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Hunting >> Hunting in Australia, NZ & the South Pacific
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tophet1
.400 member


Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
Skull Cap Finished
      #183836 - 16/06/11 09:03 AM

With a few trips planned this year I didn't want to divert funds towards taxidermy, so decided on a Skull Cap mount for the Red Deer I shot in April in New Zealand.




The shield mount came from a Western Australian sports trophy company and is also available in jarra colouring. Self tapping screws were used from behind the shield to screw into holes I'd pre-drilled in the shield and skull. The skull was bleached in a 50/50 soulution of household bleach and water but did not quite reach the top of the pedicals. I left the antlers stained to differentiate them from the clear white antlers you often find on farm raised animals. Looks more natural too

This method also allowed me to bring the antlers home (after a thourough boiling and scrubbing) as excess baggage (A$70).



I had been quoted A$1,000 for someone to prep, pack and do the paper work for the antlers and cape to be sent to Australia and then taxidermy on top of that. I'd rather spend my disposable income on hunting.

I will be useing this method of getting my momentoes (including future African trips) home from overseas from now on.

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500Nitro
.450 member


Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 7244
Loc: Victoria, Australia
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: tophet1]
      #183837 - 16/06/11 09:06 AM

Awesome. Very nice indeed.

Looks great.



When I first saw that, I thought it was my mates head from SA
which I noticed the other day came in at Aust No 3.
.

Edited by 500Nitro (16/06/11 09:16 AM)

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FATBOY404
.400 member


Reged: 14/11/09
Posts: 1730
Loc: QLD
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: 500Nitro]
      #183839 - 16/06/11 09:14 AM

Nice John.
It has worked for the last couple of hundred years.

I am going to do the same with my 5x5 as I hope to take one bigger one day.

--------------------
"WHATEVER BLOWS YOUR HAIR BACK"

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HendrikNZ
.275 member


Reged: 20/12/10
Posts: 94
Loc: New Zealand
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: FATBOY404]
      #183845 - 16/06/11 12:29 PM

I can just imagine the Airline check-in girl's face when you rocked up with that!
hahaha.

Very nice trophy by the way! it looks great.

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gryphon
.450 member


Reged: 01/01/03
Posts: 5487
Loc: Sambar ground/Victoria/Austral...
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: HendrikNZ]
      #183846 - 16/06/11 12:40 PM

Looks neat and is a great deer too. I do prefer the full skull face mount(French cut) myself

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CHAPUISARMES
.416 member


Reged: 16/01/08
Posts: 2908
Loc: DUBBO, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: gryphon]
      #183847 - 16/06/11 01:53 PM

Hi John,

That is very nice indeed and is in keeping with the Germanic / European style that has been around time immortal. In fact that is the way I am having my African trophies done and this way I can get both a soft tanned skin and a skull mount.

Cheers for now,

Jeff Gray

.

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tophet1
.400 member


Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: HendrikNZ]
      #183850 - 16/06/11 02:38 PM

Quote:

I can just imagine the Airline check-in girl's face when you rocked up with that!
hahaha.

Very nice trophy by the way! it looks great.



Thx for the comments guys. I booked it all the way back at Palmerston airport and they didn't look twice, but some civilians at Brissie weren't too impressed. The young Customs officer had done a little pig shooting once so no worrys there. He was very thorough ( re: importation of disease ) and rightly so.

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CHAPUISARMES
.416 member


Reged: 16/01/08
Posts: 2908
Loc: DUBBO, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: tophet1]
      #183851 - 16/06/11 02:47 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I can just imagine the Airline check-in girl's face when you rocked up with that!
hahaha.

Very nice trophy by the way! it looks great.



but some civilians at Brissie weren't too impressed.



Just one word John.... STIFF...

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ozhunter
.400 member


Reged: 18/08/04
Posts: 1692
Loc: Sydney, Australia
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: tophet1]
      #183852 - 16/06/11 02:48 PM

I do like the Euro mount.

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AFRO408
.333 member


Reged: 21/01/09
Posts: 312
Loc: Arding NSW
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: tophet1]
      #183869 - 16/06/11 05:14 PM

Looks great John boy

--------------------
Flinch ? Wot flinch ? Gunsmithing is my PASSION.

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Ben
.400 member


Reged: 22/08/08
Posts: 1917
Loc: Northern Territory, Australia
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: AFRO408]
      #183882 - 16/06/11 06:48 PM

Fantastic!

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26504
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: Ben]
      #183935 - 17/06/11 01:35 AM

Most Euro hunters I've seen, have wanted the lower jaw on the skull (moose). I prefer the just the skull cap, as that long pointy jaw looks weird. Also- it takes a LOT less time to prepare- not having to have a large enough pot to boil the whole head, then pick out the meat, then wash in fermeladyde (or whatever it was) for days to whiten the skull- bloody pain, with the jaw attached.


Nice rack!

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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gryphon
.450 member


Reged: 01/01/03
Posts: 5487
Loc: Sambar ground/Victoria/Austral...
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: DarylS]
      #183960 - 17/06/11 06:36 AM

I dont like the lower jaw left on any of them,the French cut is the full face of the skull with a line cut through the back of the brain box running down through the very bottom edge of the eye sockets leaving the nasal bones intact,this leaves "the face" but thinned down and very flat for mounting.
Most of the old Euro collections and castles have them done so.

As far as a big enough pot Daryl i use a 20 litre/4 gal drum over the fire in the backyard,a handful of soap powder from the laundry cuts the grease too.

I use a piece of old roof iron with a hole cut just big enough for the skull to fit through into the water,this supports it and with the iron being larger than the drum dia it shields the antlers from any errant flames too.

Now if t/dermists werent so exy i would have them all mounted in the hide haha.

Imagine the pot for this job!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0405/1224293869612.html

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450_EXPRESS
.333 member


Reged: 04/01/09
Posts: 341
Loc: S.C.Montana
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: tophet1]
      #183984 - 17/06/11 02:06 PM

Looks good tophet. One thing though to consider, bleach, even diluted, can be harmful to bone. I've seen some done that the bone became brittle and flaky. Taxidermy supply companys sell hydrogen peroxide (30%) and magnesium carbonate that you form a paste with to whiten the bone. Also I've just used Dawn dishwashing soap. I put some in the initial boil to clean the skull and after it's done then put clean water in the pot, bring it up almost to boil and put the skull in for a bit. It doesn't give as stark a white color, more of a natural bone color but works well too. On a more greasy type skull like bear I've had to repeat the process a couple times (changing the water each time) but it works out nicely.

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FATBOY404
.400 member


Reged: 14/11/09
Posts: 1730
Loc: QLD
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: 450_EXPRESS]
      #183985 - 17/06/11 02:16 PM

Good tips guys.

My animals get trimmed well then hung high in a tree in my back yard until they don't smell.
Ants do a great job.

--------------------
"WHATEVER BLOWS YOUR HAIR BACK"

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39245
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: tophet1]
      #184022 - 18/06/11 12:22 AM

JM

It looks very good on the wall.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Rule303
.416 member


Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 4913
Loc: Woodford Qld
Re: Skull Cap Finished [Re: tophet1]
      #184051 - 18/06/11 10:40 AM

John that looks great. PP will probably be much happier with this rather than a shoulder mount. Some just don't like those eyes watching them.

That is the way I will be doing anymore heads that I get.

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