Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Hunting and Trapping Fall/Winter 2010/2011

This ten point was taken with my dad's trusty ole .30-06 yesterday. He was my longest shot yet. I had been on the stand a few hours and seen NOTHING. Then I heard some sounds of antlers rattlin'.

I turned around in the stand only to see a field full of does and several bucks reminiscent of one of the wildlife TV shows. I took my pick of the four bucks (two were too small by our legal minimum 13" inside spread) and this guy dropped like a rock.

Nice deer! How far away was it?

Rangefinder said 250yds. Every other deer I've shot up to this point was under 150yds. I've got the head outside away from animals' reach... Planning to do my own European mount. I am going to clean up the flesh tomorrow and start the boiling process.

Show us how it turns out. A buddy tried doing it inside and thought he could get it finished before his wife came home. He did, but it took a few days to get the smell out of the house.

She wasn't happy at all.........

Don't get the antlers in the water - it'll bleach them.

I did mine inside on the stove last mont and didn't notice a smell. It did gross out my daughter the nurse. Whatever you do spend let it boil longer than you think is needed. I added borax to the water that I boiled it in, seams to help the process.

Yesterday, I tried my darnedest to get it cleaned up and ready to whiten, but I still have some gunk stunk in the brain cavity and up the nostrils. The problem I think was my pot was too deep and I couldn't have the whole skull in the water long enough. Seems to be the best method is probably to use the beetles, which I don't have. I'm going to give this another shot tomorrow and hopefully be able to whiten it as well. A member of our church owns a sawmill that specializes in cedar, so I am hoping to get a piece of wood from him and make my own plaque.



It looks like I'm done but actually there's too much in the skull to whiten yet.

I have to try that next year - looks great

Keep boiling it and add some borax to the water (about a cup). The brain has to almost be melted oit of the cavity. After you get it clean if you want the skull whiter do the following. Place the skull in a plastic container and with peroxide (the very low percentage type). Do not get any of the peroxide on the antlers or it will whiten them. For the part of the skull that is not in the peroxide, place cotton patch on it and soak with the peroxide. Let it sit in this for 3 to 4 days, take out and flush with water. It will be much whiter in color. Here is the one I did this year.

I will try the Borax method. I have had several suggestions. I used a little bit of dish soap in my boiling watter but I don't think it helped at all.

I've bought some 35% peroxide cream to put on the skull. Instead of soaking the whole thing, I figured I could apply the peroxide cream and let it sit on the skull for several days. I will still cover up the antlers to protect them -- I don't want to have to "fix" them with wood stain... )

The one taxidermist I use does European mounts for $75. For the amount of work that goes into them, it's worth it for me...

A family friend and his daughter were hunting down on my families property on saturday and saw a mountain lion. He said he got a good look at it. It was 100 yards away and about 6 foot long from head to tail. Several years ago a guy on our deer lease had a horse killed by a mountain lion. His property was about 30 miles away.

Bet that was kinda scary.. But kinda neat at the same time..

After a hunting season of seeing only does at the cabin, my son emailed me this photo he took 2 days ago. He's staying at the cabin for a week and saw this in the yard.

If I woulda seen that in my yard, the pic I would be been posting would be that buck with its tongue hanging out and me holding its head up by the antlers...

Unfortunately deer season ended here Dec.5th.

I got until the 15th, in the stand now. Atleast he'll be bigger next year

I'd be planting some food plots in hopes of enticing him to visit earlier next year. That's a NICE deer!

I just saw this. If you use the 35% cream I hope you only left it on for less than a day. Way to strong to leave it on for days

The 9 point buck is still hang'in around, maybe some of those does will come into estrus.

WTH? The doe that's furthest to the left only have one front leg?

Just the angle of the photo.

From one trail cam last week. I guess the doe smells interesting.

I was cautious and only did it for a day. I'm not really impressed with the results. However, it's as white as I'd like it to be. Right now it's hanging up in my workshop and I'm waiting a few days to decide if it's "ready" to come into the house.

Here kitty kitty...

My dad did the tough part and that was fooling it into stepping in the trap. I was walking his trap line with him and helet me put the finishing shot on her. 16 pounds of game bird eating nastiness.





It was caught on our hunting land in PA. My dad is heading back to start his winter trap line in VA where he lives. Lots of water trapping for mink, muskrats, beavers and otters. Also does a lot of land trapping as well. Now that he is retired he'll have over 200 traps and snares out to keep him busy.