need a beetle keeper for European mount

[tjones96761]

got this one during rifle season. 300yds with 270win. perfect shot, dropped in about 3 steps. Green score of 129 1/2. I have 2 on the wall already, a 145 and a non typical. So figured I'd go skull mount on this one.
We did European mount on my wife's deer from a guy way down south of Blanchard. He did beetles and it looks good and everything. I've seen mounts done with boiling and pressure washing and such, but I really like how the beetles preserved the nasal passages and all that small bone structure in the nose. It's just crazy far for me to drive to Blanchard or even OKC for that matter. Is anyone around Tulsa or Stillwater area keeping beetles?



Still looking for this guy. Haven't had him on camera since this picture.

 

[okievarmint]

Contact Kenneth Bauman- Oklahoma Taxidermists Association president. He may be able to tell you of someone closer to you. Email [email protected] Phone 405-570-1051

 

[okhunter]

That's a real nice deer!!

 

[dennishoddy]

Congrats on the deer!

Contact skulls unlimited in OKC. I think they use beetles. There was a guy trying to get into the business in Blackwell Ok a couple of years ago. He did one for me, that turned out really nice, but I don't see his signs around the deer processing places this year. I'll make a few calls and see if he is still in it.

 

[AllOut]

You can order your own beetles and do it yourself, they are pretty cheep.

 

[dennishoddy]

You can order your own beetles and do it yourself, they are pretty cheep.

American beetles, yes.

The guy that did mine said the African Beetles were restricted and he had to be inspected by FDA or somebody. I don't remember.

He kept his in an old chest freezer.

 

[AllOut]

Dermestid Beetles, it's what every taxi I know if around here uses even Skullz Unlimited. It's what we used on the two I had done last year. No problems ordering them here.
They'll wipe a deer skull completely clean in a day or so depending on how many you have. You can buy 300 for about $50, which is enough to do a deer skull pretty quick. Plus the colony will grow and you'll have a lot more beetles later if you decide to keep them. They are very easy to maintain.

 

[264Magnum]

Unless I had a building well away from my house for such things, there's no way I could deal with the smell of all that.

 

[AllOut]

They don't stink
The beetles will only eat fresh meat and it don't take them long to have a skull cleaned off.

 

[tjones96761]

They don't stink
The beetles will only eat fresh meat and it don't take them long to have a skull cleaned off.

I have a hard time believing that any critter eating dead chit doesn't stink...
Regardless, I don't want to mess with it myself. Much rather pay someone that enjoys that kind of stuff, I really don't.
Skulls Unlimited prob does use beetles, but still in OKC almost 2 hours away. Tulsa is 45min and Stillwater is 20min. Surely someone is closer than OKC.