Skull Cleaning Using Maceration 

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This was an excellent video. You taught me everything I needed to know in the first few minuets and kept my interest with a great experiment. Well done and thank you!

Working with marine sewage treatment plants, we use a blower to oxygenate the water and maintain the bacteria colony. The reason why you need to change the water is because the bacteria outgrow the habitat and use up the oxygen, by flushing the habitat you maintain the growth at a stable level. Having a warm environment boosts the reproduction of bacteria. So from my experience, I imagine having a tank that is heated and has a blower will give the best results with regular flushing.

This is awesome. I collect skulls. I don't hunt, I just find them. Because I hike but live in the city I have Many different kinds of skulls. Usually I just let nature take its course in my back yard. This is not a consistent method. some get cleaned well and some seem to mummify. Boiling is out, but soaking for awhile maybe just the ticket. Will this weaken small skulls, like bird, squirrel or even a mouse? What about the peroxide bath?

What's funny is I have been macerating skulls since I was a kid and just found out what the process is called(I'm 43)! Lol! Thanks for the informative vids. It's really nice to see wholesome people with such an interest. God bless you!

This is amazing! I’m new to skull and bone cleaning, and iv been considering maceration as it seems easier than any other methods, and this just convinced me even more! Thanks for this video mate!

What a great video!!! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. Very grateful.

Best one I’ve seen searching for this info. Thanks.

Great video!! Again thanks for being an open book and sharing your techniques.

Looking forward to trying it! Thank you, everything was well explained.

Super informative, thank you so much for making this video! Have some pig skulls that I have been struggling with for a while now as living in an apartment leaves me unable to bury them, and cleaning them by hand has not been working very well, but thanks to this I now have an effective alternative! :D

Nice one Hunter. Thanks for sharing the knowledge mate. You re a good teacher. Thanks again for the video. Take it easy.

Thank you! I’m definitely going to try this method. I’ve tried someone else’s method of boiling the skulls and not only did they start to fall apart, but it takes hours to pick the rest clean and it’s so hard to tell if I got all the brain out as well. Hopefully this will work a lot better for me!

Your welcome we did this in Woodbridge. Heard you are in Manassas!. Whitening was done with soaking it in peroxide in a 5 gallon bucket

thanks for the info mate I now know how to clean skulls/bones AND you actually saved me a bunch of time by showing what way works the best. thank you much appreciated.

Seriously the most informative video, Thanks 🇦🇺

U r a great inspiration to me! I just hope that you provide us lots and lots of such informative and artistic videos... Good luck for your work... Greetings from India!

had almost decided to go to dermastic beetles til i read a book last night, ...im back to maceration... thanks for the videos, ive learned a lot

The fine details preserved on the skulls are amazing, museum quality. Much better than the aggressive smashing, cooking and pressure washing the other guy does.

Learned a lot from this video. Thanks so much!

Nice video man, I would love to see 2 video follow-ups. 1. Maceration vs Boil - why you went this route, pro/cons, etc. 2. Your setup - where do you keep them during the week, how are you running your heaters, your prep steps, degreasing, samples of what you do after (nice bone carving vids BTW - but what else?) Anyways, just some ideas on content I looked for on your channel and figure others will too. Cheers!

Love your video, very informative…great job.

Hi Hunter. I can now report backnon my findings after doing maceration on a Bluewildebeest and an Impala. The results - UNBELIEVABLE!!! So the BWB had already gone through bleaching and carving and multiple cleanings, but it had brain matter stuck in the cavity that I just could not get out. After just one week of maceration, the entire brain cavity was clean, and even most oil from the skull had "disappeared". Then Impala was a skull that was out in the sun for about three months. It was not really even cleaned propperly - just cooked so it has hair and skin on it. I started the process, did a water change after 7 days, and then after another 7 days I took it out. HP hosed it down and to my absolute surprise - it came out clean. Each cavity and hole was cleaned out completely! Even the tough skin that still had har hair on, simply tore off with the hp hose. One thing it does seem to do, and I might be wrong - but it seems as if the process does cause the bobe to become a bit more brittle. The thickness of the impala front nasal cavity had become almost paper thin. Also, both skulls still do have a very slight smell. Is there a way to get the smell out completely? Maybe washing in dishwash liquid?? Any advice one this? But all in all, incredible results. Thank you hunter for the amazing channel and teaching us your ways.

Good to know, thanks for replying I'll give it a try!

Really good video, man. I've been using this method for YEARS because I'm really lazy and even I learned a few things from watching this. So Thanks!! I've never skinned my specimens before, though, but if you say it'll be faster if I do, then I just might. I'm just really lazy and I don't mind my buckets sitting for a while.

Awesome info!! Thank you for your time and knowledge😁

dude you are amazing love your videos keep up the great work

Awesome lil comparison, appreciate it!

Right on! ...awesome video can't wait to try this!

Awesome video bud! Very good info, thanks!

Thank you. Doing this now with duck and chick skulls. Very cool. Subscribed too! Very thorough and I understood.

Best description I’ve ever heard about the smell of this process “the smell is out of hand (control)”. I’ve got a deer skull macerating in the back yard right now and it starts 20 feet out Min.

This was SO interesting! I enjoyed watching and learned a lot. I'm wondering about he type of bacteria that does this process, and if something can be added to catalyze the process. Some bacteria like salt, some like starch, some prefer darkness (possible a hint with the results from your black bucket as well as the increased heat). Great video! Thank you!

I love when the algorithm sends me outliers like *SKULL HUNTER* lol Thanks for telling me how to hide the bodies

Hot water maceration works better than cold because the bacteria like warmer climates and will propagate better in warmer climates than colder climates causing the organism to rot faster. Thank you for making this video.

Great video ! Thanks for the info. I just finished macerating a cat skull, it has come out great ! Sadly I lost a tooth in the process... I have yet to apply your tips from the last video and go see a butcher or two to get skulls ! Sadly in France a lot of animals are affected by laws and regulations regarding what can be donewith their remains...

This was wonderfully useful stuff I enjoyed the comparison. You mentioned smell, I don't have the sense of smell so this story concerns a friend telling me that a black bird had hit an office window and died. I put it in a plastic bag and a card board tube and left it in the office during summer on a Friday. I forget this fact and on Monday my colleagues noticed a stench and thought it was the drains. I confessed and took it home. And boiled it up in a pan! I miss my old skull collecting days as I didn't know what I was doing but had fun.

This was so informative, thanks! ☺️

This is definitely a hobby I want to get into now

very good video! will definately try this in the future!

Awesome videos man , great job. I found a dead boar here in Florida, the spine and head are all intact, also found a gator head, going to try the bucket method I think bc it’s 90 here almost everyday. Thanks again!

Thank you for setting up such a great experiment! I used to boil skulls but didn’t like the change in the bone. It also required considerable degreasing. Questions for you: 1)would adding Rid Ex toilet enzymes harm the skulls at all? A friend suggested it. 2)What measures do you use to protect yourself from inhaling or handling the bacteria laden skulls? 3) why not leave the bucket open to the air?

Awesome video! Didn’t even know this was an option. Just on question can you do this do a deer buck skull without damage to the antlers?

I usually put them in my garden with a heavy clay pot upside down over them and let the bugs deal with it. I’m totally going to try it with the bucket and water! Thank you!

I've made it this far thanks to your video! Thank you! Now, what do I do next? Before i start carving? All of the carving videos I've seen focus on the carving method and style. I want to use a bleached skull with simple Dremel work, is there more preparation to the surface of the bone after after I've cleaned it? What about preserving the bone from natural wear and tear like becoming brittle?

Very cool video very informative appreciate it to starting to do mine

AWESOME! Very informative!!!!

Grate video I will put heat and change the water often for now on think you for the time it took to do this video well done 👍🏻

I live in your neighborhood. I recognize your street and saw my house on this video LOL. I would identify places but i dont want to DOX myself. Love and Light!

I'm the 1800th subscriber!

amazing video, really educational 👍

I was wondering about this. I had accidentally left a fish in my cooler after fishing one summer. After a few weeks something started to smell and I couldn't find the source. I needed to use the cooler, and I opened it up and found the smell as well as all the bones from the fish. Not one piece of meat on them. It made me wonder if this was a viable option for cleaning other animal bones and skulls. Thanks for the great videos you put out. I'm just getting started in the hobby, so you knowledge is very appreciated. Thanks again.

thanks for this videos, it was interesting for me there was a time when i wanted to clean and keep skulls, have i discovered these at that time would have been helpful

Extremely good video...Well Done

Thank you 😊 greetings from germany

Neat stuff. I had no idea it was so simple and so effective. :-D

Thanks, great information. I have 2 beaver skulls I need to do. Can I use chlorinated city water or would I be better off with pond water? Also, how do you think it would work to put the skull in a perforated container for protection and sinking it in a pond?

Thanks. I really appreciate the video. I have my daughter's buck skull sitting in a metal cage and waiting forever. Looks like I'll be moving it to a bucket of water tomorrow.

this helped a lot, thanks

Great informative video thanks

Impatient as I am I'd be tempted to put in one of those pouches you put in septic tanks to keep them healthy... No idea if that'd help, but worth a try!

Here is the video on how to macerate a buck skull ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YoMLietd3KQ.html

Just found your channel and I have a few questions. 1) Why do you have so many skulls. 2) Why are they sheep skulls. 3) Have you ever tried the skull with the aquarium heater in the black bucket to see if you can speed up the process even more? Cool channel, and I enjoyed the video. Very interesting, never seen anything like this.

I have a couple questions: Do you just use hydrogen peroxide to degrease them? Will the water kill (or help) lawn grass if dumped over it? Also, as a biology/environmental science major, warmer water is probably more beneficial for the bacteria to work faster (most living things including bacteria get cold and slow just like our fingers in cold weather).

Great video! Thank you! How do you degrease after masurating a deer scull? Do you use hot peroxide? What strength? Great work!

Use the aquarium heater and install a toilet tank water valve with float to constantly feed clean water into the bucket. Put a hose valve and a hose on the side of the bucket at the bottom then slowly leech the dirty water into a garden by adjusting the flow. The smell will be minimal if done gradually.

Great video and good job! How do you de-grease a skull?

I water macerate using hot water and add some Dawn dish soap to aid in degreasing. This year I kept the buckets (my daughter and I both shot nice bucks) in our attached garage and changed the water every 2-days to help avoid any smell.

great video - thank you. i have a question regarding antlers. the 4 point buck i just harvested has a beautiful dark red/brown rack, will leaving the antlers in water bleach out/change the color? or should i just cover the skull and leave the antlers out of the water (would end up only being a shallow bath though). thank you in advance of your answer.

Awesome video! I learnt so much watching. Do you have a video concerning degreasing the skull?

So would this work with a human body too? I saw a video with dermestid beetles and it claims they do the same thing. I am asking because I think it would be cool to have my skeleton preserved when I die vs just being buried or burned.

How long do you put them in the mix to whitening. What’s the ratio for the soak and do you use the heater?

I want to be your friend! I have so many questions!!! I loved this video, but now I have so many more questions!!!

Thanks a lot for the wealth of info. I was given a knobby buck with little 3 inch long antlers. It is winter so I have it inside but never dumped the water since I put it in 2 weeks ago. I guess I better dump it. I wonder if nasty city water (I have) vs well water makes a difference? The city water is loaded with chlorine and fluoride so maybe that slows it. I filter the crap before I drink it but not using that for the bucket. Thanks again sweet video! So far I have learned how to do lots of stuff on RU-vid including brain tanning hides. Learning more and more ways to use less of the critter I get

Have you tried taking a rascal and putting a pressure washer to it? I wonder if that would speed up the process to almost instantly ready to go or maybe only a week in the macerator? Good channel I am joy watching it

In my experience, the cold water maceration is most likely to leave the grave wax gunk on it, and they're more likely to need less degreasing and have less of the waxy texture when the water stays hot or warm. I'm in Georgia,so in the summer the water stays a pretty constant hot temperature but in the spring and fall the water stays cooler and they end up pretty gross

Just wondering do you know what temperature you set the water heater at and do you think if you increased the temperature would it make the process faster?

Thank you for the video. Looking to do this in the future to be able to honour my sheep, especially any top rams and breeding ewes.

Excellent video! I will be trying my first skeletons soon, starting with some bigger pond turtles (around 10 inches), you think the maceration method won't be damaging on the (I guess) rather fragile skeletons?

These videos are really interesting keep up the good work but I was just wondering what is the purpose of cleaning the skulls? What will you do with them after they you've cleaned them thoroughly?

Thank you..have mummified or dessert leather skulls. This was very informative.

My method does both, I boil off most of the meat and then let the giblets macerate off. Also I add 3% peroxide to the water and sun-bleach it for a few days. Works pretty well.

Hello I noticed you keep saying let bacteria do the work well when you use the heater bacteria thrive in 70 to 90 degrees water temperature so when you change the water what bacteria remain combined with fresh warm water they begin to breed faster and compete for the last scraps so the schull is picked clean making your job much easier. Bacteria slow in cooler temperatures and breeding slows tremendously . You have a great chanel hope to see to more keep up the good work

Great video! Ive been cleaning skulls and collecting them for 8 years now. Maceration is in my opinion the best alternative to beetle cleaning. I use a very similar method to what you use. I use plastic buckets that I get from the restaurant that I work at so buckets don't cost me anything. Luckily I live in Florida so hot and humid pretty much all year long.

What if you incorporated both the oxygen and the aquarium heater together???

i would be interested to know how many skulls you have actually got and done this to, and what you do with them all!!!

Just to clarify you just take the hide off put it in a bucket then change the water after 1 or 2 weeks and when you change water do you clean them or just put them back in the bucket?

Hey awesome video! I am currently working on a bird skull but notice a pretty strong smell still after maceration. Is there anything you do after the process other than just letting it dry to eliminate the smell?

Does the flesh/gunk get trapped in the mesh bags or does it fall out/decompose all the way?

Thanks for the videos! I am working on a wild turkey skull from my son’s first hunted turkey. How often would you recommend I change the water?

Can you use this process for a skull with antlers? Do you have any videos on how you do your bleaching?

11:39 you look like murr from impractical Jokers

I've had a hummingbird skull I've had soaking for at least 4 weeks. Seems to be taking forever! I've changed the water twice since the temperature hasn't been very warm lately. I'm not sure if it's the water I'm using, or what.

Do you have a wireless aquarium heater or did you cut a notch in the lid?

Hello and thanks for the videos. I have a cow skull that is bare from lying in the sun for so long but there seems to still be some slight cartilage left and it has a bad smell still. Would you still recommend this method to remove the final remnants of flesh from deep inside? I do appreciate it!!!!

Yea I assumed that was probably the way to go, I currently do that when I simmer them for whitening. My final question, what would you suggest if the skull and antlers don’t fit in a container?

What do you do with ram skulls to keep horns in place and intact? Do they handle maceration? I have had goat horn sheaths come away before but guess I could epoxy them back on. Thanks.

I have a cat skull that was previously soaked in formaldehyde. Will this affect the maceration process greatly?

How exactly do you get these skulls? Looking to get into it after finding a whitetail deer head while working, but I’ve never come across an animal skull until now

I’ve got a boat head that I was about to spend all day trying to boil out, so thanks for this, I’ll give it a shot. I’m just hoping it will fit in a 5 gal bucket once I take off the hide.