Taxidermy Preferences

[AeternusTaxidermy]

Evening all,

I am wondering about preferences for deer skulls :

Do people prefer a complete skull with lower jaw, a complete upper skull or a cut upper skull for mounting?

I have seen all 3 examples mounted and personally I prefer a complete upper skull for a flat shield and a complete skull with lower jaws for a raised mount but see many people choosing cut skulls.

Which do you prefer and why?


Second preference - cleaning method!

I don't boil skulls, I find this causes damage including bone flaking, loss of cartilage and locks in fat & grease to the bone but I have seen it mentioned recently on here and it seems to be popular.

I know some people also use cold water maceration, heated but well below boiling or maggots to clean.

What do you prefer and why? Is it timeframes, costs etc?

Cheers

 

[palmer_mike]

I personally prefer long nose cut skull. Sits better in a shield than uncut but still retains the look of what it is?

I boil trophies with a little biological laundry powder, doesn’t seem to lock the grease in as far as I’ve noticed. Care must be taken to not boil too long or damage to small domes can occur.

 

[Uillie]

It's really personal choice. European guests usually want the full european skull and I also prefer this option. I like seeing the full jaw. Plenty want cut long nose and others short skull caps. Boil, pressure wash, peroxide. Job done.

 

[VSS]

I don't like cut skulls.
They seems a bit disrespectful, somehow.
I prefer to display a complete deer skull, minus lower jaw.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I’ve been and done the taxidermy think, from red, to cwd and sold the lot.

Now I have European mounts, but only 2, the Roe that took 7 years to get and my fallow that I waited 20 years for.

Taxidermy is fine, but you have to look after it.