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I Try The Maceration Method Euro Mount

gcr0003

gcr0003

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2018
Messages
8,044
I’m trying the maceration method I read about and watched a couple videos on here:

Euro mount maceration thread

I did quite a bit of internet reading on DIY euro mounts, and I decided that the maceration method was the best for my situation: relatively low-maintenance, keeps the skull completely intact (nasal bones), and I had almost all of the gear to do it (save the aquarium tank heater). So, now I have...
saddlehunter.com

I just wanted to give it a go and share my thoughts on the experience. I killed this deer 01/02/22 Monday and cleaned up the skull and sank it in a bucket of water this morning 01/04/22 Wednesday. It’s a small deer but my first traditional kill so I thought it would be cool to have. I’ll pick up an aquarium heater for it after work and go from there.
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arrow30 said:
i think if you change water you loose bacteria. you need bacteria to eat stuff clean. i never changed water in any i have done.
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Yea the guys video was saying it’s good to leave some organize matter in there because it’s the bacteria at work. At the same time I think it’s a balance of smell and keeping bacteria. You’re going to increase the time it takes by emptying it, but you’ll likely decrease the smell by refilling it every couple days.

if you and @Hunter260 have any pictures on how yalls came out we would like to see them.
 
only pics i have is 12-13 years ago, i think i used clairol whitening on it. but i dont bother with all that anymore. if i kill a giant il mount it.
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Nice! I recently picked up an aquarium heater, planning to give this a go with the heater and a vent (I already have leftover dryer duct and a computer fan, just need to duct tape it to a window and let er go in the backroom of my house), the one I left in a bucket for half of last year worked well, but a bit green due to me forgetting about it and letting algae grow. A little bleach scrub takes care of that.
 
gcr0003 said:
Yea the guys video was saying it’s good to leave some organize matter in there because it’s the bacteria at work. At the same time I think it’s a balance of smell and keeping bacteria. You’re going to increase the time it takes by emptying it, but you’ll likely decrease the smell by refilling it every couple days.

if you and @Hunter260 have any pictures on how yalls came out we would like to see them.
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Actually in the video I watched where the guy did several techniques at once, the bucket where he changed water every 2-3 days finished a week earlier or more than the one that he didn’t change water in…
 
FrankNess14 said:
Actually in the video I watched where the guy did several techniques at once, the bucket where he changed water every 2-3 days finished a week earlier or more than the one that he didn’t change water in…
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Oh shoot, I remember that now. I need to go back and check it out and see what the best method was.
 
For whitening, pick up a 40 or 50% peroxide bottle at a hair salon supply or online, it is what most taxidermists use. I’ve used it for years on deer skulls and turkey spurs (leg bone only). It has also whitened my hair to the point you can’t see it anymore :)

Clairol Professional Pure White Hair Developers for Lightening & Gray Coverage https://a.co/d/htT6fL0
 
It's going to be a balancing act with the water changes. Beneficial bacteria as well as stink and slime creating bacteria will both colonize the surface of the bone as well as any scratches in your bucket/container, that YouTube video seems to suggest that the helpful bugs bounce back faster than the stink factories.
 
thedutchtouch said:
It's going to be a balancing act with the water changes. Beneficial bacteria as well as stink and slime creating bacteria will both colonize the surface of the bone as well as any scratches in your bucket/container, that YouTube video seems to suggest that the helpful bugs bounce back faster than the stink factories.
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I would change without rinsing. Bacteria aren't going to want to be in that water as much as on that stinky skull. So the bacterial density is going to show that. Plus, a bacterium randomly floating around near the bucket edge isn't doing much work anyways. Also, aerobic bacteria are going to benefit from fresh water with more oxygen (which the bacteria deplete as they eat and respire). Plus, just because they smell nasty doesn't mean that a bacterium thrives in its own waste products.
 
raisins said:
I would change without rinsing. Bacteria aren't going to want to be in that water as much as on that stinky skull. So the bacterial density is going to show that. Plus, a bacterium randomly floating around near the bucket edge isn't doing much work anyways. Also, aerobic bacteria are going to benefit from fresh water with more oxygen (which the bacteria deplete as they eat and respire). Plus, just because they smell nasty doesn't mean that a bacterium thrives in its own waste products.
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The biology nerd in me has had his interests piqued again. I had been planning to learn more about this this the heater purchase, but you're right, there's a whole bacterial biome in there, there's got to be conditions that favor one bug over another. Temperature is the main one, I assumed it was a relatively anaerobic environment as the water isn't agitated, and from what I remember adding a bubbler had minimal effects in some YouTuber (so super scientific) tests. I suppose I need to stop reading about dermestid beetle enclosures and learn more about the smaller bugs. I'll be back with more later hopefully
 
thedutchtouch said:
The biology nerd in me has had his interests piqued again. I had been planning to learn more about this this the heater purchase, but you're right, there's a whole bacterial biome in there, there's got to be conditions that favor one bug over another. Temperature is the main one, I assumed it was a relatively anaerobic environment as the water isn't agitated, and from what I remember adding a bubbler had minimal effects in some YouTuber (so super scientific) tests. I suppose I need to stop reading about dermestid beetle enclosures and learn more about the smaller bugs. I'll be back with more later hopefully
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Dude don’t overthink it. Just put the skull in the warm water and let nature do the rest. Lol
 
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