The bull I shot a couple of years ago was about 8 years old. The steaks aren't what I'd call tender but they're not any tougher than 2 cow buffs that I shot that were younger. They all taste good though. A 9 year old mountain goat I shot 12 years ago, now that was tough. But we ate it all. I would recommend grinding old mountain goats into burger.
All this talk about buffalo skulls/horns perked my curiosity and I took some measurements. The horns from mine aren't that impressive I guess being 16 5/8" and 15 6/8" long and 13 3/8" and 13 6/8" around but they keep good mass out to the ends though and are real gnarley around the bases. The skulls from mature bulls are pretty good size, this one being 13' wide and 22 3/8" long and weighs 20 lbs. I think some of the coolest buffalo skulls are those from mature bulls with broomed horns. They might not score well but they sure have character. I never bothered to check/measure these things before but this thread made it kinda fun.
Got my Buffalo skull back and on the office wall...
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dm3280
- Posts: 550
- Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 6:11 pm
The horns on my bull had splinters from the tip down, kind of like they were starting to shead a layer. The guide said it was because he was not a very nice bull and was pretty rough on them. He had a big scar close to the mouth the that taxidermist did an excellent job covering up. At first I asked him to clean up the horns and polish them a little. When I picked up the mount he had left the horns just like they were when the bull was walking. I am so glad he did not take my suggestion. I like them rough. Shows the bull had an attitude.
Now every time we go into a restraunt or bar that has a buff head, my wife just shakes her head and say that they are babies. Of course every time she looks up at mine she shakes her head and cann't wait for me to finish the basement. She does not like it hanging in the great room.
Question - how did you hang the skull from the wall? I cannot figure out a good safe way to hang mine. Everthing I come up with just does not make me feel it will stay. Last thing I want is for it to drop off and break the nose area.
Now every time we go into a restraunt or bar that has a buff head, my wife just shakes her head and say that they are babies. Of course every time she looks up at mine she shakes her head and cann't wait for me to finish the basement. She does not like it hanging in the great room.
Question - how did you hang the skull from the wall? I cannot figure out a good safe way to hang mine. Everthing I come up with just does not make me feel it will stay. Last thing I want is for it to drop off and break the nose area.
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mannyspd1
- Posts: 437
- Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:53 am
I agree that the character that the horns develop look better as is-not cleaned up. I specifically told the taxidermist doing my mount to leave them as is.
The taxidermist told me that many people have a shoulder mount done, then also boil and bleach the skull, and have "cast" horn caps put on the skull, and he asked me if I wanted to have that done. I declined, as then I would have a full shoulder mount, AND a skull mount, so it would look like I shot two animals, when in fact I had only shot one. I have seen the caps before and they look too "perfect" for my taste. It is just a matter of taste-I'm sure others like the cleaned up look. I like the imperfections.
As far as mounting the skull, I have (on other animals like elk) used lag screws through a piece of wood from the back, into the skull. Make the piece of wood narrower than the base of the skull, so it will be difficult to see from the side. Leave just enough wood visible at the top so you can lag screw the wood to a wall stud. Consider using epoxy to glue the screws in the skull, and on the contact points where the skull touches the piece of wood. Then, find a wall stud and lag screw the piece of wood to the stud. You can paint the piece of wood the same color as the wall, or the same color as the skull, whichever you think will hide it better. This permanently affixes the skull to the piece of wood, but allows you the opportunity to move the skull in the future if you want to. God Luck!
Manny
The taxidermist told me that many people have a shoulder mount done, then also boil and bleach the skull, and have "cast" horn caps put on the skull, and he asked me if I wanted to have that done. I declined, as then I would have a full shoulder mount, AND a skull mount, so it would look like I shot two animals, when in fact I had only shot one. I have seen the caps before and they look too "perfect" for my taste. It is just a matter of taste-I'm sure others like the cleaned up look. I like the imperfections.
As far as mounting the skull, I have (on other animals like elk) used lag screws through a piece of wood from the back, into the skull. Make the piece of wood narrower than the base of the skull, so it will be difficult to see from the side. Leave just enough wood visible at the top so you can lag screw the wood to a wall stud. Consider using epoxy to glue the screws in the skull, and on the contact points where the skull touches the piece of wood. Then, find a wall stud and lag screw the piece of wood to the stud. You can paint the piece of wood the same color as the wall, or the same color as the skull, whichever you think will hide it better. This permanently affixes the skull to the piece of wood, but allows you the opportunity to move the skull in the future if you want to. God Luck!
Manny
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ArmyBrat
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:23 pm
- Location: SLC, UT
Good to hear your replies on buff mounts both taxidermied caped heads and like mine the European mount.
On mine the horns were just cleaned and oiled as they were kinda mud and dirt caked. the horn caps are the ones that came with the critter...the distinctive bosses are very evident in the photos at the ranch and match the ones on the wall skull.
I asked about the process and the guy said bleaching with actual bleach is a no-no as it wrecks the skull. He explained that peroxide paste is caked onto the skull after the boiling process and it's left in the sun for a period of time. Then cleaned off. Apparently, the Chlorox type bleach weakens the thin portions of bone and fissures as well as gives it a translucent appearance in the thinner areas. The horn caps on mine are drilled and steel studded into place.
The base of the skull has a wire through it that is about a 16th thick and then I just hung it on a large screw into a stud in my office.
The robe is due in a couple months from an Idaho tannery at about the $14-15 a sq ft cost.
I really don't have a trophy room nor an appropriate decor (read-wife said "no") in my home for a head and shoulder mounted buff.
We teriyaki marinated six steaks last nite and grilled them up.....man oh man! that's good eatin. The rancher said that his animals have never even SEEN a needle or pill. So I feel good about what we're eating and what's NOT in the meat especially with these recent ground beef recalls in the news. His bison herd strain came from the Antelope Island Utah herd which is reputed to be the purest strain around. For whatever that is worth. Here's a couple links on that story.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650205164,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/print ... 19,00.html
On mine the horns were just cleaned and oiled as they were kinda mud and dirt caked. the horn caps are the ones that came with the critter...the distinctive bosses are very evident in the photos at the ranch and match the ones on the wall skull.
I asked about the process and the guy said bleaching with actual bleach is a no-no as it wrecks the skull. He explained that peroxide paste is caked onto the skull after the boiling process and it's left in the sun for a period of time. Then cleaned off. Apparently, the Chlorox type bleach weakens the thin portions of bone and fissures as well as gives it a translucent appearance in the thinner areas. The horn caps on mine are drilled and steel studded into place.
The base of the skull has a wire through it that is about a 16th thick and then I just hung it on a large screw into a stud in my office.
The robe is due in a couple months from an Idaho tannery at about the $14-15 a sq ft cost.
I really don't have a trophy room nor an appropriate decor (read-wife said "no") in my home for a head and shoulder mounted buff.
We teriyaki marinated six steaks last nite and grilled them up.....man oh man! that's good eatin. The rancher said that his animals have never even SEEN a needle or pill. So I feel good about what we're eating and what's NOT in the meat especially with these recent ground beef recalls in the news. His bison herd strain came from the Antelope Island Utah herd which is reputed to be the purest strain around. For whatever that is worth. Here's a couple links on that story.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650205164,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/print ... 19,00.html
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ArmyBrat
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:23 pm
- Location: SLC, UT
Manny- yea I kinda figgered you knew that but wanted to steer anyone away from using laundry bleach , hence the clarification.
PS- hopefully no one here is eating this ground beef.
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) -- Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. on Friday recalled more than 40,000 pounds of ground beef shipped to Wal-Mart stores in 12 states after samples tested at a Sherman, Texas, plant showed signs of E. coli contamination.
No illnesses had been reported. Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc. said the recall is not related to contaminated ground beef distributed by California-based United Food Group LLC.
The recalled products were sent to Wal-Mart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, Tyson said.
Wal-Mart has removed the products from its meat cases and is destroying the recalled ground beef still in its possession, officials said.
Tyson recalled 40,440 pounds of ground beef, all of which had sell-by dates of June 13. The ground beef was sold in prepackaged trays that were placed directly into the meat case.
The recalled products include:
--1 1/2-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, 6 1/4-pound patties;
--1.33-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, extra thick, 4 1/3-pound patties;
--2 1/4-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef; and
--5 1/2-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef.
PS- hopefully no one here is eating this ground beef.
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) -- Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. on Friday recalled more than 40,000 pounds of ground beef shipped to Wal-Mart stores in 12 states after samples tested at a Sherman, Texas, plant showed signs of E. coli contamination.
No illnesses had been reported. Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc. said the recall is not related to contaminated ground beef distributed by California-based United Food Group LLC.
The recalled products were sent to Wal-Mart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, Tyson said.
Wal-Mart has removed the products from its meat cases and is destroying the recalled ground beef still in its possession, officials said.
Tyson recalled 40,440 pounds of ground beef, all of which had sell-by dates of June 13. The ground beef was sold in prepackaged trays that were placed directly into the meat case.
The recalled products include:
--1 1/2-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, 6 1/4-pound patties;
--1.33-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, extra thick, 4 1/3-pound patties;
--2 1/4-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef; and
--5 1/2-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef.