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[skullclnr]

Hey All- Wanted to log in and say hi. This is Matt from <!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.rockymountainheadhunters.com\" onclick=\"window.open(this.href);return false;\">http://www.rockymountainheadhunters.com</a><!-- m --> . Been an elk hunter for some time now though still trying to learn and put some things together. I have a pretty good teacher though I have been beetle cleaning skulls for years now and what turned out as a hobby over a decade ago has taken off and I get to clean some really neat skulls and animals from all around the world. I hope I can bring some insight to the forum for those back yard boilers who need some help or those that want a museum quality skull that will never yellow or grease up. Enough of a business pitch, I am also a die hard hunter and will take it any way I can get it, rifle, muzzy or bow.....just need to put a few of the dots together with the bow. Each year seems to get closer and closer to taking a elk with the bow and I think this is going to be the year. Anyway I hope to learn a lot from you guys and also offer any of my services I can provide. Thanks. Matt - Skullclnr

 

[cnelk]

There is my buddy!
Good to see you here Matt

 

[Swede]

Welcome to camp Matt, and thanks for being a sponsor. It is ok to roll you eyes when Brad says it was his telephone\'s fault that he has his picture on here sideways. Don\'t be surprised when he comes up with some other :crazy: things. Anyway I have a question. I have been doing the skull mounts since 2005. I have been using the chemicals. Have you used the chemicals? What do you see as the main difference between beetles and a boiling pot with chemicals, in the end results?

 

[skullclnr]

Hey guys, thanks for the welcome. Brad told you I would get on here soon, just needed some time, got some late shipped lions and bears in from the western slope so it was a long night.

Mainly boiling breaks down the calcium in the bone, more so if you use sal soda or washing soda. The intense heat pushes the fat and oil into the bone, that\'s why a lot of boiled heads turn yellow over time. The bugs strip every little bit of meat off the skull, even inside all the cracks and crevices that boiling leaves behind, but this happens over night for me, it takes me weeks to months to pull the oils out of the bone to make sure the head stays white for ever. But don\'t get me wrong, boiling can produce a good skull if you do it right, do it wrong and you loose all the delicate nose bones and most sutures will separate. Look at some of the nasal pictures on my web site, that\'s the stuff that you most often loose when you boil, you make brittle bone. But it can be done well. As far as chemicals, I still have to use them to extract the oils and then to whiten and seal the bones.

 

[bowhunter]

Welcome Matt. I sure like the job the beatles do. I found some on a dead coon on my farm one spring. I moved the stinky coon :ill: behind my barn and put my deer skull near the coon. The beatles had it cleaned in a couple months when I went back to check on it. I hosed off the sand and dirt and placed it out to dry in the hot summer sun. It still looks good 4 years later. I am sure your set up is much faster and I know the beatles take a lot of work to care for. It is much cheaper for a Euro mount than a full head which saves us thrifty hunters some money for more tags

 

[bnsafe]

welcome to the site matt an thanks for sponsoring. i havnt had a chance to meet you yet but hope to soon.

 

[cohunter14]

Welcome Matt, glad to have you and thanks for the sponsorship!! :upthumb:

 

[Ol' Arky]

Welcome... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: