and I want the antlers to stay brown. I guess I'm going to bury the skull, with antlers above ground, and stake a barrel over it. Is there a better way using a natural method that will keep the antlers brown? Killed this buck in 21, the year my brother and mom passed so it's special to me and would like to do a good job on the euro mount.

you can stain the horns to keep them brown

What don't you skin it, clean out brain, eyeballs, tongue. Remove lower jaw.

Boil it, pressure wash it, peroxide it...

....tape up the antler bases with electrical tape b4 boiling.

Google cleaning skulls....lots of good info.

I've considered that. I would like to stick it in a barrel of water(maceration) but want to keep antlers natural color.

You stick the skull in the pot, not the antlers. I have a dozen or more Euro’s and all the antlers are the same color they were when the deer was killed.

This

Just go to tractor supply get you a metal feed bucket. Drag out the turkey cooker gas burner. Just submerged the skull. Boil 1 hour take a screw driver see if gunk comes off If not boil some more

I would add, after boiling pick it as clean as you can, get the brain out. Don’t boil to long, nose bones and teeth may start to fall out. Get some 40% hydrogen peroxide and basic white from the local hair salon. Mix into a slurry paint it on the skull, do not get any on the antlers. Let set for a day until dry, then wash dried slurry off and you are done.

I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket, skinned or not, water to top of skull. Place a black construction bag over the whole thing, set in the sun and forget about it for a few months. You can start it in the cold but it won't really start to maceration until the weather warms up. Check on it every couple of months, pick or pressure wash stuff off, change water as needed, until you're happy with it. Make sure you keep the bag on it so the sun doesn't bleach out the antlers. Then you can 40% peroxide if you want.
I've done 6-8 this way, and only boiled (simmered) one. I did a couple skull plates with dermisted beetles too, beetles do a great job.

This ^ Van Dykes sells kits that will do several

Very easy and quick to do. Clean it up the best you can before doin anything. I simmered mine for about 5 to 6 hours. Take the pressure washer to it and let it dry. Brush with 40 volume peroxide and let sit in the sun. Done in one day.

I put mine out in the woods with the skull lightly covered with dirt/leaves/grass. I wire it to a tree so it can't be hauled off by some critter and put a trash bag over the antlers so they don't bleach out. They will stay brown if not exposed to the sun.

Nice

There’s many ways to clean a skull. Burying it in the ground is one of the dumbest ways to do it and I can’t believe people read about it on the internet and think that’s a good idea.

I agree, that's a good looking mount above.

I'll tell you, if the deer head means so much to you, I'd be a little bit worried about a mouse or squirrel finding the horns. As far as just putting the head under a barrel. Little rascals will find stuff like that.

This past season I had a local boy clean up my buck's skull, he did a good job. $100 down the drain, but it's skull is almost as white as paper. The horns are still the same color as they were, it looks ok, but probably won't do it again. From the time he picked it up, I had it back in like 10 days.

Skin it . Bury it like you stated. It takes about 2 months. Hit it with a pressure washer. The antlers will remain whatever color they were., use bleach from a beauty supply house if you want the skull whiter. Boiling is quicker but will soften the bone if you boil it too long.

Do the European mount.
As stated above,it can be done in a day.
Heck of a lot cheaper than taxidermy and looks great when it's done.
You won't regret it

Make sure you use 40 VOLUME hydrogen peroxide, which is 12%. 40% hydrogen peroxide will likely combust if it comes in contact with organic material. The whole volume/% thing is confusing.

DO NOT BOIL

Unless you want to ruin it. Boiling will soften thin bones (like the nose) and they will deform or come apart

Simmer is your friend

I add a hefty amount of platinum dawn to my water an slow cook it (water temp about 180-190). Every 30 min to an hour I check it to see what I can get off.
Skin and remove as much as you can before cooking. Brains, eyeballs, tongue, bigger pieces of tissue (muscle/fat/etc)

Has it been in the freezer since 21?

I agree on the simmer, do not boil. I have always used sal soda in the water (arm and hammer detergent booster) the flesh will turn rubbery and peel off easily.

Yes been there since 21. Had a friend who had beetles and was going to get him to do it. Didn't know he had gotten rid of them. Needed room in the freezer so I'll take on the job myself. Have done furbearer skulls by maceration, just never a deer skull when wanting to keep antlers their natural color.

This. Big time.
Calcium carbonate (sold as washing soda) works well. Tide powder laundry detergent has enough calcium carbonate in to do the job as well.

Yes my mistake it’s 40 volume.

I will say I do not literally bury it (although that may work). Set it on the ground, cover with leaves, dead grass, light dirt (so the bugs can clean it/stay concealed) and yes 2-3 months will do it. Dermestid beetles are of course in the wild so they find it, reproduce, and clean it. No different at all then sending it off to have beetles clean it. There actually is more than one correct way to do things and come out with the same results.