I've had good results preparing several whitetail deer skeletons (including
a few quite young ones) using a modified boiling technique. Start the bones
in cold water, bring them up to about 90 C and let them cook for @ two
hours, skimming the fat and scum off the water as the bones are simmering.
After two hours, change the water, bring the bones back up to 90 C, skim
all fat again, and then let them soak off the heat overnight. I should
mention that I do this in a jacketed kettle which maintains the temperature
very well, but I'd bet you would get good results wrapping a stockpot in
some insulation after cooking. After the soak most of the flesh and
cartilage comes right off. To degrease the bones, cook them again at a
lower temperature (@ 60 C) with Dawn dish soap, skimming any grease that
rises and changing the water regularly to keep it clean. If you try this
take care to fish out the more delicate bones (scapulae and ribs)early on
so they don't overcook and get crumbly. Drilling a small hole or two in the
diaphyses of long bones also helps to liberate the grease. Keeping the
temperature relatively low renders the grease without destroying too much
collagen. It is also important to keep the water as clean and grease-free
as possible so the bones don't soak it back up. Prepping skeletons by
cooking them isn't perfect, but it's fairly expedient, economical, and
avoids using hazardous chemicals (like acetone or white gas).
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