Thread: Does anyone know how to make a fake cow skull?

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I know there is a thread later on but I don't know how to paint it and make it look realistic. Any ideas on how to make one? Or maybe where to buy one?

Here's what i'm aiming it to look like:

For real ones, check out things like Craigslist, Ebay, Amazon and the like... one was in my craigslist recently for something like $50. I also checked goodwill - and they have them occasionally:

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions...n-7644712.html

To recreate one, I'd do paper maché. You'd have to have several photos of different angles of the skull to use as reference, but I do think it's do-able and would be pretty low cost.

Have you considered going up to Carnation or Snohomish and asking some of the local dairy farms? Or going to a butcher shop and asking them? I know if you go down to Seattle, you can purchase a whole pig's head at Uwajimaya.

as mentioned before- Ebay has a wide selection of cow skulls, bones, etc. I couldn't believe it!

Some are very pricey, but keep your eye on it and you will probably find a suitable skull i your price range!

Saw a cow's head in a Southwest Supermarket. Caters to Mexicans and South Americans. Any carneceria will probably have them. No skin on them, but the muscles and eyeballs intact. Whether that is cool depends on what you are going for.

From time to time I have seen the brown paper mache ones in places like hobby lobby. Here's ayou tube link to make one.

I think this is a pretty good deal. Kmart.com has one on sale for $19.99. Search for Skull with Horns (in their Outdoor Living Lawn Ornament and Statues section).

It's a polyresin for indoor/outdoor use and a decent size, 22 inches wide.

Standard shipping isn't bad, $6.95. I plugged in a few zip codes for pickup at local stores and did find it at a few locations I punched in, so if you can pick it up you'd save on shipping.


Personally given the confusion on the Kmart.com website with descriptions and such, I like that items can be paid for through PayPal. Seems like the safer way to pay for items on their site, but maybe that's just me.

BTW in addition to the steer skull I posted about above, I noticed that they also have a 31 inch diameter wooden wagon wheel on sale right now for 15.99 (reg. 19.99). Listed in the same Outdoor Living area as the skull. Figured if you are looking for a steer skull maybe a wagon wheel would be something one might be interested in too. My local location had this available for store pick up as well.

This might sound odd, but there's a program in most states where if someone poaches or hits a deer, moose, antelope, etc., the park service or some other agency claims the body and distributes the meat (yes, there are safeguards). Find out who is in charge of that program locally, and see if you can claim the head of the next critter. I know you want a cow, but it might supply you with a skull, and perhaps you can glue cow horns to a deer or antelope skull. You might also call your local meat-packing plants and tell them what you want. They may not have it, but they might well know a source.
Back to the deer: When I lived in Iowa, there were lots of deer skeletons caught in barbed wire or just dead in gullies. I always intended to fetch myself an entire skeleton, but never got around to it. Anyhow, if you see a "deer crossing" sign, look for places where they might die after getting hit by a car. Most people don't search these areas just for kicks, and you might want to get permission, but it's a possibility (definitely outside the box).

I have seen latex ones and they just don't look very real to me.....but I'm on a farm and have access to real ones. None with horns tho - you'd have to improvise.