# Whitetail Deer European Mount & Plaque



## tocws2002 (Dec 26, 2016)

This year was the first time my oldest son (10) got to go hunting with me as he could finally handle his rifle be himself unassisted. He received a Savage Axis 243 for Christmas 2015, which we sighted in earlier in the year. He has always been one heck of a marksman, whether it be a bb gun, 22, or bow and arrow. He didn't disappoint with his 243 while practicing.

We went out to a property we are leasing on the first day of gun season, hunting over a field appriximately 250 yards long by 75 yards wide, surrounded by woods and a creek.

We got in the ladder stand, settled in, and waited....but not very long. About 15 minutes into our hunt a doe walked by us at 18 yards, but my son wanted to wait for a buck. About 30 seconds later, we heard something....it was a buck chasing the doe...and it was at 18 yards walking broadside right in front of us. My son readied himself and the rifle and was ready to pull the trigger on the buck, which had a drop tine. He opted to pass though because af the antlers. It was a 6 pointer, but the side with the drop tine was very short (drop tine was longer than the others). 

I wondered if he was going to regret not taking his first deer and whether we would have another in shooting range, but he said he was good with his decision. Well, it took all of 4 minutes for us to see another deer...a buck, but it was at the opposite end of the field, about 225+ yards away. The buck started into the woods, away from us. I hit the grunt (a call I got in one if my first woodbarter trades made by @dukdawg999) about 3 times and we saw him turn our way. The buck took his time, but he made his way to us, turned broadside and sauntered across at 30 yards. The boy lined it up and squeezed the trigger. We knew he hit it, but couldn't tell exactly where as the deer took off running. We gave it 2.5 hours before we got down to look for it.

At first look we didn't find any blood, but a short walk in the direction of the escape route and we found the deer, only 40 yards from where he was shot...a nice heart shot. He was very excited, though I think I may have been more excited, and definitely very proud!

Fast forward, we processed the deer and kept the head/antlers. We opted not to have it mounted, but instead did a european mount (a first for me). Once the skull was clean and bleached it needed an appropriate wall plaque, so I made the one shown below.

Deer specs: 8 pointer, taken at 30 yards

Plaque specs: Walnut, arrow shape, 30 degree angle, laquer finish.

Comments, critiques, and hunting stories welcomed.

Thanks, 

-jason


Drop tine.....





His first deer...


 

Walnut plaque

Reactions: Like 5 | Great Post 4 | Way Cool 9


----------



## Wildthings (Dec 26, 2016)

Excellent hunt. Excellent story. Excellent mount

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


----------



## Nature Man (Dec 26, 2016)

Congrats to son and Dad! What a terrific life experience! Both of you will remember this hunt forever! Chuck

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Foot Patrol (Dec 26, 2016)

Congrats to you both!!! Great looking mount.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## JohnF (Dec 26, 2016)

Nice job. Your son is on his way to great things.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Don Ratcliff (Dec 27, 2016)

That's fantastic! Congratulations on his ability to wait for the better one. That is a testament to you and something you should feel tremendous pride in and no doubt do. Thank you for sharing, the buck the store and the mount.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Ray D (Dec 27, 2016)

Fantastic! Congratulations to that young man...and you too pop. Great job on the mount.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Bigdrowdy1 (Dec 27, 2016)

Awesome across the board. It don't get much better. Your son and you will forever be able to relive that memory.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Mike1950 (Dec 27, 2016)

Congrats- Nice Deer.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## brown down (Dec 27, 2016)

great story and one he will never forget!! I still can picture everything in my mind the day I shot my first Buck with my father and our hunting together hasn't stopped! Outstanding first buck for the young man. I got a nice buck this year as well and am doing a skull mount, what or how did you go about cleaning the skull off? Did you use the bug kits or just boil it? I have the hide off the head and cleaned out as best as I can but still had a lot on the head.. I am thinking about boiling it but have done that in the past and really didn't like the results or maybe I did it to long or to hot. From what I have read you do it at a simmer and only the skull is submerged????


----------



## tocws2002 (Dec 29, 2016)

brown down said:


> ...what or how did you go about cleaning the skull off? Did you use the bug kits or just boil it? I have the hide off the head and cleaned out as best as I can but still had a lot on the head.. I am thinking about boiling it but have done that in the past and really didn't like the results or maybe I did it to long or to hot. From what I have read you do it at a simmer and only the skull is submerged????



I did the boil method, though my water never really boiled. I cut off as much "stuff" as I could then kept the skull in the heated water off and on for a few hours. I did add some dish soap and Tide w/Oxi-Clean to the water. Then spent a lot of time with needle nose pliers, razors, scapels, and long wire with a hook on the end to scrape, cut, pull, pluck, and dig the remaining meat and tissue off of and out of the skull. I spent quite a bit more time than what it appeared others did on the YouTube videos I watched.

Once I was happy with that I bleached the skull 3 times, being careful not to get it on the antlers (which I protected with foil).

Here are some in progress pictures, including the popcorn tin I used as my pot.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 3


----------



## NYWoodturner (Dec 31, 2016)

Wow. I know nothing of the process but recognize the value of your attention to detail. Impressive results

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Jan 1, 2017)

Very cool. My grandson wants to go hunting, still too young, but in a couple years then we will.
Nice job on everything. Looks very good!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------



## Mr. Peet (Jan 1, 2017)

We used to freeze it after the boil cleaning, then shove it in a red ant hill for a week come spring. Sometimes rubbed sugar on it first. Not at all as clean. Tried the 'Draino' method, worked well but dissolved the sutures and the skull fell apart. Lots of crazy glue on that... Used industrial grade on another and the skull turned to jello. Yep, felt like a mobster, then like an idiot. When our boy got a nice 8 point, I cheated and sprung the $65 bucks (no pun) to have the beetles do the work. We skipped the triple bleach option and did the single dip. When it came back, looked great. I polyed it and we made a barn board mount.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Aurora North (Jan 21, 2017)

That is a damn fine first kill. Congrats to your son and to you! Great memory you guys will always look back on. Awesome process on the skull. I was thinking you used beetles to clean it all out until I scrolled down.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


----------

