Working on cleaning up a euro mount and can’t seem to kill the “dead” smell coming from the skull…

Any tips on how to get the smell out…?!?

Set it out i the sun.

It’s been in the sun for 3 weeks…smell still there!

Did you boil the skull?

Sounds like you have left WAY to much brains in it

Needs boiled again.

I'm no help.. I used to do my own but now just pay a young man in Longview $100 bill. For the trouble, it's worth the money to me. He does a great job.

I did not boil the skull…just left it outside for 3 weeks and left the maggots alone yo do their work. Then used a sharp knife and needle nose pliers to remove the dried hide and remaining fur…what should I do next to get the residual smell out?

well, that explains it

boil it

Boil it with soap to remove the grease residue. Wrap the base of the antlers tightly with foil try not to immerse them as it will fade the color.

Be sure to boil it in the kitchen.....the family will enjoy the smell....

Put it on top of an ant hill. They clean things pretty good.

Cleboje, boil it. Fish cooker is perfect. Put about 1/3-1/2 box of 20 mule team borax in the water. Usually takes 2-2 1/2 hours at a slow boil. Then knock everything off and out of it with a pressure washer. Make sure to turn it over and hit the hole in the bottom of the brain pan to get the brains out. Don’t boil too long or too hot or the end of the nose will come apart.
Skin and boil the next one before it gets to stinking for a kinder experience. After you get it cleaned up it is still gonna take a week or so for the funk to dissipate now that you have it good and seasoned with rotting flesh.

You have get out the lining in the brain cavity and the cartilage in the nose area.
Simple boil with Dawn in the water will work too. Don't bring it to a rolling boil, just a low simmer.

The nose cartilage can be tricky, pull it out gently. Peroxide after the boil will help with the smell too, regular peroxide will work. Don't get it on the antlers, you can re color them naturally though.
Good rinse after a few hours in peroxide and let them dry in the sun again.

As Smoky said be careful with the pressure washer, they work well.

Yes smells like liver and onions cooking

No wonder I don't like liver and onions

After I simmer(not boil) the skull, I will use a coat hanger to work the cartilage out of the nasal cavity. Also will work on the getting out the brain membrane/lining. For Borax I use about 1/2 cup per gallon of water and bring it to a simmer and not to a boil. Cut as much of the meat and tissue as you can before simmering the skull. After simmering for a15-20 minutes I remove the skull and take as much of the meat/tissue of that I can. Then back to the pot to simmer. Then remove skull, clean and repeat the process till clean. Boiling with to much Borax made the bones brittle on the skulls I did early on. Do not use an aluminum pot or the Borax could eat thru it. Do any of this outside unless you want to stink up the house. I have done well over 20 euros and done with different methods also.

Now I know why I call The Man. Taxis need work too.

It’s been stated several times on this thread already but, it’s worth repeating

Simmer don’t boil and make sure it’s outside

I put about 1/2 box of baking soda in the water when I boil the head.

Doesn't anyone use concentrated hydrogen peroxide?

Hunting partner uses the beetles and hydrogen peroxide. We freeze the heads or start on them immediately. This year we did an unusual antelope skull. It was a roadkill. Too far to go get it so just had the rancher hang it out in the sun for about a month before we went there. We knew when we approached it that probably wasn’t a good idea. I have 5 euros he has done for me. None have any scent whatsoever He did everything he normally does to them. When I was attaching the horn sheaths with bondo, the odor had almost been destroyed but I could still smell it. I’m kind of thinking that once the smell of rotting flesh permeates the bones, it’s almost impossible to get rid of. Only time will tell.

Boiled, pressure washed and then covered in 40 volume creme (peroxide).

Boy, that is a really cool buck euro, tons of character!!

yeah, that's a cool set of horns. I have one kind of like it that I wish I would have had a full mount done.