Shipping Raw Skulls and Skeletons: A photo Tutorial
Your Goal is to keep the Skulls from leaking and frozen until arrival.
Freezing Skulls
Photo Tutorial coming soon.
Boxing and Shipping: A Large Specimen (Deer, Buffalo, Longhorn, Etc)
Small Specimens are shipped in the same manner.
Step 1: Ensure your specimen is totally frozen. Remove any frost build up.
Step 2- Bag the skull, Reinforce all sharp points and edges with duct tape. Especially the nose and horn tips, Eye Sockets and Nasals, and the jaw line on bottom side.
Step 3: Cover the first bag in absorbent newsprint, this will help contain any leaks. Several layers is best.
Step 4- Add a second trash bag. The Heavy duty contractor bags work best for these big skulls. Tape the bag so it is form fitting.
Step 5: Choose a box that is 2″ or a little more bigger than your item. If it is much bigger than this there will be too much movement within the box and your box might be too weak and get crushed in handling. This can cause major damage or leakage, causing your box and specimen to be discarded. Line the sides and bottom with R11 Fiberglass bat house insulation. Craft paper backed works best.
Step 6: Line the box with a third heavy duty trash bag.
Step 7: Line the bottom of the bag with some packing materials (like Peanuts, Crumpled newsprint, etc) and add your specimen. If your specimen is antlered or has very sharp horns add several layers of cardboard or thin plywood to the bottom/sides of the box between the insulation and box. This will help stop things from poking thru the box.
Step 8: Pack More packing materials around the skull, filling any voids. If there are large voids, like between the antlers on a deer, you can tape a smaller empty box closed and fit this between the antlers. This will add strength but not weight to your box and reduce the risk that it will be crushed. Large pieces of Styrofoam also work well for this.
Step 9- Tape the outside bag closed.
Step 10: Add your final layer of insulation.
Step 11- Secure top of box with a few pieces of tape, just to hold things in place.
Step 12: Add rings of fiberglass strapping tape to reinforce areas subject to high stress. Usually a strip 3-7″ in from each edge is sufficient, and another in the center of the box if it is very large or very long. This will help stop the box from splitting or coming open.
Step 13: Finish taping all edges and seams. Mark as “taxidermy items” and store frozen until ready to ship.
