Maceration Step by Step

[dasmoofler]

After I finish fixing the brakes on one of my kid's cars I hope to get back to the coyote skull. Not much left to take off now.
Here's how the lil guy looked starting out.

[susanl]

Great thread, love all of the useful info.  We started cleaning skulls this past winter with beetles, been doing quite well, however, we now have 14 buffalo and cattle skulls to do.  We cleaned one with the bugs already, but probably lost 5ooo of them rehydrating it and when we pulled it out the last time.  Before rehydrating we spent 2 days trying to save as many beetles and larvae as we could, but that's a big skull with lots of places to hide and stick to. 

So as we wait for the colony to grow big enough to handle a buffalo, we decided to try macerating a few.  It will not only help get more done faster, but I think it's good to have more than one option for cleaning the skulls.  There are probably some situations in which maceration would be more practical and efficient (such as the elk that had been left out since last fall and was dried up, rotten and covered with maggots).

I'll post pics and updates on how the buffalo come along, and see how the maceration compares to the beetle cleaning.

Thanks again for all the info.

Susan
Alberta, Canada

[stitcherman]

I say that it would take an awful lot of hungry beetles to do large skulls!
Masceration ain"t that bad anyway.
 In nh it would be a long winter livin with them beetles.

[susanl]

I say that it would take an awful lot of hungry beetles to do large skulls!
Masceration ain"t that bad anyway.
 In nh it would be a long winter livin with them beetles.

A lot more beetles than I thought.  They had finished a deer in less than 2 days, but just couldn't get that buffalo done before it dried up too much. 
We'll mascerate in the back field behind the fence, neighbors will be really happy.LOL
There is no way I would have got the beetles if the had to go in the house.  Luckily we have a heated shop. 

[stitcherman]

Well just over 30 days in a bucket with a aquarium heater and I cleaned and toothbrushed the small areas of "white stuff". Off of 3 coyote and 2 bobcat from STERLING. with a good rinsing with buckets of fresh water and a garden hose on light pressure.
 Sure glad I used the ziplocs ! Lots of teeth to put back in place!
 The bear skull I got from OBAR1977 was  in the same bucket just one week and it's almost done! Once ya get the juices going it sure works much faster !
 A few of the lower jaw bones broke apart on the coyotes.
 Well they are in room temp water with clear dish soap in new ziplocs.
 Maybe put a heater in with them  tommorow. That should help the degreasing to have a little heat.
 My dog ate some of the mascerated meat. Before I could stop her. Hope she doesn't get sick.
 Thank you to all that posts their knowledge here.
 

[dasmoofler]

It took a while, but I finally got it done. I don't know how I did it but I managed to lose two teeth.
I still like it though.

[Sea Wolf]

Very nice job.

[dasmoofler]

Thanks! The full racoon skeleton articulation is going to be a real challenge. And it is sooooooooo stinky right now. Even in a pot with a lid on it and a garbage bag over that I can still smell it when the wind is out of the east. Even my cat gives it a wide berth!

[Wolfwoman]

Very nice!! Can't wait to see how the raccoon comes out. I've never done a full skeleton.

[dasmoofler]

Let the fun begin! I think some need more whitening, though. I sure hope I get this figured out. (And never again will I do this with the hair on. It made everything ten times more difficult)

Thanks! The full racoon skeleton articulation is going to be a real challenge. And it is sooooooooo stinky right now. Even in a pot with a lid on it and a garbage bag over that I can still smell it when the wind is out of the east. Even my cat gives it a wide berth!

[Wolfwoman]

Holy crap!! That's awesome!  I actually like the color of the bones to be 'bone white' and not pure white. But it's a personal preference. Make sure and post pics when it's together.

[Head Hunting Iowan]

Evidently you got the patiece I was s'posed to get too.

[Kerby Ross]

Although I use Dawn for degreasing stuff, I have also used Polytranspar Degreaser on a lot of stuff to include skulls.

Anyone have comments on this stuff?

Thanks

Kerby...

[Sad King Billy]

Wow. That looks like one hell of a puzzle to put together : )

[zantosa53]

I know I haven't logged on in awhile but I just wanted to add an idea I didn't see here.. I've done a few small skulls lately via maceration in a mason jar with lid on just not screwed all the way down. Lid is on to keep the smell away, and not screwed all the way down that way when the gasses build up the lid can pop up and release a bit of pressure. Just picture the way a mason jars lid goes on.. the tred is on a seperate piece form the lid. I've currently got half a dozen jars macerating this way at the foot of my bed and I don't smell a thing(rat, mouse, and hamster skulls plus a full cane toad). Just felt I'd share that with everyone. Even though most of you are doing tihngs much larger then a jar