How to DIY A European Mount for Whitetail or Mule Deer, Elk, and More

So, you shot a buck or a bull! You want to preserve the memory of the hunt, but a full shoulder mount isn’t for you. Shoulder mounts are beautiful, but they can also be very expensive and take up a lot of space. You could cut the skull so that it and the antlers can be mounted on a plaque, or simply keep the antlers to commemorate the hunt and the animal. Another great option for mounting your animal is a European (Euro) mount. The European mount originated hundreds of years ago before modern taxidermy was an option for hunters. Euro mounts are timeless and a beautiful way to display a trophy. Another major perk is that you can do it yourself!

After the Kill

After you harvest your buck, if you decide soon after killing the animal that you want to have a Euro mount done, getting the hide off the skull as soon as you can will help reduce any grease stains on the skull. Skin out the skull, removing eyeballs and as much brain matter as you can. Any cleaning you can do now will help with the quality later on.

Cleaning the Skull

Your options for removing the rest of the tissue from the skull are boiling or bugs. Dermestid beetles, from the family Dermestidae, feed on animal tissue in order to complete their life cycle. There are several species that are native to North America, but the species Dermestes maculatus is probably the most common species to be kept in a domestic colony. You can find starter beetles and colony kits online—a mature colony of Dermestid beetles can clean a deer skull in as little as two days! Unless you’re planning on putting in the care required to keep a healthy beetle colony (also—they can cause serious damage to your stuff if they escape), you can send your skull to someone who does have a beetle colony. You can find commercial beetle cleaning services online (beetlecleaning.com, beetleskullcleaning.com). A benefit of using beetles to clean your skull is that they won’t damage the fine bone structure of the nasal bones in the skull like boiling can.

If you decide to go the boiling route, you can DIY this step of the process. It’s best to boil your skull outdoors—once you smell the process, you’ll understand why. Use a stock pot and a propane tank and burner to heat water outdoors. Use enough water to cover the skull, and add a strong soap to act as a degreasing agent for the first round of soaking. Bring the water to a boil, but then simmer with the soap for approximately 45 minutes. Then, remove the skull and use a knife or scraper to remove any tissue that is still attached to the skull.

Once you scrape as much loose tissue as you can, change the water in the pot and add a box of baking soda. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, remove, and rinse in soapy water while removing any remaining tissue. You can use high pressure water or even an air compressor to help with this step.

Lightening the Skull

There are a few different methods for lightening the color of the skull after all the tissue is removed. You can buy great kits from taxidermy supply shops. Hydrogen peroxide in a tub is another commonly used method. Another quick method is mixing cream peroxide such as Volume 40 and a powder lightener such as Basic White into a creamy mixture. Brush the mixture onto the skull, but be careful not to let any of the solution get onto the antlers themselves. Wrap the brushed skull in plastic wrap and tape, then dry for about two hours; you can use a hair dryer or heater to help speed up the drying process. Once the time’s up, remove the plastic from the skull, wash it in water, and dry. The result should be a clean, white skull finished and ready for mounting.

Doing your own Euro mount is a great way to save money on taxidermy charges while still preserving your trophy in a classic style. It will also stay looking nice for years to come without the dilemma of bleached hides and hair loss that can occur over time with taxidermy. While there are many methods for cleaning and bleaching skulls, hopefully the tips here provided some guidance for the first-time DIY hunter!

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