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Deadhead:From field to deco

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
I found a deadhead during deer gun season and contacted the local GW and got a permit for it. When we had some great weather a few weekends ago I boiled the skull down then soaked it in a peroxide/H2O solution for 5-6 days. I think it turned out pretty good.

As I found it.


Boiling it.


After the soak and drying period and the finished product.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Looking good man! I bought the heavy duty stuff from the hair care place last time and made a paste you brush on. I like that's better than soaking. But its some strong shit to work with!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Great job! Looks like it was a mature deer.Any idea how/why it died?

Corey, I use one quart 3%peroxide solution to 3 gallons of water. I lower the skull down into the solution just up to the pedicles then I take about 6-8 connected sheets of Bounty paper towels and cold them till I have one super thick absorbent 4" wide strip of paper towel then I lay it from nose to back of skull between the burrs so that the water solution wicks heavily and soaks the top part of the skull and around the bases of each antler. I do this to prevent any discoloration to the antler bases.

I have no idea as to how this buck met his demise. I rolled over the carcass several times and couldn't see any evidence to the skeleton or carcass as the meat and hide were pretty much gone due to the yotes. Ron sat in a stand less than 100-120 yards away from this deadhead for the first two days of deer gun overlooking a great pinch point leading up into this thicket without seeing a deer. It's no wonder the deer were avoiding this area as the yotes were pounding this carcass pretty hard at that time. He did manage to kill one yote the day I found this DH and I pushed one by him at 80
yards. He made a heck of a shot hitting it twice out of 3 shots as it ran through thick terrain.

Ron had TC pics of this deer and one bowhunting encounter with this mature deer this season.

Thanks for the nice comments fellers.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Good stuff Ron

Ron found a very nice deadhead recently as well and is in the process of bleaching its skull for a euro as well. A farmer saw it laying along the edge of one of his fields along the Muskingum river and called Ron and told him where it was. Ron also contacted the GW and landowner and got permission to get the head and attained a permit for it as well. If I can find a pic I'll post it here.
 
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