I'm not entirely a beginner but I've never tackled something like this before. Came home with the head of a mature scottish highland bull. The horns are over three feet across from tip to tip and I couldn't resist. I managed to get the skull into my biggest pot and simmered the nose clean up to the eye sockets. It's now submerged in a huge barrel outside. It's too cold for bugs outside right now and if I try to bury it my wolf hybrids will think it's a chewie just for them. Without any sort of heater in the water will the maceration process still work or does it need to be *warm* water. I need to get these horns off to clean the cores and I want to keep the skull too.
Any honest suggestions will be soooooooo appreciated. :)
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S. W., Patience is the word here I would think. The cool/cold water will slow down an already slow process. Those horns will release but might stain if soaked for extended time. I've not had the pleasure of a scottish highland but I have worked with a long horn bull. If it were me I'd lay that skull up away from them wolves and let it dry out completely. Then when the spring weather hits soak it up. The drying out will stress the flesh some and you will see quicker results when the water can build up some heat. Now, if you are just in a real rush you can bag the skull wet in a few black bags and put it on your roof in the sun. Wait a couple of weeks and then open up that smelly package- the horns will most likely slip pretty easily. Enjoy, Aaron H.
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Thanks Aaron. I'll maybe try that. I did read about that trick in the archives. I do have a big section of almost flat roof that is covered with black rubber too if I can manage to haul it up there. I don't have a skull plate to cut in half as the entire skull is intact and I wanted to keep it that way. A ridiculous picture is at http://www.gis.net/~terryg/Amber/horns.jpg I didn't think of the horns discoloring and they do have some nice shading. I don't think I have a heater that will heat a whole trashcan full of water to 90+ when it's only 40 out.
..... Many thanks. :)
I have a friend who owns a watusi/Scottish Highland cross. If we could get a tape measure on him without getting squished he is estimated to have over 10' horns tip to tip. This should put him in the Guinness book.
At over 20+ years of age, he is not expected to live much longer and I'm told that when he starts getting sick enough to expire they are going to put him down so that he doesn't suffer. I'm told that I get to (or have to - depending on your frame of mind) do a mount of him . . . maybe a lifesize.
Ten feet of horn . . . that's a LOT of soaking!
Good luck!
Jerry S.
Seawolf. I just did a skull mount of a scottish highlander. I recommed once you get the horns off to cut off half of the horn cores. Reason being the inside of the cores are hollow, and are filled up with a yuckie looking bloody thick paste. Break that up some with a long screwdriver and then turn a hose on them to flush them out. If you don't get this out they will for sure stink. When done just slip the horns back on and no one will ever know that half of the cores are cut off. I secure the horns by smearing some caulking on the core and them just slipping the horns back on. Have fun......skullery.....Jeff....<><
Many thanks for the hints and suggestions. It is now double bagged and up on the roof. Thank you, Jeff, for your suggestion as well. I knew there was gunk inside the horns but not in the cores too. They won't be seen and I'll be sure to clean the out too. Thanks also to you, Aaron. Getting it up on the roof was harder than getting it bagged. One horn tip is sticking out about 10 inches but it's wrapped tight with a rubber band so it shouldn't leak at all. .. Good luck to you, Jerry. Sounds like you'd need a front end loader to even get him home. I saw a brahma bulls horns once that were 5 1/2 to 6. I can't even imagine what 10 would look like. Must be a really big barn door he walks through. :)