I have some from a friend where the hair had all fallen off years ago, and I just hack-sawed away the parts where the hide was curling up.

My method for plaque mounting is to take cut a piece of plywood the shape I want it, and then screw the skull plate onto the plywood with wood screws (using my drill). I then tape up the antler bases, and then spray "great stuff" foam insulation on the plywood and skull. It foams up quite a bit. Once the foam dries (I usually let sit for 24 hours), remove the tape from the antler bases, then cut and shape the resulting styrafoam and wrap it in leather. Finally, I then attach it to a plaque and I'm done. You can also apply a coat of clear coat spray paint to the antlers so they look glossy (if you want).

Here is the result:



I've actually replaced that old plaque with a nicer one.

Troy

If you go to the hardware store and gt some TSP and put a few tablespoons in with the water it will speed up the process. The advantage is less time in the boiling water whci can cause the skull to crack. 30 minutes will be al it takes.