Dave Shadow, Beetles for Skulls

ON THE WATER AND IN THE WOODS BEETLES FOR SKULLS

by Dave Shadow davidsha@consolidated.net

EUROPEAN SKULL MOUNTS

AND TINY BEETLES, TROPHIES,

TAXIDERMY, AND TINY BUGS

So, you’ve got a respectable whitetail buck, now what do you do to preserve the memories as well as the physical identity of your trophy? There are several options and the costs vary as much as the options. If he is really nice or if you don’t already have a wall full you may wish to go the “full way” and do a nice wall mount of either the head/rack or maybe even a shoulder mount.

These are beautiful ways of remembering your hunt experience as well as showing off a bit to you fellow hunters etc. They are however, somewhat expensive. I suspect if you were to add up all the peripheral costs that went into the harvesting of the deer, the mounting cost would not look as big. But let’s consider some alternatives.

First, some info about taxidermy. If you are considering a full mount my advice is to select an experienced and professional taxidermist. There’s nothing wrong with new craftsmen joining in the craft and they have to learn somehow. It is sad however when the hair starts falling out of your trophy or maybe it smells like a “dead deer” on warmer days. Good taxidermy is an art as well as a craft. It is very time consuming and the importance of the artistic ability involved is probably equal to the crafting of the horns and hide. Most of the reputable taxidermists have some display mounts and also some references that will help in this selection.

If a full mount isn’t your desire or maybe not in your budget, consider a European mount or sometimes just called a skull mount. These also are quite variable in the amount of artistic work that is involved. I recently looked at some that involved dipping in variegated colors including camo patterns. This was pretty cool. Also given the artistic talent some airbrushing, or scrimshaw work makes some amazing artwork out of a rather plain skull.

Not every taxidermy shop has facilities to do skull mounts. Also, the techniques to rid the head of the hide and all the undesirable parts and pieces varies widely. Some guys boil the head to loosen the meaty parts and then blast them off with a power washer. This works but the boiling process is kinda touchy and may cause the horns to loosen from the skull. Also, it’s very hard to remove everything out of the inside cracks and crevices. Anything left inside is a potential problem. There’s a better way!

Universities, archeologists, and museums found an excellent way to preserve and prepare skull and bones. They discovered this process long before it was adapted to the taxidermy trade. They simply let the bugs eat everything out of and off of the entire objects and then evict the little critters back into their home environments. These “bugs” are called Dermestid beetles. They are quite interesting and are dedicated to their work. Not a bite of edible product will be left inside or outside of the skull.

This process isn’t quite as simple as is would first seem. The beetles are always hungry and must be fed year-around not just during hunting season. They are also very critical of their living environment. If the temperature varies too much they will simply die. Some more dedicated “bug men” actually have an environmentally controlled separate building where the bugs are kept in comfort and they will multiply rapidly.

Another option is to simply cut the antlers and top portion of the skull away from the remainder and mount them on a wall plaque. This is by far the least expensive and still leaves you with the objects that revive the hunt memories. This process can be done by almost anyone with a saw and a small amount of talent. Many sporting goods stores even have pre-made plaques with velvet covers for the skull part.

No matter which route you select be sure to identify the mount as per IDNR requirements and you’ll be all set to revive those hunting memories on those cold winter days when you’re confined to the house. Good hunting and pleasant memories!

It’s Health, Happiness, and Hunting

Old, Rustic Building Materials Available at…

BARNS N BOARDS

Barn Siding • Planking • H& Hewn & Sawn Timbers Dirk Fox • Morton, IL • 309-253-1317 www.barns-n-boards.com • dndfox@aol.com

Located on Hwy. 24 in Downtown Astoria, IL

Gas • Pizza Subs • Burgers

OPEN: Mon. – Sat. 5:30am – 10pm Sun. 6am – 10pm 309-329-2929

Show Times & Admission Fees: Sat.: 9:00am - 5:00pm Sun .: 9:00am - 3:00pm (Friday Set-up Time: 12-noon - 9pm, Tables $45) Admission: $6

JAN. 6-7 IL STATE FAIRGROUNDS

801 E. Sangamon Ave., Springfield, IL JAN. 13-14 BELLE-CLAIR EXPO

200 South Belt East, Belleville, IL JAN. 20-21 LINDENDALE PARK

1999 Park Drive, Highland, IL

FEB. 3-4 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

1501 W. Fayette Ave, Effingham, IL

FEB. 24-25 INTERSTATE CENTER

2301 W. Market St. Bloomington, IL