Ive done 2 other nilgai using the skull plate and then attaching it to antelope shield form from van dyke, paper mache to smooth out, and wrap with leather. The other two I just skinned and scraped well then sat in borax, scraped, and more borax. Didnt have any smell problems. This one though is stinking. I think i waited too long to skin and scrape it. It sat out for about a day and a half before I cut skull plate out and was warm down here. It seems like its coming from the areas up in the forehead where its like a cavity, maybe sinus. If I boil this will it take care of that? Also what about the horn sheaths? seem like boiling would ruin those but they really arent bad like the skull piece.

I am not a taxidermist, but have done many euro mounts and skull plate. With the horned animals, I have always popped off the horn sheath, packed with borax, and dried them out. The skulls or plates are boiled/simmered with dish soap ( Dawn) to degrease, cleaned and dried. The sheaths may be hard to pop off since the piece is all tried out now, but can probably set skull plate and not submerge horns, skimmer, and steam may loosen them up to remove. Boiling the skull and decreasing should get rid of smell