New elk head project. Horse manure skull cleaning.

I'm going to use a new method for this Elk head that I was just given:


I won't have room in my maceration cooler for a while and it's getting cold enough that I probably won't want to be changing water in a few weeks when I'm done with the bones I'm processing now.  This is the stuff I have going now, 2 deer and an Antelope along with some other assorted bones:



This skull is absolutely huge, too. Even if I didn't have a bunch of stuff already macerating, I'm not sure I'd want macerate it anyway. This method involves placing the skull in a plastic container between two layers of compost, in this case I'll be using manure.  There's a brief mention of the method on www.theboneman.com but I have never tried it. This particular skull will be a good one to try it on, given my circumstances and considering the fact that it won't be hard for me to get another one if this one doesn't turn out well.  

Also, I have been wanting to brain tanning a try for a while now.  I attempted it recently with fresh road kill raccoon, but she was too badly battered to skin properly and I gave up after a couple hours of trying. This elk was in great shape so at the last minute I decided to give it a go.  I attempted to skin it as if I were going to use it for taxidermy as a learning experience, even though I have no intention of mounting it.  It was amateur hour for sure, I messed up the ears pretty badly, but what I did end up with will be perfect for what I'm doing. I guess I could go this route too: http://crappytaxidermy.com/

More on Friday after I acquire the poop!

Eek! I have not had much luck with manure before, especially after the flesh was gone. My skulls were greasy forever. That was years ago though, in Texas so grossly hot. Let us know how it goes for you

As in grease in the bone? How did you degrease them, and how long did it take?

The grease was set into the bone like it had been cooked in, and nothing ever got it out, I had to toss the skull. Manure process has a heat reaction component to it so it simulates being simmered in low temps on a stove, cooking the grease in to the bone.

Yikes! I think I'm going to try it on this lady anyway. I forgot to mention that she also has a hole in her skull between the ear and the eye. You can actually see it in the picture. :-( Since it's damaged and it'll be pretty easy for me to get another one, I don't mind experimenting on it.

I wish you luck! Anything that works is a good idea in any circumstance

I thought I'd post an update, even though it has been dead around here. I put a young deer/fawn skeleton in with the elk head a few weeks ago and there was really not much going on with the elk head. I had been below freezing since I put it in there and not much had changed other than it being a little slimy. The last few weeks temperatures have been in the 40s and even low 50s a few days and progress has been amazing in this amount of time. A lot of the bone is visible now, with what meat is remaining being very soft and almost soupy. In a week or two there won't be much left and I'll probably rinse it off and macerate for a week to get anything left off of it and get a little jump start on the grease. I figure based on what skullgrrl said, I may be stuck degreasing a little longer than I'd like, but temps never got that hot as far as I can tell, so I might not have the same problem she did. Forgot to take pics, but in a couple weeks I'll update with pics...