There are a few different ways to get good European mounts. You will reduce the time required for any of the techniques by removing as much tissue as possible prior to begining (removing all skin, the lower jaw, brains, eyes etc.).
1. Boil the skull. Add a bit of dish washing detergent to the water to help cut the oils. Boiling will break down the tissues and allow them to release from the bone easier. Scrape and clean tissue off. Boiling will also breakdown the connective tissues that hold the teeth in place, and some teeth may fall out. If this happens, the teeth can be glued back in after everything is dry.
2. Stick the skull in water as mentioned above. Bacteria which will begin to grow in the water will begin to break down the connective tissue and muscle left on the skull. This technique works well, but it does stink and takes much more time than the boiling technique. Change the water as often as you need to, but remember that each time you change the water you are reducing the bacterial populations, which will however build back up quickly. Try to keep everything in a warm place while doing this technique. Again it is the bacteria that are doing the work, and they need warmth to live.
3. Dermestid Beetles do a great job of cleaning skulls. There are many places where you can send skulls and have them done for what I consider a reasonable price. I know that you can also purchase beetle kits online and start your own colony of beetles. Odor again will be an issue (i.e. growing a colony of beetles, and cleaning skulls under your bed may be offensive to your wife).
4. Burry the skull as mentioned above. This will remove the tissue, yet takes a long time and may attract animals which may try to dig up the skull. The skull may be stained by the soil.
5. Bag it. remove tissue from skull as mentioned above. place the skull in a plastic bag such as a garbage bag. Poke a few holes in the bag (big enough to let flies and other insects in). The insects will lay eggs on the decaying flesh. Maggots will hatch and begin to eat the flesh from the skull. The garbage bag will help keep things warm and cozy for the maggots. After the critters have done their job, clean the skull up with soap and water, and pick off any other tissue that needs removed.
Regardless of what technique you use to get the flesh off, I would recomend a quick boil in water with some dish soap afterward. This will pull some of the oils out of the skull, and help reduce residual odor. The oils, if not removed, will often cause a yellowish color.
After the tissues and oil have been removed the skull can be whitened. I do not recomend using household bleach. The bleach will actuall begin to breakdown the bone and cause it to become brittle. This is no huge deal on the larger bones of the skull, but it does make a difference with the delicate nasal bones. I prefer to use hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide as purchased from a drug store is diluted with water, and not as effective as the "good" stuff. Highly concentrated forms of hydrogen peroxide can be ordered through various sources. I have used (with very good results) the stuff that is used to bleach hair. Just go to the hair color section of any grocery store etc and get the stuff with the blondest model on the box. These usually come as a powder that is to be mixed with water. Take it home, mix with water (enough to make a thin paste) and brush it on all parts of the skull that you want white. You can then wrap the skull in another garbage bag, plastic wrap etc to keep if from drying out. leave it overnight, and wash it up the next morning. You could also add more water, and soak the skull in the solution. This will remove coloration from antlers also, so if you want your antlers to remain dark, avoid getting the solution on them.
One note on bleached antlers while we are on that subject. Most of the coloration of antlers comes from staining of the bone with organic material after the animal sheds the velvet (dirt, tree sap, etc.). Rubbing dirt, plant materials, and even coffee grounds on bleached antlers can be used to add that "natural" dark color back.
If you are trying to do a eurpean type mount on any skull with horns (such as a pronghorn, mountain goat, bighorn sheep etc) you need to make sure to remove the horn completely from the skull. The connective tissue that holds the horn to the skull needs to be removed as well. The horns can be reattached when everything is done. Again, this is only for animals with horns, not for animals with antlers (deer, elk, etc).
Hopefully this makes sence. If not, let me know.
