so many different techniques out there

 

[Jon P]

I use a brass door stop that you would screw to a skirting board, you need to cut it down a bit to fit the hole in the base of the skull, then fix with silicone, not difficult and better then looking at wood screw in your gold medal roe buck

Cut down section of door stop

 

[JDay98]

Cut down section of door stop

What do you use to cut it?

 

[Jon P]

What do you use to cut it?

Disc cutter, just watch your fingers it would be easier to screw it to a plank to cut it , thought of that after . That was the finished project.

 

[JDay98]

That looks awesome! What sort of head would your average cull buck have, maybe one in poor condition or an old one that’s past breeding age? I’m more interested in the conservation and humane meat supply aspects but I must admit when it’s appropriate medal heads do look fantastic mounted like that

 

[Jon P]

That looks awesome! What sort of head would your average cull buck have, maybe one in poor condition or an old one that’s past breeding age? I’m more interested in the conservation and humane meat supply aspects but I must admit when it’s appropriate medal heads do look fantastic mounted like that

I do not normally shoot anything that would score as a medal, I help a friend with culling deer for tree / crop on an estate ,I was just in the right place at the right time for that one. This is the only Roe buck I have had scored. All the rest are cull Bucks. All the carcasses go into the game dealer for human consumption.

 

[JDay98]

I do not normally shoot anything that would score as a medal, I help a friend with culling deer for tree / crop on an estate ,I was just in the right place at the right time for that one. This is the only Roe buck I have had scored. All the rest are cull Bucks. All the carcasses go into the game dealer for human consumption.

That's awesome to hear and I'm sure is the stance of most of the members on this site I didnt make my comment relating to you specifically sorry just anyone that hunts for trophies. Apologies if I came across the wrong way