Getting Sheep horns off the skull?

YELUM · Nov 28, 2011

Any body have any easy tricks to get the horns off to bleach a skull?

Yelum

FullCryHounds · Nov 28, 2011

I use beetles. Takes a day and they fall off.

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eurosbyRT · Nov 28, 2011

>I use beetles. Takes a day
>and they fall off.
>
You really put someones OIL trophy in the beetles? Not good

Yelum, give me a call and I can give you some tips, 801-362-0725

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FullCryHounds · Nov 28, 2011

Yes, I've done over a hundred of them. The beetles don't touch the bone or the horn. They only eat the tissue that is holding the horn to the bone. You can't do this with Antelope but any of the sheep is fine. Its a heck of a lot better then boiling them like most pros do and smacking them to get them off!

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eurosbyRT · Nov 28, 2011

I know many who would disagree with you on the beetles not touching the horns, they are the same as antelope, buffalo and cow horns. You might have been lucky so far, but it only takes one.I dont boil anything to get horns off, sweating them is the only safe way to do it. One guy that use to be around here use to use his beetles to get all the horns off, he ended up ruining a guys RM bighorn, the beetles bored into the horns and ate a ton of it.

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kevinp · Nov 28, 2011

Soak!.. Bag! and let them Rot off....

FullCryHounds · Nov 28, 2011

Sheep horns are nothing like Antelope, what are you talking about! I've been using beetles since the mid 80s and have never had one beetle touch a sheep horn. No offense but you don't know what your talking about.

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eurosbyRT · Nov 28, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Nov-28-11 AT 06:56PM (MST)[p]They are the same, just thicker and heavier. Just wait until you have to replace one. Try getting on Taxi.net and telling everyone on there that beetles wont hurt the horns, you'll be laughed at. I have done many bighorns and all others, that is all I do is skulls, I would never risk having to replace someones OIL memory due to taking a chance. I do know what I am doing, I do it well!!!!

And Im done argueing about it, your right, you know it all

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treedagain · Dec 16, 2011

well...i am happy to say i just got my horns to pop off....in hind sight i should have done them when they were fresh, just liked to handle them a couple times a day...i soaked/submerged them for about a week in a pot of water, drilled a hole or 2 in them and double bagged them and put them in a warm spot for about 18 days or so.....they stunk up a storm when i opened the 2 bag.....dropped them on the cement from about waist level and the 1st one popped off on the 3rd drop....banged the other side about 10 times or so and the other side popped....now i just need to boil and they will be ready to mount. got my hide back yesterday so now i need to decide on my mount and it is game on...

YELUM · Dec 16, 2011

Mine are still on, but they can't last much longer. We power washed the head to get most of the remaining meat, brains, and eyes off, then bagged them. That eliminated most of the smell, but not all. I heard the horns will stink after they come off. Hows the best way to get rid of the smell?

Yelum

treedagain · Dec 17, 2011

wash and scrub them, then coat with borax.

kevinp · Dec 17, 2011

Great to hear you got them off okay Jim....Now you'll know better on your next sheep..."Do it while there fresh"....

Are you going to have him mounted in time for the Expo?

treedagain · Dec 20, 2011

Kevin, still deciding on a mount, more like deciding on the Base because i am leaning to go with the same one you used on your desert ram.....i will give you a call to pick your brain

kevinp · Dec 21, 2011

Hey Jim, sounds Great!!! Give me a call or stop by the shop anytime and we can Brain storm...I know what you mean, I still have two of my own Rams to mount that I haven't decided how to do...yet!...LOL!

treedagain · Jan 18, 2012

preacher · Feb 7, 2012

I took the horns off of two sheep this winter. It took four hours on each of them. I can get the horns off of an antelope in 45min to an hour.I use steam