Not another Euro mount thread

[rmyoung1]

In adulthood I’ve faithfully ascribed to the notion that one should outsource all non-core competencies. When a guy is short on core competencies, though, this philosophy gets a tad expensive. So… after overpaying for a Euro on my way out Wyoming this past November, I vowed to expand my limited expertise. A couple of Texas whitetail bucks provided the opportunity to show my wife I can do things. And how hard could it be? I have FreshTracks+ and I’ve seen the video. That alone’s worth something, I figured, for a man with my untapped potential.

The Bridger Boiler looked cool, but I opted only to buy their bleaching kit and, instead, went to Lowe’s for a 60-quart crawfish cooker. A side trip to my wife’s closet for a coat hanger followed, and I was up and boiling in no time. And saving tons of money. $160 for the cooker and $55 for a tank of propane. Another $20 for the bleaching kit and I’m killing it.

 

[rmyoung1]

My new cooker has like 110,000 btu’s of unbridled inferno fury which heated the water in no time, but I went for the slow and steady approach. Twenty-six hours and a $25 propane refill later, I have two cleaned up skulls. And, again, the money savings made me feel like a real man of the house. My wife commented that perhaps my time isn’t worth much if babysitting a cooker and two smelly skulls for two whole days during her Christmas vacation is my idea of efficiency. I took that as a sign that my wide-ranging competency was making her jealous.

This baby is clean!

 

[rmyoung1]

$50 more for a couple of skull plaques cut into my savings margin, but it’s hard to put a price on beauty. The cedar one I had to get since my buck died literally in a gnarly South TX cedar tree. And the black walnut one for my son just made sense because his other Euros, which thankfully I’ll never have to pay for again, all have black walnut.

 

[MT Bound]

Nice job man, looks good.

If you ever want to save some time, I boil my skulls for about 3 hrs for deer and 4 hrs for elk, then blast all the scraps off with a power washer and whalla, clean as a whistle!

 

[rmyoung1]

The bleaching kit from Bridger Boiler was actually pretty slick. I know I’m trying to save money, but how much cheaper could Borax really be? After a 24-hour wait, these things look marshmallow white. And I’m gaining self-confidence.

Sometime during the process, my best friend in Denver calls me on the phone. I tell what I’m doing, and he mentions that he has a guy in town who will do a deer Euro for $100. Whatever. I’m sure he was exaggerating.

 

[TOGIE]

I’m thinking it’s time to just buy a propane burner now that my sous vide shat it’s pants on my last skull

 

[bonedogg]

beauty job on them euros!

 

[rmyoung1]

Now it’s time to break out the power tools, which is where things for me almost always go sideways. But if a fella is gonna be a self-reliant, cost-savings, hard core DIY guy, then he’s gotta face some demons. I drilled some holes and tightened some screws through bone and wood and shazaam! we have two deer Euros.

With all this momentum at the beginning of the new year, will 2023 see me actually mow my own grass?

 

[OntarioHunter]

The bleaching kit from Bridger Boiler was actually pretty slick. I know I’m trying to save money, but how much cheaper could Borax really be? After a 24-hour wait, these things look marshmallow white. And I’m gaining self-confidence.

Sometime during the process, my best friend in Denver calls me on the phone. I tell what I’m doing, and he mentions that he has a guy in town who will do a deer Euro for $100. Whatever. I’m sure he was exaggerating.

View attachment 259518

Don't use Borax. 40% peroxide + Clairol whitener from beautician mixed to paste, paint on, put in the sun, and presto! Snow white. Rinse well and dry. Then hang.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

I needed new camp stove so I bought Camp Chef Yukon double burner. Great for campsite, great for doing Euro's. Use std taxidermist process of adding soda ash and Dawn liquid dish soap. Cook down at below boil so hard simmer for 6-8 hours. Soda ash loosens meat faster and adds whitening to bone. Dawn acts as degreaser. The stove is very stable to hold large simmering pot. Double duty great at both. Also use 40% salon as final whitener. I do add 2 week drying period to allow bone to dry out get tougher before I use the 40%. I like using old barn board with Skull Hookers plus kill photo. Fired round added to board kind of adds to the experience.

Set of metal dental picks from Menards are incredibly useful in picking out tiny pieces of meat out of small creases. Also great to poke out the optic nerve in socket so it is clean hole to brain cavity.

https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-YK60LW-Burner-Stove/dp/B007V4U7HO/ref=asc_df_B007V4U7HO?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814222102144&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413750285384&psc=1

 

[Justindrader]

My new cooker has like 110,000 btu’s of unbridled inferno fury which heated the water in no time, but I went for the slow and steady approach. Twenty-six hours and a $25 propane refill later, I have two cleaned up skulls. And, again, the money savings made me feel like a real man of the house. My wife commented that perhaps my time isn’t worth much if babysitting a cooker and two smelly skulls for two whole days during her Christmas vacation is my idea of efficiency. I took that as a sign that my wide-ranging competency was making her jealous.

This baby is clean!

View attachment 259515

Looks great.

 

[Caseknife]

Now it’s time to break out the power tools, which is where things for me almost always go sideways. But if a fella is gonna be a self-reliant, cost-savings, hard core DIY guy, then he’s gotta face some demons. I drilled some holes and tightened some screws through bone and wood and shazaam! we have two deer Euros.

With all this momentum at the beginning of the new year, will 2023 see me actually mow my own grass?

View attachment 259533
View attachment 259534

Sweet Euros for your first try. I use baking soda and dish soap, breaks all the meat down quickly. Looks much better than my first try many years ago.

 

[Caseknife]

I needed new camp stove so I bought Camp Chef Yukon double burner. Great for campsite, great for doing Euro's. Use std taxidermist process of adding soda ash and Dawn liquid dish soap. Cook down at below boil so hard simmer for 6-8 hours. Soda ash loosens meat faster and adds whitening to bone. Dawn acts as degreaser. The stove is very stable to hold large simmering pot. Double duty great at both. Also use 40% salon as final whitener. I do add 2 week drying period to allow bone to dry out get tougher before I use the 40%. I like using old barn board with Skull Hookers plus kill photo. Fired round added to board kind of adds to the experience.

Set of metal dental picks from Menards are incredibly useful in picking out tiny pieces of meat out of small creases. Also great to poke out the optic nerve in socket so it is clean hole to brain cavity.

https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-YK60LW-Burner-Stove/dp/B007V4U7HO/ref=asc_df_B007V4U7HO?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814222102144&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413750285384&psc=1

View attachment 259559View attachment 259560

Really like the barn wood plaques with the Skull Hooker, the picture and the killing cartridge, tells the story. My wife has been on me to make plaques that tell when and by whom the animals have been killed.